March
Pan-India
Holi
The spring festival of colour, marked with coloured powder, water and sweets.
Festivals
A calendar that never empties
Filter by month to plan around a festival, or by state to see what happens where.
23 festivals shown
October–November
Pan-India
Diwali
The festival of lights, with oil lamps, rangoli and family gatherings.
August–September
Kerala
Onam
Kerala's harvest festival, with floral carpets, sadya feasts and snake boat races.
September–October
West Bengal
Durga Puja
Bengal's largest festival, with commissioned pandals and clay idols across the city.
November
Rajasthan
Pushkar Camel Fair
A livestock fair and pilgrimage that fills the dunes around Pushkar lake.
January
Tamil Nadu
Pongal
A four-day harvest thanksgiving, opening with rice boiled over in a new pot.
November
Punjab
Gurpurab
Marks the birth of Guru Nanak, with processions, kirtan and langar.
September–October
Gujarat & Pan-India
Navratri
Nine nights of dance and fasting; garba and dandiya fill Gujarat's grounds.
December
Nagaland
Hornbill Festival
Every major Naga tribe gathers at Kisama for music, dance, food and games.
April
Assam
Bihu
The Assamese new year and spring harvest, danced to dhol and pepa.
June–July
Odisha
Rath Yatra
Puri's chariot procession; the chariots are rebuilt from scratch every year.
August–September
Maharashtra
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ten days of neighbourhood pandals ending in immersion processions.
June–July
Ladakh
Hemis Festival
Masked cham dances in the courtyard of Hemis monastery.
April–May
Kerala
Thrissur Pooram
Kerala's grandest temple festival, with parasol displays and percussion ensembles.
February–March
Ladakh & Sikkim
Losar
The Tibetan Buddhist new year, observed in monasteries and homes.
November–February
Gujarat
Rann Utsav
A season-long festival of craft, music and full-moon nights on the white salt desert.
14 January
Gujarat
International Kite Festival (Uttarayan)
Rooftops across Ahmedabad fill with kite flyers from morning to night.
February
Goa
Goa Carnival
Float parades and street music in the Portuguese-era towns.
October–November
Bihar
Chhath Puja
Devotees stand in rivers at sunrise and sunset to offer prayers to the sun.
April
Punjab
Baisakhi
The Punjabi harvest festival and a key date in the Sikh calendar.
September
Arunachal Pradesh
Ziro Music Festival
An outdoor music festival in the paddy fields of Ziro Valley.
February
Madhya Pradesh
Khajuraho Dance Festival
Classical dance performed against the Chandela temples.
December
Odisha
Konark Dance Festival
Classical dance staged beside the Sun Temple.