In India, festivals are when much art is made and seen: clay images, painted walls, floor designs, lamps, kites and new clothes. Timing a visit to a festival lets you see art in use, not just in a museum. This calendar shows roughly when each happens and what to look for.
About this guide. It is compiled from official tourism and festival sources and other published material. It may not be based on first-hand attendance at every event. Most Indian festivals follow the lunar calendar, so their dates move by several weeks from year to year. Always check the exact dates for the year you plan to travel. How we research our guides.
January and February
| Festival or fair | Where | The art to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Makar Sankranti and Uttarayan | Gujarat and across India | Kite making and the international kite festival in Ahmedabad. |
| Pongal | Tamil Nadu | Large kolam designs drawn in rice flour at house doors. |
| Basant Panchami | North and east India | Images of Saraswati, goddess of learning; yellow clothes. |
| Surajkund International Crafts Mela | Faridabad, near Delhi | Craftspeople from every state and from abroad, usually for about two weeks in February. |
| Kala Ghoda Arts Festival | Mumbai | Art installations, crafts and performance in the city’s gallery district. |
March to May
| Festival or fair | Where | The art to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Holi | North India especially | Colour play, and the history of the pichkari water squirter. |
| Gudi Padwa | Maharashtra | The decorated gudi pole raised at homes for the new year. See Gudi Padwa. |
| Rongali Bihu | Assam | Hand-woven gamosa cloths given as gifts. |
| Vishu | Kerala | The Vishukkani arrangement of auspicious objects. |
June to August
| Festival or fair | Where | The art to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Rath Yatra | Puri, Odisha | Huge painted temple chariots and appliqué canopies; Pattachitra paintings are made for the temple in the weeks before. |
| Hemis festival | Ladakh | Masked dances at the monastery and the unveiling of a large painted thangka. |
| Teej | Rajasthan | Leheriya tie-dyed saris and turbans. |
| Raksha Bandhan | North and west India | Rakhi threads, from simple to ornate. See the evolution of rakhi designs. |
| Janmashtami | Across India, especially Mathura, Vrindavan and Nathdwara | Decorated shrines, swings and Pichwai paintings. |
September and October
| Festival or fair | Where | The art to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Ganesh Chaturthi | Maharashtra especially | Clay Ganesha images, from tiny household ones to towering public figures. |
| Onam | Kerala | Flower carpets (pookalam) at homes and public places. |
| Navratri and Durga Puja | Gujarat, West Bengal and across India | Garba dance in Gujarat; in Kolkata, clay images of Durga made in Kumartuli and shown in elaborate pandals. Durga Puja in Kolkata is on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage. |
| Dussehra | Mysuru, Kullu and across India | Processions, decorated elephants in Mysuru, and effigies of Ravana. |
November and December
| Festival or fair | Where | The art to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Diwali | Across India | Clay lamps, rangoli floor designs and lanterns. See the significance of the diya. |
| Pushkar fair | Pushkar, Rajasthan | A camel and cattle fair with crafts, textiles and folk performance, around the Kartik full moon. |
| India International Trade Fair | New Delhi | State pavilions selling regional crafts, usually in the second half of November. |
| Rann Utsav | Kutch, Gujarat | A tented festival on the salt desert, close to the craft villages; runs through the winter. |
| Hornbill Festival | Kohima, Nagaland | Usually 1 to 10 December, with Naga crafts, textiles and performance. |
Plan around it
Pair a festival with one of our craft and heritage trails. Festivals are crowded and prices for rooms rise sharply, so book early. Some rituals are private or for worshippers only; watch respectfully and ask before photographing people.
Sources
Main sources: Ministry of Tourism, Incredible India; state tourism websites; UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage; India Trade Promotion Organisation; Haryana Tourism (Surajkund Mela); Nagaland Tourism (Hornbill Festival).
Last checked: November 2026.