Festivals and Fairs of India

For your future reference, here are the major fairs and festivals in India.
 

Most Indian festival's dates are finalised according to the lunar calendar and thus the dates may vary by a day or two.

Festivals of India Link 

Please also note the following:
 
Republic Day 26th January Museums will remain closed. The visiting of main shopping complexes and monuments may be disrupted especially in Central New Delhi.
Holi 3rd March Madhya Pradesh: Kanha National Parks is closed for the whole day and Bandhavgarh and Pench National Parks only have a morning game drive available. All monuments in major cities of Rajasthan (Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Bikaner) will remain closed for the afternoon. They will be open only for morning visits.
Dhulendi  4th March All monuments in major cities of Rajasthan (Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Bikaner) will remain closed for the entire day.
Independence Day 15th August Museums will remain closed. The visiting of main shopping complexes and monuments may be disrupted especially in Central New Delhi.
Gandhiji’s Birthday 2nd October Museums will remain closed. The visiting of main shopping complexes and monuments may be disrupted especially in Central New Delhi.
Diwali 9th November Museums will remain closed. The visiting of main shopping complexes and monuments may be disrupted especially in Central New Delhi.
 

Festivals Of India

Dussehra

Dussehra symbolises the triumph of good over evil. This Hindu festival is celebrated all over India to mark the victory of Rama over Ravana, the great demon and king of Lankan, who had abducted his wife, Sita. In north India the Dussehra celebration includes the Ram-Lila that consists of plays, recitations and music that recall the life of the legendary hero, Rama. The Ram-Lila  is held during the nine days preceding Dussehra. On the tenth day, elaborate processions lead to the Ram-Lila grounds where immense cracker-stuffed effigies of the demon Ravana and his son and brother -Meghnath and Kumbhakarna explode to the cheers of thousands of spectators.
12 October..


Diwali

Diwali, or Deepavali, perhaps the best-known Hindu festival, marks the end of the season that opens with Dussehra. Diwali is celebrated throughout India. It usually takes place in October/November. Diwali is called the "festival of lights", and the name itself means an array of lamps (Deep = Lamp, Vali =Array). Indeed, illumination is characteristic of Diwali. The array of lamps are symbolic of welcoming Lord Rama back to Ayodhya after his 14 years of exile, and the common practice is to light small oil lamps, diyas, and place them around the house. If there is one occasion that is full of joy and jubilation for all, it is Diwali.
 

RAJASTHAN INTERNATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL Late October:  Musicians from India and across the world gather in Rajasthan from October for the local International Folk Festival. Against the backdrop of the unparalleled beauty of the Mehrangarh Fort, the festival commences with a grand ceremonial procession.  Whilst presenting musical notes from their own countries’ foreign artistes will collaborate with local musicians to create vibrant new sounds.  Rajasthani folk communities will also participate. The opening of the festival will coincide with ‘Sharada Poornima’, the brightest full moon of the year whose brilliant rays beautifully lights up all the monuments around the State. This celebration also coincides with the Marwar Festival which is a feast of music and dance.

Khajuraho Dance Festival

An annual treat for the connoisseurs of Indian Classical Dances comes at Khajuraho for a week during February or March. It is a grand 7-day extravaganza celebrating Khajuraho’s 1000 years old cultural heritage preserved in its stark stone sculptors. The treasured art forms unfold amidst ethereal settings and not one but all eight forms of Indian Classical dances are performed and delineate the spiritual, the intellectual and the social heritage of India.  This festival of International repute is a destination awaited by connoisseurs, travelers and more so by the performers. In words of a performer, “Every dancer worth her mettle dreams of performing at the Khajuraho festival”. For someone looking forward to a heritage tour of India, timing the visit around the Khajuraho dance festival would be a wise touristic strategy.

Dates: A seven day period in February/March every year.
Venue: Western Group of temples, Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh
Timings: Daily 7:00 P.M. onwards