Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganpati Bappa comes home: modaks, marigold pandals and the drums of visarjan.
Indian festivals
Your child celebrates every Indian festival
Explore festival story ideas, from Sankranti kites to Christmas carols. Choose a festival and an idea, then follow the guided steps to create your child’s story.
Choose a festival
Navratri & Durga Puja
Nine nights of garba and dandiya, glowing pandals and the goddess who protects.
Dussehra
Ramlila on the stage, the tall Ravana effigy and the night good wins again.
Karva Chauth
Mehendi, bangles and waiting together for the moon to rise over the rooftops.
Diwali
The festival of lights: diyas on every ledge, rangoli, sweets and sparklers.
Bhai Dooj
A tilak, a thali of sweets and a day made just for brothers and sisters.
Chhath Puja
Four days of sun worship on the river ghats: thekua, bamboo soop baskets of fruit, and arghya to the setting and rising sun.
Guru Nanak Jayanti
Gurpurab lights, langar for everyone and Guru Nanak's lesson of sharing.
Christmas
Carols, a star on the tree, plum cake and the joy of giving.
Lohri
Punjab's winter bonfire night: rewri, gajak and popcorn tossed into the flames, dhol beats and 'Sundar Mundriye' sung door to door.
Makar Sankranti
Kites in the winter sky, til laddoos and the first harvest of the year.
Pongal
A clay pot boils over at sunrise, the whole street shouts 'Pongalo Pongal!' and the cows wear marigolds.
Vasant Panchami
Yellow flowers, spring breezes and a blessing for books, music and learning.
Maha Shivratri
A calm night of lamps, bel leaves and gentle stories of Shiva and Parvati.
Holi
The festival of colours: gulal, water balloons, gujiya and spring laughter.
Ugadi & Gudi Padwa
A new year that tastes of neem and jaggery, with mango leaves at the door and a silk gudi shining above the balcony.
Eid ul-Fitr
The crescent moon, new clothes, seviyan and Eidi shared with everyone.
Ram Navami
The birthday of Rama: bows and arrows, sweet panakam and stories of Ayodhya.
Mahavir Jayanti
A gentle spring day of ahimsa: rath yatra processions, white-clad temple visits, grain for the birds and a promise of kindness to every living thing.
Hanuman Jayanti
Saffron flags, temple bhajans at dawn, boondi laddoos by the basket and the Hanuman Chalisa sung together, with strength used only to help.
Easter
Sunday bells and new clothes, painted eggs hidden in the compound, hot cross buns from the bakery and a bright morning of new beginnings.
Baisakhi
Golden wheat fields, the thump of the dhol and a langar where everyone sits down together.
Bihu
Assam's spring new year: dhol and pepa in the paddy fields, red-and-white gamosas, pitha and laru, and cattle washed in the river on Goru Bihu.
Buddha Purnima
A full-moon night of lotus lamps under the Bodhi tree, sweet kheer shared with neighbours, slow breaths and a grandparent's story of the calm prince.
Eid ul-Adha
Bakrid morning namaz in crisp new kurtas, food shared in three parts with neighbours, Eidi in small hands, biryani and sheer khurma for everyone.
Rath Yatra
Three giant chariots roll down the Grand Road of Puri as thousands pull the ropes and the monsoon clouds gather.
Teej
The monsoon festival of swings, mehndi, green bangles and ghewar, sung to Parvati under rain-washed trees.
Onam
Kerala's harvest festival: flower carpets, snake-boat races and the Onam sadhya.
Raksha Bandhan
A rakhi on the wrist, a sweet in the hand and a promise between siblings.
Janmashtami
Little Krishna's birthday: the flute, the butter pot and the Dahi Handi team.