Held in July or August, Nag Panchami celebrates snakes which are traditionally seen as a symbol of energy and prosperity in Hindu culture. Celebrations...
Held on the third day of moonlight fortnight in the Hindu month of Shravan, the annual Teej or "Swing Festival" welcomes the coming monsoon season which...
Themes:
Music
, History
, Spectacle
, Entertainment
, Religion
, Culture
One of the biggest festivals of the year in Kerala, Onam celebrates the autumn harvest and is a special event for everyone. The 10-day celebration consists...
Themes:
Dance
, Spectacle
, Food & Drink
, Culture
, Entertainment
, Music
The Tarnetar Mela is one of the most colourful events in the state of Gujarat. The fair celebrates the wedding of Arjuna with Draupadi, heroes of the...
Themes:
Dance
, Entertainment
, Culture
, Spectacle
, Music
The annual Urs pilgrimage is a religious ceremony during which thousands upon thousands of Muslims and Hindus congregate at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin...
Themes:
History
, Food & Drink
, Religion
, Spectacle
Celebrating the anniversary of the birth of Lord Krishna, Janmashtami is a huge celebration that is observed throughout the country and particularly in...
One of India's most spectacular festivals, Durga Puja sees many thousands of glittering pandals (temporary structures housing idols of the goddess Durga...
Known as the Lourdes of the East, the Roman Catholic Church in Velankanni is a deeply symbolic site that attracts thousands of religious pilgrims throughout...
Dedicated to the elephant-headed god Lord Ganesh (the son of Shiva), Ganesh Chaturthi is the spectacular end to an 11-day festival of celebrations. During...
Themes:
Culture
, History
, Food & Drink
, Dance
, Religion
, Music
Taking place in late September or early October, Navaratri is one of the biggest Hindu festivals of the year. It lasts for nine days and celebrates the...
Coinciding with the start of winter, Durga Puja is an important Hindu festival that is particularly celebrated in Bengal. Over the duration of the five-day...
The popular Marwar Festival is a celebration of traditional music and dance from the Marwar region of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Visitors can expect to enjoy...
Themes:
Dance
, Art & Literature
, Culture
, Music
Held each year in Rajgir, the ancient capital of the Magadhan Empire, the Rajgir Dance Festival is a lively celebration of traditional music and dance....
Gandhi Jayanti celebrates the anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi who is viewed by many as the Father of the Indian Nation. Born on 2 October 1869,...
More commonly known as "Eid al-Fitr" in other parts of the world, Id-ul-Fitr marks the end of the 30-day fasting period of Ramadan and is a great celebration...
Dussehra is a Hindu religious festival which celebrates Rama's victory over the devil Ravana and symbolises the triumph of good over evil. Lasting for...
More commonly known around the world as "Diwali" or the "Festival of Lights", in Chennai it is called Deepavali and is the most important festival in...
Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is the most popular and widely-celebrated of all Hindu festivals. The rigorous cleaning of houses forms part of the first...
Kali Puja falls in October or November and is an intense invocation of Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction. Despite her rather gruesome appearance,...
Lakshmi Puja occurs on the important day of the Hindu festival of Diwali. Devoted to the honour of the goddess Lakshmi, worshippers believe that the benevolent...
One of the biggest celebrations in the Sikh calendar, Guru Parab celebrates the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev, the founding guru of the Sikh religion. Also...
Themes:
Culture
, Religion
, History
, Food & Drink
An important cultural event, the annual Hampi Festival is a celebration of traditional music, dance, theatre and other artistic performances. With events...
This colourful festival is held in honour of the Goddess Ka Blei Synshar in thanks for a good harvest. As well as many religious ceremonies and prayer...
Themes:
Entertainment
, Dance
, Food & Drink
, Religion
, Culture
, Music
Celebrated on the full moon day in the Karthigai month, the annual Karthigai Deepam festival is viewed by many as an extension of the Hindu Deepavali...
Including a lively mix of parades, theatre, dance, music and other cultural displays, the annual Lucknow Festival is a 10-day social and cultural event...
Themes:
History
, Entertainment
, Culture
, Spectacle
, Dance
, Music
One of the biggest and most colourful cattle fairs in the region, the Sonepur Mela is a hugely popular event that takes place in northern Bihar on the...
Themes:
Food & Drink
, Business
, Religion
, Unusual
The world's largest camel fair may not be at the top of everyone's list of must-sees, but the annual event at Pushkar is a true spectacle, a riot of colour...
Themes:
Food & Drink
, Spectacle
, Culture
, Business
, Sport
The popular Kolkata Film Festival screens features, shorts, documentaries and animations by filmmakers from all over the world. Each year the festival...
Celebrating the classical traditions of Carnatic Music typical of South India, the Chennai Dance and Music Festival is a popular cultural event that has...
Themes:
Entertainment
, Dance
, Culture
, Spectacle
, Music
This popular Sikh religious festival celebrates the birth of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Nanak, who was born on 22 December 1666. The event is calculated...
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