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Across the globe, Hindus celebrate a diverse number of festivals and celebrations, typically marking events from ancient India and often coinciding with seasonal changes.^[1] These celebrations take place either on a fixed annual date on the solar calendar, or on a specific day of the lunisolar calendar. There is some regional variation with the observance of the festivals, and numerous festivals are primarily celebrated by specific sects or in certain regions of the Indian subcontinent.

Terminology

Dolu Utsava

Utsava is the Sanskrit word for festivals. The Sanskrit word Utsava comes from the word "ut" meaning "starts" and "sava" which means "Change" or "Decline".^[2] Dolu Means seasonal colouring. Both solar and lunisolar calendar operates on the basis of Dolu Utsava.

Observance periods (tithi)

Hindu calendar dates are usually prescribed according to a lunisolar calendar. In Vedic timekeeping, a māsa is a lunar month, a pakṣa is a lunar fortnight and a tithi is a lunar day.

Two definitions of the lunar month prevail: amānta and pūrṇimānta (lunar month ending with new moon and full moon respectively). As a result, the same day may refer to belonging to different but adjoining months. If a festival occurs during śukla paksha, the two traditions assign it to the same month; if a festival occurs during kṛṣṇa paksha the two traditions assign it to different but adjoining months.