South Asia

The festival calendar of the Indian subcontinent — Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist and Muslim observances across India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the diaspora.

10 cultural holidays 7 countries

About this region

The festival calendar of the Indian subcontinent — Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist and Muslim observances across India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the diaspora.

Each holiday below opens onto a detail page covering its origin and meaning, traditional greetings in the original language with English translation, design tips for printable cards, a starting palette, and five ready-to-use verses. Slugs that match an entry in the wider 1,920-occasion CardVerse directory cross-link both ways.

Cultural holidays in South Asia

Five-day festival around the new moon of Kartika (October–November)

Diwali

The five-day Hindu festival of lights celebrating the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness, obser

Fourth day of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (August–September); ten-day festival

Ganesh Chaturthi

A ten-day festival welcoming the elephant-headed god Ganesha into homes and public pandals before his immersio

Full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna (March)

Holi

A spring festival of colour, forgiveness and renewal observed primarily by Hindus across South Asia and the di

Eighth day (ashtami) of the dark fortnight of Bhadrapada (August)

Janmashtami

The midnight celebration of Krishna's birth, marked by fasting, devotional singing, and the human-pyramid game

Fourteenth night of the dark half of Phalguna (February–March)

Maha Shivaratri

An all-night vigil honouring Shiva — the destroyer and renewer — kept by fasting, meditation, and the chanting

Nine nights in Ashvin (September–October)

Navratri

Nine nights of devotion to the goddess Durga in her nine forms, marked by fasting, garba dance, and Vijayadash

Ten-day festival in the month of Chingam (August–September)

Onam

Kerala's ten-day harvest festival welcoming the legendary king Mahabali home from the netherworld.

Four-day harvest festival starting 14 January (first day of Thai)

Pongal

A four-day Tamil harvest festival of thanksgiving to the sun, the rain and the cattle that work the fields.

Full moon day of Shravana (August)

Raksha Bandhan

A festival celebrating the protective bond between siblings, marked by tying a decorative thread (rakhi) on a

Generally 13 or 14 April

Vaisakhi

The Sikh new year and harvest festival commemorating the founding of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.

Countries in this region

The CardVerse directory tracks holidays by country as well — open any country page below to see every observance the directory has indexed for it.