India (Haryana) : public and bank holidays, closure of banks, stock exchanges, school vacations

Hinduism :

Culture : First freedom fighter of India who stood and fought against the dominance of Mughal Empire. Especially celebrated in Udaipur

Banks only : First freedom fighter of India who stood and fought against the dominance of Mughal Empire. Especially celebrated in Udaipur

School holidays :

Hinduism : Saint Kabir Das reached the abode of God in Maghar close to Gorakhpur in 1518. However, immediate dispute began regarding the way in which his final rites must be performed. It is believed that both Hindus and Muslims claimed the body to perform the funeral rites. To their utter surprise, Kabir Das stood up and asked them to lift his body and view beneath. Lying there was nothing but a beautiful array of flowers. Devotees and his followers were speechless with Hindus along with some flowers leaving to Varanasi and the rest of the flowers taken by Muslims to Maghar. [festivalsofindia]

Culture : A mystical saint and poet predominant in North India. Kabir was born to Muslim parents in Benares in the XVth century. Heturned to spirituality and religion at a very young age. Mystical odes from Kabir Das made him an iconic character. He expressed his feelings beautifully in words such as “The Purana and The Koran are mere words” and God is “neither in Kaaba nor in Kailash”. All over his life, Kabir actively denounced both temples and mosques maintaining that God is in everyone and exists everywhere

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Muslim, Sufi :

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Muslim, Sufi : The first day of the year is observed on the first day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar. The first Islamic year beginning in 610 AD during which the emigration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina, known as the Hijra [Wikipedia]

Secular holiday : (December 26, 1899 – July 31, 1940) was an Indian independence activist, best known for assassinating Michael O'Dwyer in March 1940 in what has been described as an avenging of the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre. Udham Singh Kamboj changed his name to Mohammad Singh Azad, symbolizing the unification of the three major religions of India: Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism. Singh is considered one of the best-known revolutionaries of the Indian independence struggle.

Secular holiday : Commemorates the day in 1947 when India achieved freedom from British rule

Hinduism : The annual festival of Raksha Bandhan, which is meant to commemorate the abiding ties between siblings of opposite sex, usually takes place in late August, and is marked by a very simple ceremony in which a woman ties a rakhi — which may be a colorful thread, a simple bracelet, or a decorative string — around the wrist of her brother(s). The word raksha signifies protection, and bandhan is an association signifying an enduring sort of bond; and so, when a woman ties a rakhi around the waist of her brother, she signifies her loving attachment to him. He, likewise, recognizes the special bonds between them, and by extending his wrist forward, he in fact extends the hand of his protection over her.

Hinduism : Krishna (literally black , dark , dark-blue ) is a Hindu deity, regarded as an avatar of Vishnu and in some traditions considered the Supreme Being. Krishna is often depicted as an infant or young boy playing a flute as in the Bhagavata Purana or as a youthful prince giving direction and guidance as in the Bhagavad Gita. The stories of Krishna appear across a oad spectrum of Hindu philosophical and theological traditions.They portray him in various perspectives: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero and the Supreme Being.

Secular holiday : Paying Tributes To All The Martyrs Who Have Sacrificed Their Lives For Their Motherland, incl. the contribution of Rao Tula Ram, who made supreme sacrifices in the Revolution of 1857

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Muslim, Sufi : Birthday of the Prophet, Mohammed. For nine days there are Parties with fairs, feasting, and parades. Stories are told about how the mountains danced when Mohammed was born, and sang, There is no god but Allah. The trees answered, And Mohammed is his Prophet.

Banks only :

Secular holiday : He is the man who played a significant role in achiveing independence for India from the British Empire with his simplicity and strong will power. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as 'Bapu' or 'Father of the nation', was born on the 2nd of October in 1869, in Porbunder, Gujarat. He studied law in U.K and practiced law in South Africa. But he left his profession and returned to India to join the Indian freedom struggle. Gandhiji was a preacher of truth and 'Ahimsa'(non-violence). He started the 'Satyagraha' movement for the Indian freedom struggle. He believed in living a simple life and in 'Swadeshi'. He proved to the world that freedom can be achieved through the path of non-violence. Gandhiji is a symbol of peace and truth. www.indiaa2z.com

Secular holiday : A legendary Indian king of Agroha credited with the establishment of a kingdom of traders in North India named Agroha, and is known for his compassion in refusing to slaughter animals. [Wikipedia]

Culture : A legendary Indian king (Maharaja) of Agroha, a city of traders. The Agrawal and Rajvanshi communities claim descent from him. He is credited with the establishment of a kingdom of traders in North India named Agroha, and is known for his compassion in refusing to slaughter animals in yajnas.

Hinduism : The victory of Durga on evil forces, the destruction of Vasanas (subjectivity, selfishness, desires...) and the achievement of the deepest Self. Dominance of Saraswati (pure science) over Lakshmi (applied science)

Hinduism : Celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself.[2] He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e. first verse, which set the base and defined the form to Sanskrit poetry. The Yoga Vasistha is attributed to him. A religious movement called Valmikism is based on Valmiki's teachings as presented in the Ramayana and the Yoga Vasistha. Wikipedia

Secular holiday : Haryana was carved out of the Indian state of Punjab on 1st November 1966. This state was formed on the recommendation of the Sardar Hukam Singh Parliamentary Committee. The formation of this committee was announced in the Parliament on 23 September 1965. On 23 April, 1966, acting on the recommendation of the Hukam Singh Committee, the Indian government set up the Shah Commission under the chairmanship of Justice J. C. Shah, to divide and set up the boundaries of Panjab and Haryana.

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Hinduism : The Light festival starts with festivities. The week celebrates 1.Dhanteras, 2.Kali Chaudas, 3.Deepavali, 4.Navu-Varsha (new year), 5.Bhai-beej. The Vai cast is mainly concerned. May last several days

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Hinduism : Also called Dala Chhath) is an ancient Hindu festival dedicated to Surya, the Hindu Sun God, Surya, also known as Surya Shashti.[1] The Chhath Puja is performed in order to thank Surya for sustaining life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes. The Sun, considered the god of energy and of the life-force, is worshiped during the Chhath fesival to promote well-being, prosperity and progress.

Sikhism : Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1539) Founder of the religion of Sikhism and the first of ten Sikh Gurus. Sikhs believe that all subsequent Gurus possessed Guru Nanak’s divinity and religious authority Wikipedia