Fairs and Festivals of Andhra Pradesh
- Today festivals are considered to contribute significantly to the cultural and economic development of the Andhra Pradesh.
- The festivals have major impact on the development of cultural tourism to the host communities.
- The festival organisers are now using the historical and cultural themes to develop the annual events to attract visitors and creating cultural image in the host cities by holding festivals in the community settings.
- The desire for festivals and events is not specifically designed to address the needs for any one particular group.
- The hosting of events is often developed because of the tourism and economic opportunities in addition to social and cultural benefits.
- Many researchers have contested that local community’s play vital role in development of tourism through festivals.
- Andhra Pradesh by nature is ceremonious.
- Either a feast or a festival, a domestic ceremony or a public ritual, either auspicious or inauspicious, they always shared joy or sorrow, enjoy fun and frolic with sanctity and devotion with emotion and sentiment as the situation or occasion warrants with all other members of the community or society in which they live.
- As they are relatively more emotional and sentimental they perform every festival or a ritual with sobriety, sanctity and gaiety it deserves. Sociologically speaking, ancient people ever since they gave up their nomadic life and became settlers opted for agriculture as their main occupation.
- Many of the festivals and other ceremonies are closely associated with the agricultural operations conducted in different seasons in a year.
- In course of time such events became traditions and transformed as festivals.
STATE LEVEL FESTIVALS
| Sl No. | Name of Fastivals | Vanue | Date and Days Fixed |
| 1 | International Kite Festival | Hyderabad | 14th to 16th January, of every
year |
| 2 | Kakatiya Festival | Warangal | 3rd Friday, Saturday & Sunday of
February every year |
| 3 | Chalukya Festival combining with Flower Festival | Rajahmundry | 2nd Friday, Saturday & Sunday of
February of every year |
| 4 | Deccan Festival | Hyderabad | 2nd Friday, Saturday & Sunday of
February of every year |
| 5 | Lumbini Festival | Nagarjuna
Sagar |
28th, 29th & 30th of May or around
the time to coincide with Buddha Purnima. |
| 6 | Visakha Utsav Rishikonda Beach
Festival |
Visakhapatnam | 2nd Friday to Sunday of October in
every year |
| 7 | Festival of Andhra Pradesh Formation day Celebrations | Hyderabad | November 1st to 7th of every year |
| 8 | Sathavahana Festival,
Amaravathi |
Guntur,
Amaravati |
2nd Friday, Saturday & Sunday
November every year |
| 9 | |||
| All India Level Girijan Festival & Artists Camp | Araku valley,
Borra |
2nd Friday, Saturday & Sunday
December every year |
|
| 10 | Vijayanagara Festival, Rayalseema Food and Dance Festival | Chandragiri | 3rd Friday, Saturday & Sunday of
October in every year to coincide with Brahmotsavam. |
Theme Based Festivals
| Sl No. | Name of Festivals | Venue of Festivals | Dates and Day Fixed |
| 1 | Tankbund Tamasha | Necklace Road | October to end of May
every year on Sundays |
| 2 | Charminar Utsav | Old City, Hyderabad | 2nd Friday, Saturday &
Sunday every year. |
| 3 | Hyderabad Food Festival | Necklace Road, Hyderabad | November 1st to 7th of
every year coinciding with Andhra Pradesh Formation day celebrations. |
| 4 | Ghajals Festivals | Qutubshahi Tombs | 2nd Friday, Saturday,
Sunday of November Every year. |
| 5 | Vizianagaram Dist. Festival / Pydithalli
Jatara |
Vizianagaram | October every year. |
| 6 | Puttaparthi Festival | Puttaparthi | 23rd to 25th November every year. |
| 7 | Bobbili Festival | Vijayanagarams | 23rd to 25th November every year. |
| 8 | Puppet Festival | Ananthapur | 23rd to 25th November every year. |
Shankaranthi (January)
- Pongal Date is the winter solstice in the Hindu solar calendar.
- It is manifest by the passing of the sun into the sign Capricorn.
- Pongal is celebrated on this date itself and also to celebrate the approaching of spring.
- There are several ways of calculating the Hindu solar calendar, so Pongal date may vary by up to one day in various parts of India depending whether local tradition dictates the use of the old or new Hindu calendar or astronomical tables.
Ugadi (April)
- ‘Ugadi’ as the forename ‘Yug-Adi’ suggests is celebrated on the first day of the first month of Telugu Year i.e. Chaitram.
- This day is notable as New Year Day by the people of Andhra Pradesh.
- This day is recognized for its ‘Ugadi Pacchadi’ preparation comprising of six tastes (shadruchi sammelan), each standing for a special character a man experiences in life.
- The ingredients of this preparation, though of different tastes or characters when mixed in definite magnitude result in a delicious dish.
- The underlying idea conveys that the six faces of life mentioned underneath, should be handled by man and impartial in such a way as to make his life a beautiful one on earth.
Ganesh Chaturthi (August-September)
- Vinayak Chaturthi is celebrated with a lot of passion and excitement in Hyderabad.
- Vinayak Chaturthi is celebrated to memorialize the day the Lord Ganesha or Vinayak was born.
- This festival is celebrated with a lot of commitment and devotion throughout the country and especially in Andhra Pradesh and Hyderabad.
- It is customary to put up a mammoth statue of the Lord Ganesha at the Khairatabad in Hyderabad.
Shivratri (February-March)
- Maha Shivratri is celebrated with spiritual fervor all over the country.
- Maha Shivratri falls on the 13th (or 14th) day of the shady half of ‘Phalgun’ (February-March).
- The literal meaning of Shivratri is “the night of Shiva Devotees accept as true that Lord Shiva was tied in knot with Parvati, on the fortunate day of Shivratri.
- Devotees pray to Lord Shiva and sing Shiva hymns for whole night.
- Special programs are planned on the occasion at Shiva temples all over the country.
- Mhashivratri is observed in great admiration not only in India but also in Nepal and Mauritius.
- Grand festivities are observed at Sri Kalahasti temple in Andhra Pradesh on the occurrence of Mahashivratri.
Diwali (October-November)
- Andhra Pardesh is one of the oldest states of India and was created by combining the old princely state of Hyderabad with the Telgu-speaking portions of the past state of Madras.
- Andhra Pradesh has conventional way of celebrating Diwali that is organized and celebrated throughout the state.
- The festival of light is celebrated in Andhra Pradesh mutually with other places of the country.
- It is a festival that revolves around Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. During the festival the whole country explodes into colour and noise.
Dusherra
- The festival of Goddess Durga Devi, the demolisher of evil, the incarnation of Goddess Parvathi Devi.
- This festival is celebrated for nine days, with Garba dances and Dandia Ras by the members of the Gujarati community, which go on the whole night.
- Even the Bengalis of late have begun to showcase their fun loving instincts at different venues in the city where cultural programmes are held.
- As this festival is an significant one, all schools and educational institutions are closed for 10-12 days.
- One interesting aspect is the “Bommala Kolluvu”, a exhibit of dolls that are a heirloom, in every household till Diwali.
Holi
- The most colourful festival in the Indian calendar, a day on which vibrant coloured water and powder is tarnished on everybody.
- The riot of colours is a sign to behold and the celebrations really unmatched, with no one being spared and everyone being game.
- This festival is on a full moon night when a figure called “Nathuram” is burnt.
- In the villages the beacon is made of the scarecrow and hay, whilst in the city people make do with old furniture.
Mahakaali Jaathra
- Pertaining and limited to the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh.
- A festival celebrated in the month of Aashad, which falls during the monsoon season of the calender.
- A exclusive, exciting and an important festival, dedicated to the worship of Goddess Maha Kali.
- During this 2 day festival the idol of the deity is taken around in a demonstration, amidst vivacious drum beats and burning of incense.
- Guardians of the deity called “Potharajus”, with their bodies tarnished with turmeric and vermilion, present a scary sight with whips in their hands.
Deccan Festival
- Every year courteous Hyderabad comes alive during the Deccan Festival.
- There are cultural programmes with ghazal nights, qawalis and mushairas, distinctive of the city.
- A pearl and bangle fair displays creations in lustrous pearls and multi-hued bangles which are local specialties.
- A food fest serves the best of Hyderabad’s famed gastronomy to visitors.
Lumbini Festival (December)
- The Lumbini Festival in Andhra Pradesh is celebrated every year, to relive the Heritage of Buddhism in the Andra Pradesh.
- Lumbini Festival in Andhra Pradesh, celebrated in Nagarjunasagara in Hyderabad.
- Lumbini is the place where Gautama Buddha was born, and one of the most significant Buddhist pilgrimage site.
- This Lumbini festival is organized by the Department of Tourism of the Government of Andhra Pradesh every year for these three days, to highlight the Buddhist intuition of the state.
Rayalaseema Food and Dance Festival (October)
- The Rayalaseema food and dance Festival is organized in the state of Andhra Pradesh every year in the month of October.
- It is one of the principal and most extensively celebrated cultural festivals of Andhra Pradesh.
- As the name suggests the main aim of the festival is to respect and celebrate the prosperous and wonderful art and cuisine of Rayalaseema area of Tirupati in the Chitoor District of Andhra Pradesh.
Visaka (Mid January)
- Visakha Utsav is very important for the citizens of Vishakhapatnam.
- The fair portrays the many prospective present in the region.
- Huge number of people throngs at the intended venues to enjoy cultural programs, sports activities and cuisine competitions and arrangements from far and near.
Christmas
- The birthday celebration of Jesus Christ begins on Christmas Eve, with midnight Mass and Prayers at most of the churches, and everyone dressed in their ceremonial dress.
- Dances and Balls are held all over the city in Clubs, Hotels, Resorts, etc.
- Irrespective of religion, everybody is in the atmosphere to celebrate.
- There are fairs, fetes, melas ,etc held all over town and celebrations is the name of the game.
ID-UL-FITR
- The most holy festival for the Muslims, the sacred month of Ramzan is spent in prayers (5 times a day).
- Fasting is a must from dawn to twilight.
- As the sun sets, Hyderabad comes breathing with the aromas of Haleem/Hareez, a spicy wheat dish cooked with lamb or chicken.
- Every Irani hotel (found in all street corners), has a enormous vessel ensconced in a brick oven, dishing out this famous delicacy.
- Along with this dish all the other specialties of Hyderabad are made available right through the night.
- In fact the city doesn’t sleep during this thirty day episode, which also has the 3 Jagne-ki -Raats.
Brahmotsavam (September and October)
- Tirumala Brahmotsavam is a Hindu festival celebrated annually at Tirumala Venkateswara Temple at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.
- The festival continues for 9 days in the months of September and October every year.
- It is assumed that Lord Brahma was the first to start Brahmotsavam festival.
- He worshiped Sri Balaji on the banks of the Pushkarini in Tirupati to thank him for the safety of mankind. Hence the festival names as ‘Brahmotsavam’ which means Brahma’s Utsav.
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