JANUARY

1st – New Years Day – People of puducherry welcome the new year in exotic and esoteric nature, it is just extra bonus for them.

4th – 7th - International Yoga Festival

This festival brings in participants from all over the world between the 4th to the 7th January every year. The festival includes talks, discussions, exchange of ideas, consultation and demonstration of techniques. Classical Indian dance and music programme every day.

13th – 16th Pongal Festival – The harvest, earth and sun festival

Day 1 : Pongal Eve (Bogi) : house cleaning and decorating with intricate
designs; burning of old clothes, mats and the like.

Day 2 : Pongal : Preparation of ritual pongal dish cooked in new pots and
prayer for sun god.

Day 3 : Mattu Pongal (Cow/Ox Festival) – Cows and Ox are washed,
decorated, have their horns painted and are fed pongal; they are
raced in villages around.

Day 4 : Farmer’s Day : People dress up and visit their neighbours and friends
and relatives houses; there is no more busy day in Pondy’s Park and
Beach Road.

26th – Republic Day

Police parade in the Indira Gandhi Stadium. Pondicherrians celebrate the day in a devoted manner. The Chief Secretariat, entire beach road and Raj Niwas (Lt. Governor’s residence) are illuminated attractively.

Ramzan Id-Ul-Fitr

FEBRUARY

     Masi Magam – The festival will be celebrated in the sea shore. In the morning around 30 sacred images from a wide region are bathed ritually. In the evening the sacred images gathered in one place. In night there is a procession of images in a illuminated cars in differed shapes(image bearing vehicle)

The Mother’s Birth Anniversary On 21st February, devotees queue at Sri Aurobindo Ashram starting early in the morning, to visit the Mother’s room.

MARCH & APRIL

Bakrid – Muslim day of Sacrifices.

Tamil New Year

Good Friday

Chitrai kalai Vizha -(Summer Festival)

Department of Art & Culture, Government of puducherry organize Indian Classical music and dances in various places of puducherry.

MAY – AUGUST

Villianur Temple Car Festival – on the full moon between mid May and mid June falls the ninth day of a ten day festival. On this day the temple car with the image of the god is paraded around the town.

Bastille Day-in July 14th, Bastille Day, puducherry witnesses an Indo-French pageantry.

Veerampattinam Car Festival

In the month of August the festival is celebrated in Veerampattinam, a fishing village near Ariyankuppam. On this day the temple car with the image of the god is paraded around the village.

Fete De puducherry (Festival of puducherry) - A cultural pageant, coinciding with Liberation Day and Independence Day. Government of puducherry organize the fete features free evening cultural presentation in various places of puducherry.

Independence Day- 15th of August, the day is celebrated with enthusiasm.

puducherry De Jure Transfer Day- 16th of August marks puducherry’s complete accession to the Indian Union in 1962.

15th August – Sri Aurobindo’s Birth Anniversary. On this day, devotees queue at Sri Aurobindo Ashram starting early in the morning, to visit the Sri Aurobindo’s room.

SETPEMBER

Vinayaka Chathurthi – The festival of India’s most ubiquitous god, Vinayaka (or Ganesh or Ganapati).

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER

     Navaratri

The nine-day festival of the Goddesses Durgar (warrior righteousness), Lakshmi (prosperity) and Saraswati (knowledge and the arts). In some of the houses and temples decorated with kolu pommai (painted ceramic doos) particularly in Easwaran Kovil at M.G.Road.

Ayudha Puja- this day marks the end of Navaratri. Gourds reddened with vermilion powder are broken, banana leaves are installed, and all forms of implements and equipments, including cars and motorcycles are given a puja as a honour.

Vijayadasami- the next day to Ayudha Puja is given over to the Goddess Durga,
the warrior aspect of the Divine Mother.


      Deepawali

the new moon between mid-October and mid-November sees the Festival of Light, marking the triumph of Good over Evil. Mostly all the peoples wear new dress and celebrate the festival with sweet and crackers. This day is the happiest day for the children.

Karthigai Deepam Festival- during this three day festival mostly all the Hindu houses even in rural and urban is illuminated.

DECEMBER

Christmas Season - the Christmas season is quiet. Shops and houses are hung with perforated star lanterns