India's diverse religious landscape is characterized by state-specific festivals and customs. Key practices include Bihar's Chhath Puja, West Bengal's Durga Puja, Maharashtra's Ganesh Chaturthi, Kerala's Onam, and Punjab's Baisakhi. Religious traditions involve rituals like Rangoli, cow worship, and deep-rooted customs such as arranged marriages and Namaste greetings.
a state-wise list of major religious practices and customs in India:
Andhra Pradesh/Telangana: Ugadi (New Year), Dasara, Bonalu, Bathukamma (flower festival), Brahmotsavam.
Arunachal Pradesh/Sikkim: Losar (Tibetan New Year), Solang, Mopin, Saga Dawa (Buddhist festivals).
Assam: Bihu (harvest), Ambubachi Mela (Kamakhya Temple), Me-Dum-Me-Phi.
Bihar/Jharkhand: Chhath Puja (sun worship), Bihula, Karam Utsav.
Chhattisgarh: Bastar Dussehra, Maghi Purnima.
Goa: Sunburn Festival, Ladain, Mando, Feast of St. Francis Xavier.
Gujarat: Navratri (Garba dance), Janmashtami, Uttarayan (kite festival), Bestu Varas (New Year).
Haryana/Punjab: Baisakhi, Lohri, Gurpurab (Sikh festivals).
Himachal Pradesh: Rakhadumni, Gochi Festival.
Jammu & Kashmir: Eid, Har Navami, Chhari, Amarnath Yatra.
Karnataka: Mysore Dasara, Ugadi, Dharmasthala Temple rituals.
Kerala: Onam, Vishu, Thrissur Pooram, Guruvayur Temple rituals.
Maharashtra: Ganesh Chaturthi, Vasu Baras, Dhanteras.
Manipur/Nagaland/Mizoram: Yaoshang, Hornbill Festival, Chapcharkut, Moatsu.
Odisha: Rath Yatra (Puri), Raja Parba, Nuakhai.
Rajasthan: Gangaur, Teej, Pushkar Fair, Ajmer Sharif Dargah Urs.
Tamil Nadu: Pongal (harvest), Thaipusam, Natyanjali, Meenakshi Temple rituals.
Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand: Ram Navmi, Ganga Dussehra, Kashi Vishwanath Temple rituals.
West Bengal: Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Dol Purnima.
Common Cultural Customs:
Greetings: Namaste or Namaskar (folding hands) is a universal greeting.
Marriage: Arranged marriages with astrological calculations (Kundali matching) remain common.
Food/Rituals: Cows are considered sacred in Hinduism. Many households observe daily prayers (Puja) and fasting.
Cultural Practices: The use of Rangoli (colored powder patterns) and traditional clothing (Dhoti, Saree, Turban) are integral to festivities.