Vasant Panchami or Saraswathi Puja is celebrated for the blessing of Saraswathi, goddess of Wisdom and the Arts.  It is celebrated to welcome the spring season on the fifth day of the waxing moon of Magh or February.  On this day, the goddess Saraswati, Durga and Lakshmi are worshipped.  In West Bengal and northern parts of India, the goddess Saraswati-the goddess of learning is worshipped by placing ‘instruments of learning’ at her shrine.  The festival is celebrated with great fervor in the iniversity town of Shantiniketan in West Bengal.

Thaipusam is a Hindu Festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community. The work Tahipusam is derived from the Tamil month name “THAI” and Pusam, which refers to a Star near the location of the mood during the festival.  The festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a Spear so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.  Kavadi is a dance performed by the devotees during the festival of thaipusam and emphasizes debt bondage. The Kavadi itself is a physical burden through which the devotees implore for help from the God Murugan.

Makar Sankranti or Ponggal marks the transition of the Sun into Makar Rasi. Makar Sankranti or Ponggal is a major harvest festival of India. It is one of the biggest and most popular Harvest Festivals of Southern India, mainly Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Ponggal happens in the middle of January every year and marks the auspicious beginning of Uttarayam.