Fairs and Festivals of North India

The colourful lives of the people of North India are beautifully reflected in its fairs and festivals. Every festival here is celebrated with great zeal and fervour. Speaking volumes about the rich heritage of Northern India, the fairs and festivals here offer a wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with the great culture of India. Colourful processions, prayers, new dresses, dance, music and feasts are an important part of the fairs and festivals of North India.

Diwali
A celebration of triumph of light over dark and good over evil, Diwali is one of the major festivals of India. The festival is blissfully intertwined by ancient mythology and spirituality. While India is a fascinating destination to visit at any time of the year, there's perhaps no time more perfect than the festival of Diwali. This is the time when the entire country is illuminated with fireworks, oil lamps and a riot of colour. In addition to decorating their homes with oil lamps, people also clean their houses and share sweets and gifts. Diwali is a festival of happiness, fun and spirituality, emphasizing true beauty of India.

Holi
The festival of colours and love Holi is famed as one of the most revered festivals of India. Celebrated in almost every part of the country, the festival of Holi fills the air with exhilaration. Holi in India is an occasion to indulge in colourful celebrations, bonfire and sweets. The festival signifies the end of winter and opulence of the upcoming spring harvest season. Holi lets you discover the country’s religious significance and cultural traditions. One of the most remarkable things about this Indian festival is how enthusiastic and care-free it is. It is purely a day of fun.

Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela is renowned as the largest religious and holiest gathering in the world. Traditionally referred to a gathering of devotees, Kumbh Mela is inscribed on the UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is so much more than just a festival; Kumbh Mela is a cultural retreat, a celebration of life over death, virtue of sins, and celebration of divinity and spirituality. This peaceful religious gathering is an experience that goes beyonf the realm of religion and beliefs. Traditionally four fairs are widely recognized as the Kumbh Melas - the Haridwar Kumbh Mela, the Allahabad Kumbh Mela, the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha, and Ujjain Simhastha. The fair is celebrated in such a massive scale that it can give any music festival a run for its money.

Hemis Festival
Celebrated annually on the 10th day of the Tse-Chu, Lunar month of the Tibetan Calendar, Hemis Festival marks the victory of good over evil. Like any other festival, the Hemis Festival portrays the lives and beliefs of the people of Ladakh. This 2 day festival celebrates Guru Padmasambhava's birth anniversary, who was the founder of Vajrayana Buddhism in Ladakh. After the unbearable winter chills, the festival comes as a welcome respite, as the Hemis Monastery opens its doors to the festivities.

Pushkar Mela
Pushkar Mela, also renowned as the Pushkar Camel Fair, is an unusual celebration that takes place in Rajasthan. The Fair celebrates the beauty of desert, the camels. The magnificent Pushkar Mela, through its dramatic collage of diversified pictures, mirrors the vibrancy of the gracious state of Rajasthan. This colourful Fair lets you flip through the pages of Rajasthani culture and tradition. People from around the world visit this unique fair that focuses on trading of camels and cattle, camel races, vivid cultural performances and art exhibitions. This traditional carnival brings thousands of camels, cattle, and horses together. This fair is famed for being one of the world’s largest cattle fair.