Oct – Nov
Diwali
Pan-India
Festival of lights — homes lit with diyas, fireworks, sweets, and the triumph of good over evil.
Year-round celebrations
Festival Explorer
India lives through its festivals. Find the dates, locations, and best places to experience each one.
March
Holi
North India (Mathura, Vrindavan, Jaipur)
Festival of colours — playful showers of gulal, music, and thandai in the spring.
Sept – Oct
Dussehra
Mysore, Varanasi, Kullu
Victory of Lord Rama over Ravana — effigy burnings, Ramleela performances, and royal processions.
January
Pongal
Tamil Nadu
Tamil harvest festival — sweet pongal, kolam patterns, and the Mattu Pongal cattle festival.
Aug – Sept
Onam
Kerala
Kerala's grand harvest festival — floral pookalams, Onam sadhya feast, and snake-boat races.
April
Bihu
Assam
Assamese New Year — folk dances, pitha sweets, and the rhythm of dhol and pepa.
Sept – Oct
Durga Puja
West Bengal, Assam, Odisha
Bengal's biggest festival — towering pandals, dhak drums, dhunuchi naach, and goddess worship.
Aug – Sept
Ganesh Chaturthi
Maharashtra, Karnataka, AP
Ganesha's homecoming — modak sweets, pandal hopping, and grand visarjan processions.