Tricks To Remember Important Festivals For Competitive Exams With 100 Practice MCQs

Table of Contents

Bihar

Main Trick/Hint: Now, the word for Bihar is Vaibhav Suryavanshi because he is from Bihar.

1. Chhath Puja

Festival Name: Chhath Puja (also known as Surya Shashti)
State/Region associated: Bihar (Statewide; deeply rooted in the Bhojpuri, Maithili, and Magahi regions)
Religion/Community associated: Hindu (Observed across all communities without social or caste barriers)
Month/Season of celebration: October–November (Kartik Shukla Shashthi, celebrated six days after Deepavali; a smaller edition called Chaiti Chhath occurs in April)
Type of festival: Religious / Eco-Cultural
Significance/Purpose: To express profound gratitude toward the Sun God for sustaining life on Earth, while seeking longevity, prosperity, and healing for family members.
Important deity/person associated: Surya Dev (The Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya (Usha, the Vedic consort of the Sun)
Special ritual or unique feature: A highly rigorous 4-day festival involving a continuous 36-hour waterless fast (Nirjala). It is unique because it requires offering prayers to both the setting sun (Sanjhiya Arghya) and the rising sun (Bhoruka Arghya) directly while standing in a natural water body. No priest or temple idol is involved. The principal, sacred prasad is Thekua (made of wheat flour, ghee, and jaggery cooked on traditional clay stoves).
Famous place where celebrated: The banks of the River Ganga in Patna and Hajipur, and the ancient Sun Temple at Deo (Aurangabad).
Recently in news/current affairs: Frequently highlighted for large-scale administrative green-ghat revamps, crowd monitoring via AI drones, and its growing global profile celebrated across major water bodies by the Indian diaspora in the US, UK, and Australia.
UNESCO recognition: No
One-line exam fact: Chhath Puja stands out among major Indian festivals for entirely omitting the requirement of idol worship or priestly mediation, focusing purely on natural elements.
Trick/Hint: Remember ‘Chhath’ as ‘char,’ which means four in Hindi. So remember it like Vaibhav hit a four in the game.

2. Sonepur Mela

Festival Name: Sonepur Mela (also known as Harihar Kshetra Mela)
State/Region associated: Bihar (Saran district)
Religion/Community associated: Hindu / Agrarian and Trader Community
Month/Season of celebration: November–December (Commences annually on Kartik Purnima)
Type of festival: Cultural / Economic / Animal Fair
Significance/Purpose: Historically originated as an elite trading ground for elephants, horses, and cattle; it also commemorates the mythological Puranic legend of Gajendra Moksha (the salvation of the elephant king by Lord Vishnu).
Important deity/person associated: Lord Hariharnath (a unique syncretic deity uniting Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva)
Special ritual or unique feature: It is recognized as Asia’s largest cattle fair. Devotees take a holy purification dip at the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Gandak before offering prayers at the ancient Harihar Nath temple. The month-long fair showcases expansive rural theaters, folk dances, and traditional handicraft stalls.
Famous place where celebrated: Sonepur, Saran District.
Recently in news/current affairs: Highlighted in recent state updates for the strict implementation of wildlife protection acts banning active elephant trading, shifting the fair’s focus toward a major state-sponsored eco-tourism and cultural heritage showcase.
UNESCO recognition: No
One-line exam fact: The historic Sonepur Mela is situated and celebrated at the precise geographical confluence of the Ganga and Gandak rivers.
Trick/Hint: ‘So’ means sleep in Hindi. If you get good sleep, you can concentrate clearly on the match and play well like Vaibhav.

3. Sama Chakeva

Festival Name: Sama Chakeva
State/Region associated: Bihar (Mithila region)
Religion/Community associated: Hindu (Observed primarily by sisters for their brothers)
Month/Season of celebration: November (Winter season, during the Kartik month when migratory birds begin arriving)
Type of festival: Cultural / Folk Festival
Significance/Purpose: Celebrates the sacred bond of affection between brothers and sisters, while simultaneously welcoming winter migratory birds, reflecting indigenous environmental consciousness.
Important deity/person associated: Lord Krishna’s daughter Sama and son Chakeva (based on Puranic legends).
Special ritual or unique feature: Young girls create small, hand-crafted clay idols of various birds, Sama, and Chakeva. They decorate these idols, gather at night to sing traditional Maithili folk songs, and playfully burn the mustache of a clay villain character named Churkila. On the final night, the clay birds are immersed in local ponds or fields, and sisters offer sweet treats to their brothers.
Famous place where celebrated: Darbhanga, Madhubani, and Sitamarhi districts.
Recently in news/current affairs: Frequently promoted under state art revival policies to protect and digitally document disappearing oral folk music traditions and the clay craft industries of north Bihar.
UNESCO recognition: No
One-line exam fact: Sama Chakeva is a rare folk festival that creatively aligns the cultural celebration of sibling bonds with environmental awareness regarding seasonal avian migration.
Trick/Hint: ‘Chake’ sounds like ‘chekke,’ which means six. So remember it like he hit a six.

4. Pitrapaksha Mela

Festival Name: Pitrapaksha Mela
State/Region associated: Bihar (Magadh region / Gaya)
Religion/Community associated: Hindu
Month/Season of celebration: September–October (The 15-day Pitru Paksha period of the Hindu calendar)
Type of festival: Religious / Ancestral Rituals
Significance/Purpose: Performed to honor deceased ancestors, offering prayers to secure spiritual liberation (Moksha) for their departed souls and cosmic peace for the generational family line.
Important deity/person associated: Lord Vishnu (worshipped at the Vishnupad footprint temple) and Lord Rama (who historically performed rituals here).
Special ritual or unique feature: Devotees from across the globe visit to perform the highly sacred ritual of Pind Daan (offering symbolic balls made of rice flour, sesame seeds, and barley cooked in milk) directly on the banks of the Falgu river.
Famous place where celebrated: Vishnupad Temple, Gaya.
Recently in news/current affairs: Highly praised in infrastructure reports for the seamless operation of the Gayaji Dam on the Falgu River—India’s largest rubber dam—which ensures a perennial water sheet for pilgrims performing ancestral rites.
UNESCO recognition: No
One-line exam fact: The Pitrapaksha Mela takes place on the banks of the unique Falgu River, which is geologically famous for flowing primarily beneath a thick layer of sand (Antarsalila).
Trick/Hint: ‘Paksha’ sounds like ‘pakshi,’ which means bird. So remember it like this: when Vaibhav hits a six, it flies like a bird.

5. Bihula Festival

Festival Name: Bihula Festival (also known as Bishahari Puja)
State/Region associated: Bihar (Angika region / Bhagalpur)
Religion/Community associated: Hindu / Folk Community
Month/Season of celebration: August (Shravan month during the peak monsoon season)
Type of festival: Cultural / Folk Religious
Significance/Purpose: Celebrates the legendary grit and devotion of a woman named Bihula, who successfully brought her husband Lakshmindar back from the dead after a venomous snake bite, while praying for protection against snakes during the monsoons.
Important deity/person associated: Mansa Devi (The Snake Goddess) and the folk heroine Bihula.
Special ritual or unique feature: This festival is intrinsically tied to Manjusha Art (a traditional folk art style of Bhagalpur characterized by its sharp lines and distinct pink, green, and yellow color schemes). Devotees construct decorative bamboo boxes called Manjushas, paint them with scenes of Bihula’s epic journey, and float them down the local river tracts.
Famous place where celebrated: Bhagalpur district (Champanagar area).
Recently in news/current affairs: Extensively integrated into the state’s regional art tourism drives to boost local livelihoods by converting the ritualistic drawings of the Bihula festival into commercial Geographical Indication (GI) protected Manjusha textile art.
UNESCO recognition: No
One-line exam fact: The Bihula festival of the Angika region is the core inspiration behind the development of Manjusha Art, one of Bihar’s prominent traditional painting styles.
Trick/Hint: ‘Bihu’ sounds like ‘Bihar,’ so remember it like this.

6. Madhushravani

Festival Name: Madhushravani
State/Region associated: Bihar (Mithila region)
Religion/Community associated: Maithil Brahmin and Kayastha communities
Month/Season of celebration: July–August (Sawan month, monsoon season)
Type of festival: Cultural / Religious (Exclusive to newly married women)
Significance/Purpose: Celebrated continuously for 15 days by newly wedded brides to invoke divine blessings for the long life, sound health, and enduring prosperity of their husbands.
Important deity/person associated: Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, and Gauri (The Goddess of Marital Harmony).
Special ritual or unique feature: The final day features an intense ritual called Temi or Dagadh, where the bride’s knees are gently singed with a burning cotton wick. Her ability to maintain equanimity during this process is culturally viewed as a test of her inner strength and endurance. The 15 days involve elaborate daily storytelling sessions using beautiful Madhubani painting spreads to depict stories of divine marriages.
Famous place where celebrated: Madhubani and Darbhanga districts.
Recently in news/current affairs: Frequently evaluated by socio-cultural researchers focusing on how the festival acts as an informal educational academy, passing complex Maithili oral histories and classical painting methodologies down to the younger generation of women.
UNESCO recognition: No
One-line exam fact: Madhushravani is a 15-day Mithila festival marked by traditional storytelling, snake deity worship, and the signature Temi ritual of physical endurance.
Trick/Hint: ‘Dhu’ in ‘Madhu’ sounds like ‘dew.’ Most of the time, in the second innings, dew comes, and it is helpful for batters like Vaibhav.

7. Janaki Navami (Sita Navami)

State/Region Associated: Bihar (Mithila Region)
Religion/Community Associated: Hinduism
Month/Season of Celebration: Vaishakha Shukla Navami (April–May) / Peak Summer
Type of Festival: Religious and Cultural
Significance/Purpose: Commemorates the manifestation anniversary of Goddess Sita (Janaki). According to the Ramayana, she emerged from an earthen pot (ghat) when King Janaka of Videha was ceremonially ploughing a field to alleviate a severe famine.
Important Deity/Person Associated: Goddess Sita, King Janaka, and Lord Rama
Special Ritual or Unique Feature: The Sitamarhi Dham Parikrama (or Antar Griha Parikrama), which is a sacred spiritual circumambulation of the core town’s shrines. Devotees perform a grand midnight Maha Aarti at the sacred Urvija Kund and Sita Kund.
Famous Place Where Celebrated: Punaura Dham and the Janaki Sthan Mandir in the Sitamarhi district of Bihar.
Recently in News/Current Affairs: The Bihar Government approved a dedicated ₹120 crore development package to transform Punaura Dham into a grand temple complex. The state setup the Shree Janaki Janmabhoomi Punauradham Mandir Nyas Samiti to oversee the construction, which is being designed by architect Piyush Sompura on the architectural lines of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir.
UNESCO Recognition: None
One-line Exam Fact: It celebrates the exact spot at Punaura Dham, Sitamarhi, which is scripturally and archaeologically revered as the primary birthplace/manifestation site of Goddess Sita in India.
Trick/Hint: Remember ‘si’ in ‘Sita’ as ‘see,’ and ‘T’ as T20 match.

8. Sitamarhi Cattle Fair

State/Region Associated: Bihar (Tirhut/Mithila Region)
Religion/Community Associated: Secular / Agrarian communities (open to all traders and farmers)
Month/Season of Celebration: Organized concurrently with major Ramayana-linked festivals (typically peak crowds arrive during the Spring Ram Navami fair or the Winter Vivah Panchami celebrations).
Type of Festival: Livestock, Commercial, and Cultural Fair
Significance/Purpose: Serves as a primary economic engine for North Bihar’s rural landscape, acting as a massive trading hub for indigenous cattle breeds, buffaloes, goats, and horses.
Important Deity/Person Associated: Lord Rama and Goddess Sita (the fair serves a dual purpose of trade and pilgrimage)
Special Ritual or Unique Feature: The fair seamlessly merges massive animal trading with a sprawling consumer bazaar specializing in rural pottery, wooden agricultural implements, traditional brassware, and local handloom fabrics.
Famous Place Where Celebrated: Sitamarhi Town Fairgrounds, Bihar.
Recently in News/Current Affairs: The Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) has integrated the fair into its official seasonal rural tourism circuit to preserve indigenous cattle lineages and bolster local Bajjika and Maithili folk art forms.
UNESCO Recognition: None
One-line Exam Fact: Outside of the world-famous Sonepur Mela, the Sitamarhi Cattle Fair ranks historically as one of the largest and oldest livestock-centric trading fairs in the state of Bihar.
Trick/Hint: Remember ‘si’ in ‘Sita’ as ‘see,’ and ‘T’ as T20 match.

Chhattisgarh

Main Trick/Hint: Now, the word for Chhattisgarh is ‘garh,’ which means house.

1. Bastar Dussehra

State/Region: Bastar Region (centered around Jagdalpur)
Religion/Community: Jointly celebrated by major tribal clans (Muria, Maria, Halba, Bhatra) and non-tribal communities.
Month/Season: Starts on Shravan Amavasya and peaks during the Hindu month of Ashwin (September–October).
Type: Tribal / Religious / Cultural
Significance/Purpose: Dedicated entirely to Goddess Danteshwari (the presiding deity of Bastar). Unlike conventional Dussehra, it does not celebrate Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana and involves no burning of effigies. Instead, it honors the unity of tribal clans and their bond with nature.
Important Deity/Person: Goddess Danteshwari, Goddess Kanchan Devi. The nominal King of Bastar (descendant of the Kakatiya dynasty) acts as the chief patron/priest.
Special Ritual or Unique Feature:
- Paat Jatra: The worship of the first log of wood brought from the Machkot forest to start chariot construction.
- Jogi Bithai: A youth from the Halba tribe sits in an underground pit for 9 days in deep penance to ensure the festival’s smooth completion.
- Rath Parikrama: Pulling a massive, completely un-ironed 4 or 8-wheeled wooden chariot exclusively by thousands of tribal youngsters using thick ropes.
Famous Place: Jagdalpur, Bastar District.
Recently in News: The festival gained national attention for extending up to an extraordinary 107 days (instead of its traditional 75 days) due to the alignment of an extra lunar month (Adhik Maas), making it a massive focus for cultural tourism.
UNESCO/National Recognition: Inscribed in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) by the Ministry of Culture, India.
One-line Exam Fact: It is celebrated as the longest festival in the world and does not commemorate the assassination of Ravana.
Trick/Hint: Remember ‘Bastar’ like ‘basta biam,’ which means one bag of rice. So remember it like this: in every house, a bag of rice is common.

2. Hareli Festival

State/Region: Rural plains of Chhattisgarh (statewide)
Religion/Community: Agrarian communities, Gond tribe, and rural farmers.
Month/Season: Shravan Amavasya (New moon day of July–August), coinciding with peak monsoon greenery.
Type: Harvest / Agricultural Festival
Significance/Purpose: Recognized as the first festival of the year in the Chhattisgarhi calendar. It celebrates the completion of paddy sowing and invokes divine protection for crops and farm animals against pests and diseases.
Important Deity/Person: Goddess Kutki Dai (the goddess of crops and wellness) and Lord Shiva.
Special Ritual or Unique Feature:
- Farmers wash, clean, and perform ritualistic worship of their iron agricultural tools (plows, spades, sickles) and cattle.
- Gedi Riding: Young men and boys build tall bamboo stilts called Gedi to effortlessly walk and race through slushy, waterlogged village fields.
- Branches of the Neem tree are hung outside house entrances to ward off evil spirits and seasonal epidemics.
Famous Place: Celebrated across rural blocks of Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, and Mahasamund.
Recently in News: Heavily promoted under state-backed tribal sports initiatives, which institutionalized official Gedi racing tournaments and declared it an official public holiday to boost regional pride.
UNESCO Recognition: None.
One-line Exam Fact: Hareli is Chhattisgarh’s primary monsoon agrarian festival distinguished by the worship of farming implements and the iconic bamboo stilt (Gedi) runs.
Trick/Hint: ‘Reli’ in ‘Hareli’ sounds like ‘rail,’ so remember it like you are going home by train.