Indian Culture: Festivals, Traditions, Art and Daily Life

This section is about the India you live in, not just the one you read about in history books: why Lohri bonfires are lit on the coldest night of the Punjab winter, how a Bharatanatyam dancer tells a story with her hands, what a Madhubani painter uses for colour, and why Chhath begins with prayers to the setting sun.

Each guide explains where a tradition comes from, how it differs from one region to another, and what it looks like today. Where a popular story is a legend rather than recorded history, I say so. Festival guides also give the dates for the coming year, which I update every year.

Start here

• Festivals: Diwali and its five days, Navratri, Dussehra, Chhath Puja, Lohri and Makar Sankranti, Basant Panchami
• Art and performance: the eight classical dance forms and folk painting from Madhubani to Gond
• Customs: traditional clothing by region, wedding rituals and Karva Chauth
• Daily life: life in an Indian village and life in the big cities