Festivals & events

42 celebrations through the year — pick a day to see what's on.

• New Year's Day (1 January · All regions · National) — National public holiday marking the beginning of the Gregorian calendar year with celebrations across India.
• Winter Carnival Auli (All January · Auli · Uttarakhand) — A vibrant winter festival in India's only ski resort celebrating snow sports, adventure activities, and mountain culture.
• Makar Sankranti (14–15 January · Pan-India, prominent in Gujarat · Gujarat) — A harvest festival celebrated with kite flying, bonfires, and traditional sweets across India, marking the sun's transition into Capricorn.
• Lohri (13 January · Punjab and North India · Punjab) — A Punjabi winter festival celebrated with bonfires, traditional foods like til and gur, and community gatherings.
• Republic Day (26 January · All regions · National) — National public holiday celebrating India's constitution and democratic republic with parades and flag hoisting ceremonies.
• Vasant Panchami (All February · Pan-India, notable in Bengal · West Bengal) — The spring festival celebrated with yellow flowers, kite flying, and honoring the goddess Saraswati, marking the season of harvest.
• Hornbill Festival (1–10 December · Kohima, Nagaland · Northeast India) — Nagaland's premier cultural festival showcasing tribal traditions, indigenous crafts, music, dance, and local cuisine.
• Sumo Festival (Nagaland) (All November · Nagaland · Northeast India) — A unique wrestling festival in Nagaland blending traditional Indian wrestling with Japanese sumo elements.
• Maha Shivaratri (All March · Pan-India, major at Varanasi · Uttar Pradesh) — A major Hindu festival honoring Lord Shiva with night-long vigils, prayers, and devotional celebrations across temples.
• Holi - Festival of Colors (All March · Pan-India · Uttar Pradesh) — India's most exuberant festival celebrating the victory of good over evil with colored powders, bonfires, and community feasts.
• Camel Fair (Pushkar) (All November · Pushkar · Rajasthan) — One of the world's largest camel fairs featuring colorful camel trading, folk performances, and spiritual ceremonies on sacred grounds.
• Gangaur Festival (All March · Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh · Rajasthan) — A spring festival celebrating womanhood and fertility with processions, folk dances, and traditional Rajasthani costumes.
• Good Friday (All April · All regions · National) — A Christian public holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, observed with church services and prayers.
• Ambubachi Mela (All June · Guwahati, Assam · Northeast India) — An ancient fertility festival at Kamakhya Temple in Assam attracting pilgrims who celebrate the goddess's menstrual cycle.
• Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival) (All June · Puri · Odisha) — Lord Jagannath's grand chariot procession in Puri, one of Hinduism's most important pilgrimages drawing millions of devotees.
• Buddha Purnima (All May · All regions · National) — A national holiday celebrating Buddha's birth with special prayers, meditation, and temple processions across Buddhist communities.
• Eid ul-Fitr (All January · All regions · National) — A national Islamic holiday marking the end of Ramadan with prayers, feasts, and community celebrations.
• Eid ul-Adha (All January · All regions · National) — A national Islamic holiday commemorating Prophet Ibrahim's sacrifice with prayers and communal feasts.
• Hemis Festival (All June · Hemis Monastery, Ladakh · Ladakh) — Ladakh's most important Buddhist festival celebrating Guru Padmasambhava's victory over evil with masked dances and colorful costumes.
• Independence Day (15 August · All regions · National) — National holiday celebrating India's independence from British rule with flag hoisting, patriotic events, and parades.
• Janmashtami (All August · Pan-India, vibrant in Maharashtra and UP · Maharashtra) — A major Hindu festival celebrating Lord Krishna's birth with midnight prayers, fasting, and playful celebrations in homes and temples.
• Onam (All August · Kerala · Kerala) — Kerala's grandest festival celebrating the harvest and the return of a mythical king with boat races, flower carpets, and feasts.
• Ganesh Chaturthi (All September · Pan-India, most celebrated in Maharashtra · Maharashtra) — A ten-day festival honoring Lord Ganesha with grand processions, elaborate clay idols, and communal gatherings in Maharashtra.
• Pushkar Fair (Livestock & Cultural) (All November · Pushkar · Rajasthan) — A colorful livestock trading fair combined with cultural performances, spiritual gatherings, and desert tourism.
• Dussehra (All October · Pan-India · Uttar Pradesh) — A major Hindu festival celebrating the victory of good over evil with Ramlila performances, Durga Puja, and effigy burning.
• Diwali (Deepavali) (All November · Pan-India · Uttar Pradesh) — India's Festival of Lights celebrating the victory of light over darkness with lamps, fireworks, sweets, and family gatherings.
• Guru Nanak Jayanti (All November · All regions · National) — A national Sikh holiday celebrating the birth of Guru Nanak with prayers, processions, and communal feasts.
• Chhath Puja (All November · Bihar, Uttar Pradesh · Uttar Pradesh) — An ancient Hindu festival primarily in Bihar and UP where devotees fast and worship the sun god with colorful offerings.
• Christmas (25 December · All regions · National) — A national public holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ with church services, family gatherings, and festive decorations.
• Goa Carnival (All March · Panaji, Goa · Goa) — A vibrant pre-Lenten celebration featuring parades, floats, music, and dancing reflecting Goa's Portuguese colonial heritage.
• Vijayadashami (Bengal) (All October · West Bengal · West Bengal) — Durga Puja, Bengal's grandest festival celebrating goddess Durga with elaborate pandals, processions, and cultural programs.
• Konkanastha Marathi Brahmin Shivaratri (All March · Maharashtra · Maharashtra) — A regional Hindu festival honoring Lord Shiva celebrated with fasting and temple prayers in Maharashtra communities.
• Khimji Fair (All April · Khimji, Rajasthan · Rajasthan) — A traditional cattle and camel fair in Rajasthan showcasing local culture, livestock trading, and folk performances.
• Baisakhi (14–15 April · Punjab and North India · Punjab) — A harvest festival marking the Punjabi New Year with traditional music, dance, and community celebrations.
• Mahavir Jayanti (All April · All regions · National) — A national holiday celebrating the birth of Jain prophet Mahavir with temple processions and spiritual gatherings.
• Thrissur Pooram (All May · Thrissur, Kerala · Kerala) — Kerala's grandest temple festival featuring decorated elephants, music, and fireworks at Vadakkumnathan Temple.
• Kumaon Holi (All March · Kumaon region, Uttarakhand · Uttarakhand) — A unique regional Holi celebration in Uttarakhand featuring folk songs, traditional music, and regional culinary traditions.
• Khajuraho Festival of Dances (All February · Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh · Madhya Pradesh) — A classical dance festival held at the UNESCO World Heritage temples featuring multiple Indian classical dance forms.
• Navratri (All October · Pan-India, especially Gujarat · Gujarat) — A nine-day festival celebrating the divine feminine with Garba and Dandiya dances, especially vibrant in Gujarat.
• Hampi Festival (All January · Hampi, Karnataka · Karnataka) — A cultural festival at the ancient Vijayanagara empire ruins featuring classical music, dance, and heritage celebrations.
• Pongal (14–17 January · Tamil Nadu · Tamil Nadu) — A Tamil harvest festival celebrating the sun god with traditional cooking, cattle racing, and colorful decorations.
• Rann Utsav (All December · Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat · Gujarat) — A winter festival celebrating the white Rann salt desert with cultural performances, adventure activities, and traditional crafts.