A Hindu festival celebrated in all parts of the country. This is the auspicious day when lord RAMA was born. People celebrate it observing fasts and offering prayers in his honour.

Ram Navami is a Hindu festival, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama to King Dasharatha of Ayodhya.

Ram Navami is a gazetted holiday in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh

The holiday is celebrated on the ninth day of Chaitra month (the first month in the Hindu lunar calendar). It marks the culmination of the spring festival of Vasanta Navratri (Chaitra Navratri) which begins on Ugadi.

Rama was the 7th incarnation of Vishnu. He was the hero of the Ramayana, the ancient Sanskrit epic.

A continuous recital of the book takes place during the month of Chaitra prior to the celebration. On Ram Navami itself, the highlights of the story are read in the temple.

Houses are thoroughly cleaned on Rama Navami and a family shrine may be decorated with small statues of Rama. Offerings of flowers and fruit are placed on the shrine and prayers are recited after an early bath.

To mark the day, followers of Hinduism may fast or restrict themselves to a specific diet and won't eat certain foods like onions, garlic, and wheat products.

The celebrations at key places associated with Sri Rama, such as Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and Ramesvaram in Tamil Nadu can attract thousands of devotees.

This festival is celebrated all over mithilanchal with much enthusiasm. It is celebrated in the month of Sawan (Hindu calendar), which falls around August. This festival carries a message with itself. It teaches how to weave together religion and tradition in day-to-day life.

MadhuShravani Puja represents the arrival of monsoon season. It is observed by married women. During this festival, women worship Naga devatas (Serpent Gods), Gauri, Shanti Kalash, Surya, Chandrama, Navagrah, and several Nags such as Nag dampati, Bairasi along with hundred brothers, Chanai, Kusumawati, Pingla, Lili, Gosauni nag with seven sisters,and lastly Shasthi or sathi . Legends and stories related to Madhsravani festival are recited on the first day (Madhushrava Panchami) and the last day (Madhushrava Tritiya) of the puja. Stories are recited and women folk are feasted on first and last days.

During the festival of Madhushrava Tritiya, newly married girls stay at their parent’s home. Stay with parents during Shravan or at least during this festival is considered necessary. Presents (Bihar) are sent from Groom’s family to Brides family. Traditionally the bride is supposed to eat only things sent from her husband’s home. At least five (Sadhawa) married women accompany the bride while eating.

Mahavir Jayanti, also known as Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, is the most important religious holiday for Jains. It celebrates the birth of Mahavira, twenty fourth and the last Tirthankara of the present time cycle. On the Gregorian calendar, the holiday occurs either in March or April.

Most modern historians consider Vasokund as Mahavira's birthplace. According to Jain texts, Mahavira was born on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the moon in the month of Chaitra in the year 599 BCE. Mahavira was born in a democratic kingdom (Ganarajya), Vajji, where the king was chosen by votes. Vaishali was its capital.

As a child, Mahavira was called with the name 'Vardhamana', which means "One who grows", because of the increased prosperity in the kingdom at the time of his birth.

The idol of Mahavira is carried out on a chariot, in a procession called rath yatra. On the way bhajans (religious rhymes) are recited. Local statues of Mahavira are given a ceremonial bath called the abhisheka. During the day, most members of the Jain community engage in some sort of charitable act. Many devotees visit temples dedicated to Mahavira to meditate and offer prayers. Lectures by monks and nuns are held in temples to preach the path of virtue as defined by Jainism. Donations are collected in order to promote charitable missions like saving cows from slaughter or helping to feed poor people. Ancient Jain temples across India typically see an extremely high volume of practitioners come to pay their respects and join in the celebrations.

Mahavir Jayanti is another festival which is celebrated at Parasnath Hill in the month of April in Bihar. This day is celebrated as the birth of Lord Mahavir. This festival is also celebrated in Vaishali as Vaishali Festival.

Buddha's Birthday the birthday of the Prince Siddhartha Gautama, is a holiday traditionally celebrated in Mahayana Buddhism. According to the Theravada Tripitaka scriptures (from Pali, meaning "three baskets"), Gautama was born in Lumbini in modern-day Nepal, around the year 563 BCE, and raised in Kapilavastu.

According to this legend, briefly after the birth of young prince Gautama, an astrologer named Asita visited the young prince's father—King Śuddhodana—and prophesied that Siddhartha would either become a great king or renounce the material world to become a holy man, depending on whether he saw what life was like outside the palace walls.

Śuddhodana was determined to see his son become a king, so he prevented him from leaving the palace grounds. But at age 29, despite his father's efforts, Gautama ventured beyond the palace several times. In a series of encounters—known in Buddhist literature as the four sights—he learned of the suffering of ordinary people, encountering an old man, a sick man, a corpse and, finally, an ascetic holy man, apparently content and at peace with the world. These experiences prompted Gautama to abandon royal life and take up a spiritual quest.

The Buddha Jayanti is celebrated on the Baisakh Purnima on the full moon day in the month of May. Buddha was born, attained enlightenment and passed away on the same full moon day. Thus this day is celebrated as Buddha Jayanti. Bodh Gaya and Rajgir are the two places where this festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm. Buddha Jayanti is celebrated as a day of prayer and celebration at the Mahabodhi Temple.

The exact date of Buddha's Birthday is based on the Asian lunisolar calendars and is primarily celebrated in Vaisakha month of the Buddhist calendar and the Hindu calendar, and hence it is also called Vesak. In Nepal, which is considered the birth-country of Buddha, it is celebrated on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month of the Hindu calendar. In Theravada countries following the Buddhist calendar, it falls on a full moon Uposatha day, typically in the 5th or 6th lunar month. In China and Korea, it is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. The date varies from year to year in the Western Gregorian calendar, but usually falls in April or May. In leap years it may be celebrated in June.

The Sonepur Cattle Fair (सोनपुर मेला) is held on Kartik Poornima (the full moon day) in the month of November in Sonepur, Bihar, on the confluence of river Ganges and Gandak. It is also known as Harihar Kshetra Mela and it attracts visitors from all over Asia. Till date, it is the biggest cattle fair of Asia and stretches on from fifteen days to one month. It has its origins during ancient times. This is when Chandragupta Maurya used to buy elephants and horses across the river Ganges. The Sonepur Cattle Fair once used to attract traders from places as distant as Central Asia. In 2013, the Fair started on November 16 and continued till December 15.

Sonepur fair is also steeped in mythology and folklore like other ancient fairs. Sonepur Fair is the Asia's largest cattle fair which is held in Sonepur in Bihar. This month-long fair is held on Kartik Purnima, the first full moon after the festival of Diwali in the month of November. In this fair, various domestic and farm animals like elephants, camels, sheeps and birds are bought from the different parts of the country and sold. Various handicrafts and handlooms are also sold and magic shows, folk dances and contests of skill are also held. The fair attracts a large number of foreigners and Indian tourists every year. According to the legend, the Sonepur was the site of a battle between the Gaj (elephant), the lord of the forest and Garh (crocodile), the lord of the waterways.

Originally, the venue of the fair was Hajipur and only the performance of the puja used to take place at the Harihar Nath temple of Sonepur. However, under the rule of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the venue of the fair got shifted to Sonepur. The temple of Harihar Nath is believed to have been originally built by Lord Rama, on his way to the court of King Janak to win the hand of Mata Sita. It is further said that Raja Man Singh later got the temple repaired. The Harihar Nath temple, as it stands today, was built by Raja Ram Narain, an influential person during the late Mughal period.

Gajendhra Moksha legend is associated with the temple in Sonepur. It involves the story of king Indrayamuna and the Gandharva chief Huhu, who were turned into an elephant and a crocodile respectively by the curse of great sages Agasthya and Dewala muni. One day the elephant's leg was caught by the crocodile.It is said that the location was in Nepal. It is said that both of them fought hard for many years with their herds and while fighting,they came to the place near this temple. But ultimately the King Elephant weakened and took the lotus flower from river in its trunk and prayed to the supreme god Vishnu (Hari) to save him. Vishnu heard his prayer and cut down the crocodile with his Chakra. But the touch of the chakra released Huhu from the curse. Vishnu also released Indrayamuna from his curse and took him to his abode Vaikuntha.

Since Sonepur is situated at the convergence of the sacred rivers Ganges and Gandak, the Hindus regard it as a holy site. One of the purposes of the people visiting the Sonepur Cattle Fair, apart from the fair, is to take a holy dip at the convergence and pay respects at the Hariharnath Temple.

Also known as Tila Sankranti, the festival marks the beginning of the summer season. People believe that from this day on, the days become longer and the heat of the sun also increases. Every year it is observed on the 14th of January. People celebrate it by giving offerings to the poor.

Makar Sankranti is a Hindu festival celebrated in almost all parts of India, Nepal and Bangladesh in many cultural forms. It is a harvest festival that falls on the Magh month of the Nepali calendar (Hindu Solar Calendar).

Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the sun into the zodiacal sign of Makara (Capricorn) on its celestial path. The day is also believed to mark the arrival of spring in India and the Magh month in Nepal and is a traditional event. Makara Sankranthi is a solar event making it one of the few Hindu festivals which fall on the same date in the Nepali calendar every year: 14 January, with some exceptions when the festival is celebrated on 15 January.

The famous Makar Sankranti mela is celebrated in Rajgir in the month of January for seven days. On this day, the devotees offer flowers to the deities in the temples and bath in the holy water. The fifteen days long Makar Sankranti mela is also held in the Mandar hills in Banka district. According to legend, a great Asura once threatened the gods. The Lord Vishnu cut off the Asura’s head and piled up the body under the weight of the Mandar hill. The famous panchjanya - the sankh (counch shell) used in the Mahabharat war is believed to have been found here on the hills.

Sama Chakeva or Sama Chakeba is a prominent festival in the northern Indian state of Bihar, also especially amongst the Maithili-speaking population. It is celebrated in November and commences when birds begin their migration from the Himalayas down towards the plains of India. According to the Hindustan Times, the festival, which includes folk theatre and song, celebrates love between brothers and sisters and is based on a legend recounted in the Puranas. It tells the story of Sama, a daughter of Krishna who had been falsely accused of wrongdoing. Her father punished her by turning her into a bird, but the love and sacrifice of her brother Chakeva eventually allowed her to regain human form.

It is during the winter season that the birds from the Himalayas migrate towards the plains. With the advent of these colorful birds, celebration of sama–chakeva is done. This is a festival especially celebrated in mithila. mithilanchal dedicates this festival to the celebration of the brother sister relationship. It represents the tradition of this land as well as the art of making idols. This festival starts with the welcoming of the pair of birds sama-chakeva. Girls make clay idols of various birds and decorate them in their own traditional ways. Various rituals are performed and the festival joyfully ended with the ‘vidai’ of sama and with a wish that these birds return to this land the next year.

Chhath or Surya Puja is the main festival of Bihar. This festival is held after six days of Diwali. Chhath is a festival of prayer and propitiation observed with solemnity. It is an expression of thanks giving and seeking the blessings from the forces of nature, mainly the Sun and river. The belief is that a devotee’s desire is always fulfilled during Chhath. In this festival, the people worship the Sun God. On the first day, the house is thoroughly cleaned, family members go in for a holy dip and eat strict vegetarian food and sleep on the floor. All earthen vessels are reserved for this day only. The person observing the Chaath also known as Parvati, observes dawn to dusk fast which concludes with sweets. This is followed by another fast for 36 Hrs.

hours till the dawn of the final day when puja starts at the river bank much before sunrise. These parvatis remain in water from late midnight until the first ray of dawn. The rivers are flooded with offerings to the sun which is followed by breakfast and distribution among the gatherings. Fresh paddy, sweets and fruits are also offered by the devotees to the Sun God for a good harvest at the sun temple in Baragaon near Nalanda.

Almost all civilizations have worshipped the ‘sun god’, but it has a unique form in Bihar. Chatth Puja is the only occasion where the setting sun is worshipped.

The people of Bihar have immense faith in this festival. It is celebrated twice a year. Once in Chaitra (according to the Hindu calendar) which falls in March and in Kartik which falls in November. For this 4-day festival, people maintain sanctity and purity from even a month ahead. People celebrate this festival with immense faith the folk songs sung in the honour of ‘Surya Dev’ and ‘Chatti Maiyya’ can be heard at every nook and corner the sweetness of the songs lets you feel the holiness of the festival.

Women fast for the good of their family and the society. Regardless of the social status, to celebrate this festival only the faith counts. Though it is a festival of the Hindus, some of the Muslims also participate actively in the puja.