Regional Festivals of South India enrich the cultural heritage of the country. These festivals are the true depictions of the traditions of south India. Each of these festivals is related to some myths and legends and many of them are celebrated with great pomp and show. In south India, Dravidian tradition is still prevalent and the celebrations follow unique rituals and style.

Regional Festivals of Karnataka
Yugadi is an important regional festival of Karnataka which is the celebration of New Year`s Day in Kannada tradition. It is celebrated with great extravaganza either at the end of March or at the start of April throughout the state of Karnataka. Special dinner is prepared in this festival with a starter of jaggery and neem leaves. Another regional festival of this state is Karaga. Darmaraya Temple of Bangalore serves as the venue for its celebration. The festival is observed in the Chaitra month of Hindu calendar on the full moon day. Karaga is celebrated in the honour of Draupadi, a religious character from the Indian epic Mahabharata. Vairamudi is another festival celebrated in the month of March in the honour of Lord Cheluvarayaswamy. Apart from these, other festivals celebrated in Karanataka enlist Dussehra, Ramnavami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Sri Krishna Janmashtami and Diwali.

Regional Festivals of Kerala
Several regional festivals are popular in Kerala the celebration of which exhibits great cultural extravaganza. Onam is a week long festival and is one of the most important one in Kerala. It is celebrated in the first month of Kerala`s New Year, known as Chingam. Legendary King Mahabali is honoured through this festival. It is accompanied by spectacular celebrations among which boat race is a prominent one. Sabarimala Temple Festival is also an important festival of this state, celebrated at the Ayyappa Temple situated at Sabarimala in the Western Ghats. Thrissur in Kerala is famous for its Thrissur Pooram festival during which exquisite dance, fireworks and merriment can be witnessed. Vishu festival also holds an important place in Kerala owing to its unique rituals. It is observed in the month of April or May just before the commencement of rain. Tiruvatira is a festival celebrated exclusively by women. Some fascinating aspects of this festival are the folk dances, fireworks and elephant procession in Thrissur temple.

Regional Festivals of Andhra Pradesh
Colourful regional festivals of Andhra Pradesh are the true representation of enthusiasm, feasts and gaiety. Significant festivals of this state enlist Lumbini festival. It is celebrated in the month of December in Hyderabad and Nagarjunasagar. This three day festival is the celebration of the Buddhist heritage of the state. Pongal is one of the most famous Regional Festivals of Southern India which is also known as the harvest festival. Observed in the month of January, this festival originally belongs to the farming community, but is also celebrated throughout the southern India with great enthusiasm. Art, craft and culture of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh is celebrated through Deccan Festival. The main focuses of this festival are the food fair and the bangles and pearls fair. Similar celebration is done in Visakhapatnam in the form of Visaka Utsav which represents the cultural heritage of this district. Apart from this Shivaratri, Yugadi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Muharram and Rayalaseema Food and Dance Festival are other important festivals of Andhra Pradesh.

Regional Festivals of Tamil Nadu
In southern India, Tamil Nadu also celebrates some colourful and prominent regional festivals. A popular festival celebrated in Madurai temple of Chennai is Chithirai Festival. This festival marks the beginning of Tamil month Chithirai. The festival is accompanied by the re-enactment of the marriage ceremony of Lord Sundareswarar with the Pandiyan princess Meenakshi. Mahamaham festival is another significant holy festival of Tamil Nadu which is celebrated once in every 12 years in Kumbakonam. Kanthuri festival is a secular festival of this state which witnesses a sea of devotees at the shrine of saint Quadirwali. Dance Festivals at Mamallapuram is the showcase of the rich cultural heritage of this state which is celebrated at the ancient city of Mamallapuram. Different traditional dance performances including Kuchipudi, Odissi, Bharatnatyam and Kathakali are the most enchanting feature of this festival. In addition to these, other significant festivals of this state are Pongal, Natyanjail Dance Festivals, Arubathimoovar Festival and Saral Vizha Festival.

Regional Festival of Puducherry
One of the most important festival Puducherry is Masimagam festival, celebrated in the month of February- March. In this festival, deities from sixty four temples are bathed in the water of Theerthavari River. This ceremonial festival bath is accompanied by a colourful procession. The festival is popular among the fisherman community of Puducherry.

Regional Festivals of Southern India are celebrated with great fervour. The coastal areas of south India are pleasant having a picturesque natural beauty. Unique rituals and prevailing traditions of this region are most evident through these festivals. Apart from being an occasion of gathering joy, these festivals also serve to enhance the richness of India`s culture.