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  Festival Calendar

January

Festival State/ location Description Date Internat- ional Kite Festival Gujarat & Rajasthan International Kite Festival is one of the unparalleled festivals celebrated in India. The festival is held on the day of Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti every year at Jodhpur in Rajasthan and Ahmedabad in Gujarat. It is a celebration to mark the end of winter 14 Jan The Delhi Rose show Delhi Delhi also conducts various flower shows in the winter months. Rose Show, Chrysanthemum Show and Delhi Flower Show are among a few of them. It is held in January at Safdarjung's Tomb. Mid Jan The Thyagaraja Carnatic Music Festival Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu Thyagaraja Music Festival is held every year in January in Thiruvaiyaru, Tamilnadu. The festival is held in the memory of the great saint and musician Thyagaraja who lived and attained samadhi at Thiruvaiyaru. The festival is an eight-day affair and attracts leading Carnatic musicians from all over the country. Jan Winter Sports Kashmir Kashmir hub offers you details of winter sports that are extremely popular in the state of Kashmir. The winter sports that attract tourists to Kashmir from far and wide include skiing, heliskiing, ice-skating and snow boarding. Jan 1–10 Lohri New Delhi Lohri celebrates fertility and the spark of life. Puja, involving parikrama (rotating) around the fire, symbolizes a prayer to Agni, the spark of life, for abundant crops and prosperity. Lohri is a joyous celebration, prasad of til, gajak, jaggery, peanuts and popcorn is given. Songs are sung and the family dances in celebration. Jan 11 The Republic Day Parade New Delhi On 26th January 1950 the constitution of India came into force and India became a truly sovereign state. So, the 26th of January was declared a national holiday and has been recognized and celebrated as the Republic Day of India. On this day the President of India awards the medals of bravery to the soldiers who have shown their exceptional courage. To mark the importance of the day, a grand parade is held in the capital city of New Delhi. Jan 26

February

Festival State/ location Description Date Purmandal Mela Jammu Purmandal is 39 km from Jammu city. On Shivratri, the town wears a festive look and for three days people celebrate the marriage of Lord Shiva to Goddess Parvati. Feb- Mar Shivratri Fair Himachal Pradesh This fair is held on the Krishna Chaturdashi or the fourteenth day of the waning moon of the month of Phalguna (February-March) and continues for eight or ten days. This day has its great importance among the Hindus because of Shivratri festival. Hindus celebrate this in one form or the other. Feb 16 Surajkund Crafts Mela Surajkund, Haryana Craftsmen from all over the country assemble at Surajkund during the first fortnight of February to participate in the annual celebration known as the Surajkund Crafts Mela. This is a meeting ground for talented craftsmen. The Surajkund Mela is not just the biggest artisans' fair in the country; it is also unique in that every year there is a different theme to the fair. Feb 1 - 15 Guruvayur Festival Kerala This festival is conducted in the month of Kumbha, i.e., in February or March and lasts for 10 days. The hoisting of the temple flag atop the flagstaff (Dwajastambham) about 70 feet high marks the beginning of the festival. Feb 28

March

Festival State/ location Description Date Carnival Goa Carnival in Goa is a non-stop 3-day festival of colour, song and music, providing a healthy entertainment for all, young and old. 40 days before Lent Holi Entire India The festival of Holi is celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March every year. It is a festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land, Holi is now a symbolic commemoration of a legend from Hindu Mythology. It is also called the Festival of Colours. Mar 4

April

Festival State/ location Description Date Good Friday India After a period of rejoicing over the birth of Christ, His followers observe a time of penance and fasting. This period, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Good Friday, is known as Lent. Jesus taught the need of prayer and fasting to overcome the Evil.A day of prayer and penance, when the bells of the churches remain silent. Apr 6 Bahu Mela Jammu A major festival is held at the Kali Temple in Bahu Fort, twice a year. Mar–Apr & Sep–Oct Baisakhi Punjab The name Baisakhi is taken from the first month of the Vikram calendar(Hindu calendar). Every year, on the first day of Vaishakh, the people of Jammu, like the rest of northern India, celebrate Baisakhi also known as the “harvest festival” Apr 14 Vishu Kerala According to the traditional Malayalam calendar, it is the 1st day of Malayalam month, Medam that is the astronomical New Year. Traditional rituals are followed to bring in another year of prosperity. Apr 15 Chaitre Chandesh Jammu Chaitre Chaudash is celebrated at Uttar Behni, about 25 km from Jammu. Uttar Behni gets its name from the fact that the Devak river (locally also known as Gupt Ganga) flows here in the northerly direction. Mar-Apr

May - June

Festival State/ location Description Date Jagannath Rath Yatra Orissa Car travel to worship Lord Jagannath May 1st week* Mango Festival Haryana Many varieties of mangoes from the 1100 plus varieties that are grown in India are displayed. Mid May

* – week depending on the lunar cycle

July - August

Festival State/ location Description Date Onam Kerala Celebration in remembrance of the golden age of Mahabali, the mythical ruler of Kerala Aug 27 Minjar Fair Himachal Pradesh Minjar is a seven-day harvest festival held in July-August. The Minjar festival is a kind of a thanksgiving ceremony to the god of rain and a prayer for good harvest. Processions with decorated horses, gods and goddesses in colourful palanquins, are taken out through the streets to mark the beginning of the fair. Jul-Aug

September - October

Festival State/ location Description Date The Ladakh Festival Ladakh-Kashmir Marks the annual meeting of Buddha monasteries 1 to 15 Sep Janmashtami Festival Entire India Birth Anniversary of Lord Krishna. Sep 3 Ganesh Chaturthi Mumbai Birth of Lord Ganesh Sep 15 Navratri Fair Gujarat The most famous Navaratri celebrations are held in the western states of India (Gujarat and Maharashtra) in the form of Dandiya and Garba dances. Oct 12 Navratri Fair Himachal Pradesh In the Kulu valley in Himachal Pradesh, the hill- folk celebrate Dasara with a grand mass ceremony wherein village deities are taken out in elaborate processions. Oct 12 Dussera/ Vijayadashmi All over India Celebrating good over evil. Oct 21 Durgapuja West Bengal Veneration to Goddess Durga Oct 19

November - December

Festival State/ location Description Date Urs in Ajmer Rajasthan Urs Festival of Ajmer Sharif is held in the holy town of Ajmer in Rajasthan, India. The Urs Fair is held in honour of the Sufi saint, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. On this occasion special prayers are offered at the mosque and huge amount of consecrated food is offered to the pilgrims cooked in the large, steaming cauldrons. Nov Diwali Entire India Of all the festivals celebrated in India, Diwali is by far the most grand and important. Enthusiastically enjoyed by people of every religion, its magical and radiant touch creates an atmosphere of joy and festivity. Nov 8 Christmas Goa /all over India Birth anniversary of Jesus Christ is celebrated across India . In Goa Christmas is an occasion of enthusiasm and entertainment. Dec 25

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