Punjab is known throughout the world for its vivacious attitude and lavish lifestyle. Punjab signifies luxury and prosperity in its purest form, with fertile land, five rivers, mountains, and vast lush green fields to make it one of the best locations to live. Festivals are a great way to get a sense of the essence of this lovely state. A festival is an event when individuals show off their goals, values, and true selves in a symbolic way. Punjab’s liveliness is evident through the vibrant festivals it celebrates.
Let us know more about the festivals of Punjab and explore the beauty of Punjab’s festival:
1. Baisakhi
Baisakhi is one of Punjab’s most popular festivals, with people bathing in the holy river and visiting Gurudwaras to participate in daytime prayers. Baisakhi is a harvest celebration in Punjab as well as a historically significant festival. Guru Teg Bahadur’s martyrdom day is commemorated on this day. The holiday also serves as a harvest celebration for the winter crop, rabi. Various fairs and processions are organised throughout Punjab, inviting everyone to participate in the festivities.
This event, which occurs during the first days of April or May and is one of the largest harvest festivals in the north-western region, is also known as the Saka New Year. Winter crop harvesting begins, and the generously blessed crop bundles are the major cause for joy.
2. Lohri
In the month of January, the Punjabi festival of Lohri is celebrated with zeal and fervour across the province. Huge bonfires are lighted to commemorate the occasion, which symbolise fertility and generate warmth among community members. Lohri is a Hindu festival that commemorates the end of the winter season. Lohri, one of Punjab’s most well-known festivals, is marked by the beating of Dhols, Nagadas, and the singing of traditional Lohri songs.
Children ask for treats by singing traditional songs in the neighbourhood. The event is vibrant, and you can’t afford to miss the Lohri celebrations in North India. In the homes of babies and newlyweds, special celebrations take place.
The bonfire and the folk music and dances that take place around it are the main attractions of this famous Punjabi event. People gather around the fire and toss in all of the winter harvest’s produce, such as gurh, gachak, sesame seeds, and other dried fruits.
3. Gurupurab
Guru Nanak Jayanti also called Gurupurab, one of Punjab’s most celebrated festivals, is a spiritual occasion for Sikhs. The birth anniversaries of the revered Sikh Gurus are commemorated by the Sikh community. The celebration begins with a religious parade in which sacred songs are sung.
The birth of the Sikh Guru, who helped shape the religion and taught the significance of religious devotion, is the focus of most Sikh celebrations.
A religious Festival, in which sacred songs are chanted, begins and ends the festival. The Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikhs’ holy scripture, is read aloud during the celebration. People go to gurudwaras to seek blessings, pray, and eat langar, which is sweet and holy.
4. Karwa Chauth
Karwa Chauth is Punjabi women’s festival that takes place throughout the northern and western states of India, including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat, and parts of Uttar Pradesh. The Karwa Chauth festival is the most important event that strengthens the wonderful marital relationship between husband and wife.
The Karva Chauth festival, which is celebrated by wedded couples in north India with utmost devotion and zeal for their husbands’ long life and wealth.
Women groom themselves, adorn themselves, and dress up in the same way they did on their wedding day. Before the sun rises, the mother-in-law prepares a special meal called Sargi, which is followed by a daylong fast, a special Puja, and Paath performed by a group of married and soon-to-be married ladies.
5. Basant Panchmi
Basant Panchami is celebrated in Punjab by wearing yellow clothing appropriate for the season, singing and dancing, and holding a feast. On this auspicious day, people often hold kite flying competitions. On this day, the main attraction, multi-colored kites dot the skies. Basant Panchami also signifies the transition from a harsh, cold climate to a warmer one.
As spring comes, the fields transform into a lovely yard filled with millions of yellow flowering flowers. Namdhari Sikhs wear yellow and distribute langars at gurudwaras to express their thanks to the Supreme by sharing their harvest with others. Punjabi Muslims, who are not bound by any religious affiliation, also celebrate Basant Panchami with zeal, flying kites from their rooftops.
6. Teeyan
Teeyan, is a women’s traditional celebration that commemorates the start of the monsoon season. Teeyan, regarded as one of Punjab’s best festivals, runs for thirteen days, beginning on the third day of Saawan Maas and ending on Saawan Purnima.
The people of Punjab look forward to the sawan month since it coincides with several celebrations. Teej festival gives joy and the opportunity to meet new people. Young girls and boys take an active role in events held in Punjab’s many towns and districts. Teej is celebrated on the third day of Sawan, the fifth Hindu month that begins with Chaitra.
Kheer Puri, Gulgale, Karah, and Pakoras are some of the Teej delicacies. The magnificent feast is enjoyed by the entire family. Men bless their wives and both pray for a long and happy life for one other.
7. Hola Mohalla
Hola Mohalla is a well-known and colourful three-day Sikh festival held in the spring. It occurs on the second day of the Chett lunar month, which is the first month of the Sikh Nanakshahi calendar. This parade takes place in Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur, Punjab’s Rupnagar district, one of the five Sikh takhts with historical significance.
Many remarkable accomplishments, like as sword fencing, archery, and horseback riding, are displayed throughout the event. The celebration concludes with a procession in which the panj pyaaras are dressed in traditional blue and saffron garb.
8. Chappar Mela
In honour of Gugga Pir, the Chappar fair is conducted on Anand Chaudas, the 14th day of the bright half of Bhadon. In his honour, the ‘Gugge di Marhi’ temple was constructed. The Pir was well-known in his day, and his followers may be found all over Punjab. He was a Chauhan Rajput, and legend has it that he and his steed quietly descended into Mother Earth’s bosom, never to be seen again.
He was thought to have a special ability to control all snakes. Villages shovel the soil seven times on the day of the fair because they believe this will conjure Gugga Pir to protect them from snakes. This shrine has a reputation for treating those who have been bitten by snakes.
9. Jor Mela
The Jor Mela is a religious gathering held to honour Guru Gobind Singh’s martyred sons. Every year in December, it takes place at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab’s Fatehgarh Sahib area. Every year, the local government makes special provisions for the thousands of religious followers who attend.
The villagers pool grains, mil, vegetables, and fruits for the devotees and organise food for them at the Guru Ka Langar held at the Sabha. According to legend, the wealthy and the poor join together to organise the langar and assist the visitors.
10. Tikka
Tikka is a Punjabi festival that takes place the day after Diwali. The celebration commemorated the link between brothers and sisters, in which the sister places tikka on the brother’s forehead and prays for his long life. Following that, presents and sweets compete with each other. To get into the festive spirit, everyone dresses up in new outfits.
The sister conducts aarti and tika on her boys’ foreheads as part of their ritual. The sister then ties the kalawa around her brother’s wrist, recalling their previous promises to keep her safe. Special sweets and meals are served as part of the celebration. Bhai Dooj, which falls on the second day following Diwali, is another bead in the string of festivities.
![Kattenstoet (illuminating the "Cat Festival") is an exhibition in Ypres, Belgium, dedicated to cats. It has been held every second Sunday in May since 1955. Most recently, the 45th program took place on May 13, 2018. The exhibition is reminiscent of the Ypres Middle Ages, where cats were thrown from the buffalo tower of the Fabric Hall to the town square below. How it all started- There are various myths about how cats were thrown. It is also possible that cats were involved in witchcraft, and the throwing of cats symbolized the killing of evil spirits. The last recorded event of its kind was in 1817. Another story suggests that cats were brought to the Cloth Hall (Lakenhallen) to control pests. Prior to the modern methods of heating and storage, when cold, wool was stored on the upper floors of the Fabric Hall. Early in the spring heat, after the wool had been sold, the cats were thrown out of the iron tower. Modern festival Figuratively reviving the practice at parade ceremonies, the jester throws baby toy cats from Cloth Hall belfry to the crowd, waiting with simple hands to catch one. The throwing of cats from the bench is followed by the burning of a fake witch. Participants in ceremonies often dress like cats, witches, mice, or city dwellers from years past, and the festival also features brass bands and horsemen. About 2,000 people took part in the 2012 show. [5] The festival is a popular tourism event in Belgium and has helped strengthen the local tourism economy near Ypres. 8,000 people visited the event in 2000. For the past 60 years, the city of Ypres in Belgium has had a famous "Cat Parade" that attracts visitors from all over the country. Kattenstoet, or "Cat Festival", is held once every three years and mainly includes parades featuring images of big cats, brass bands, marchers, and horsemen. Fun lovers dress like cats, witches, or mice and march through the city to enjoy the crowds. Although everything is gay and fun now, the origins of Kattenstoet are very dark. Back in the Middle Ages, people were not kind to animals and cats in particular. Many Western European cities at the time engaged in cat-eating rituals in which people gathered cats in a net or rope and hoisted them high into the air over a huge fire. Cats were thought to carry evil spirits along with the Devil himself. So while the poor animals cry out in pain, the crowd roars with laughter. After the animals were burned, the mob gathered charcoal and fire ashes to bring them home. In the city of Ypres, cats are used as victims in many folkloristic games. In those days, Ypres, like many cities in the Flanders region of Belgium, had a reputation for its textile industry. Wool was imported into England, and it was woven into fine clothes by highly skilled craftsmen. Both wool and finished products were stored in the Fabric Hall, one of the largest commercial buildings of the time. But the fabric attracted rats, chewing on the fabric and producing unhealthy values. To control the number of rats, textile traders in Ypres brought in their natural predator, the cat. But cats also breed and soon there were more cats than the city could afford. Thus began the killing of cats. This was a time when cats were considered a symbol of evil, and there was nothing more pleasing to the people of the town than throwing an animal into the metal tower of a local church. When business was not going well, people were sure that there were always a few extra cats thrown out of the window. In time, the killings became a ritual, occurring on 'Cat Wednesday', in the second week of Lent. The pagan practice continued until 1817 when the last massacre took place. The last cat reportedly survived the fall and fled shortly before being caught again. From then until World War I, Cats' Day was celebrated with the sound of church bells ringing. In 1938, a group of young boys from the altar organized a kind of cat show. Each had a toy cat. When they got to church they started having a party and then one of the boys climbed on the bell and threw the cat toys on the floor. The 'Cat Festival' lasted mainly a local festival until the 1950's when folkloristic parades became a new phenomenon throughout West Flanders. On the second Sunday of Lent in 1955, the first beautiful exhibition was organized with 1,500 others, all dressed in fine clothes. Since then, every three years the city has been celebrating the Cat Festival.](https://www.sikhheros.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/kattenstoet-ypres-32-150x150.jpg "The Cat Throwing Festival - Kattenstoet")
