Utsavas

Utsava, plural utsavas, is a Sanskrit term meaning festival or celebration. In Hinduism, it denotes a religious festival organized by temples or communities, often featuring a procession, musical performances, ritual offerings, and communal feasting. The concept encompasses annual temple celebrations, monthly or seasonal observances, as well as milestone events such as temple consecrations and harvest festivals. Utsavas are typically centered on a deity's image, with the utsava murti—a processional form of the deity—taken out of the sanctum for worship and public display during the festival.

Common elements include alankara (ornamentation), puja and arati at the temple, bhajans and classical music or dance, procession through streets or temple corridors, and prasada distributed to participants. Utsavas often mark auspicious alignments in the lunar calendar and can last for several days.

Regionally, the term is widely used across India: in South India the festivals are frequently called utsavam and may bear names like Brahmotsavam or Navaratri Utsavam; in other regions festivals such as Rathotsava (chariot festival) or Diwali are observed as utsavas of local temples. Temples commonly maintain utsava murtis, smaller processional statues designed for public viewing, alongside the primary murtis enshrined in the sanctum.

Historically, utsavas reflect the integration of temple worship, agrarian cycles, and community life, and continue to be central to religious practice and regional culture in many parts of India.