Different states in India celebrate the New Year according to their local cultures. Find out the names of the New Year festival celebrated in any 10 states of India. Also find out whether it is based on the lunar calendar or the solar calendar or the lunisolar calendar.
Different states in India celebrate their New Year festivals according to local cultures, using various calendar systems.
Solar Calendar-based Festivals:
Baisakhi/Vaisakhi (Punjab) is celebrated around April 13-14. Puthandu (Tamil Nadu) falls on April 14. Bihu (Assam) is celebrated in mid-April. Poila Baisakh (West Bengal) occurs on April 14-15. Vishu (Kerala) is celebrated on April 14.
Luni-solar Calendar-based Festivals:
Ugadi is celebrated in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana. Gudi Padwa (Maharashtra), Navreh (Kashmir), and Bestu Varas (Gujarat)—celebrated the day after Diwali—also follow the luni-solar calendar.
Lunar Calendar-based Festival:
Losoong (Sikkim) follows the lunar calendar.
Solar calendar-based festivals happen on almost the same date every year in the Gregorian calendar, while luni-solar calendar-based festivals shift dates but typically by less than a month.
Explanation
The chapter discusses how different types of calendars (lunar, solar, and luni-solar) are used across India for tracking time and celebrating festivals. Solar calendar-based festivals like Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bihu, Vaisakhi, Poila Baisakh, and Puthandu happen on almost the same date every year in the Gregorian calendar. Luni-solar calendar-based festivals shift dates but typically less than a month.
Solution Steps
Solar calendar festivals (same Gregorian date each year): Baisakhi (Punjab), Puthandu (Tamil Nadu), Bihu (Assam), Poila Baisakh (West Bengal), Vishu (Kerala)
Luni-solar calendar festivals (dates shift within a month): Ugadi (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana), Gudi Padwa (Maharashtra), Navreh (Kashmir), Bestu Varas (Gujarat)
Lunar calendar festival: Losoong (Sikkim)