Festival

Baisakhi is the New Year day, falling in Mid April, of the Punjabis. They sing, dance and make merry on this
particular day.
Hola Mohalla was started by the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, as a gathering of Sikhs for military exercises
and mock battles on the day following the festival of Holi.
Gurupurab is another important festival for the Sikhs and the Punjabis. Birthdays of reverend Sikh Gurus,
Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh and the martyrdom of Guru Teg Bahadur and Arjun Dev is remembered
on these days.
The Urs (or Ziarats) is a typical Kashmiri festival. It is held annually at the shrines of Muslim saints on their
death anniversaries.
Sindhu darshan festival is another important festival when the Kashmiris come from all over the state to
worship the source of the River in Leh.
Yuru Kabgyat celebrated in July. Dances with masks are performed and the masks worn by the lamas during
the dances represent guardian divinities.
Doscmoche is another ancient festival, still celebrated every year in February with great pomp and fervour.
The Phulaich festival celebrated in the Kinnaur district in month of September is unique in tradition. This four
day festival is celebrated as the flower festival by the people of Himachal.
The beautiful Kartik Purnima festival or the Dev Deepawali celebrated in Varanasi or Benaras, is a visual
delight.
The month long Kumbh Mela of Allahabad is one of the largest fairs of the world and is attended by millions
of pilgrims from all over India as well as the devout from the world over.
In Haryana, Teej festival is celebrated during the month of July - August, to welcome the month of Sawan,
bringing rains. Mainly ladies and girls enjoy this festival more than the men folk.

Handicraft

Crafts of North IndiaThe crafts of north Indian are known for their vibrancy, aesthetic sensibilities and
decorative abilities.
Shahtoosh and Jamawar are the best-known shawls of Kashmir and weaving theses shawls require great
dexterity and sense of artistry. Haryana is also known for shawls where the bagh design is very common.
Embroidery is another important craft of North India. It is more of a tradition, which girls learn in their
childhood and do in their leisure. This has become a full-fledged industry in the region. Punjab is known for
Phulkaris, which is magnificent embroidery where complex designs are made through horizontal, vertical
and diagonal stitches. Rumals or handkerchiefs of Chamba in Himachal Pradesh have a folk style of
embroidery where the colours are bright and contrasting.
Carpet weaving and making durries (floor coverings) is another important craft among the north Indian
states. Uttar Pradesh has the largest number of carpet weaving industries in India and they have their own
distinct designs such as Taj Mahal, Kethariwala jal, jamabaz and kandhari etc.
Himachal Pradesh is also known for carpets like karcha, chuktu and chugdan. The state is also known for
producing cotton durries, which are mostly made in blue or red colours.
The northern states of India also have a rich tradition of woodwork. Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Amritsar and
Bhera of Punjab are famous for making exquisite wooden furniture.

Occupation

Agriculture is the main occupation of people living in villages. They grow different crops depending on which
part of the country they belong to. There are many industries, factories and handicrafts belonging to each
state that provide people with livelihood.