A smudge of colour twirls to the beats of a Dholak. Heaven and Earth join hands and dance with it. Finally, dizzy with its own rhythm, the riot-indigo-orange-gold slows down. And develops the contours of a body. A laughing face. Outstretched arms. Nimble feet.

Fairs and festivals in India find their ecstantic, if somewhat giddy expression in dancing. But each celebration has a reason, season and presiding deity that makes it unique. Like Diwali, the festival of Truth and Light, celebrated in every corner of the country. It gets its nomenclature from ‘Deepawali’ or row of lights. A name that describes the festivity.

For, endless rows of earthenware lamps – diyas – stand sentinel in every home on Diwali, ushering in the goddess of peace and prosperity, Lakshmi.

Navratri is yet another festival celebrated through the country. It is dedicated to the Goddess Durga and her nine incarnations. Prayers are offered to each over nine successive nights (Nav-Ratri).

Every region in the country has its own unique festival – each with its repertory of folklore, its spread of sweetmeats, its robust hues. What weaves them all into the fabric of one country in the wild joy of the people who celebrate.

DUSSEHRA, all over India (September – October)

This festival is a celebration of the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana (good over evil). The Ramlila – an enactment of the life of Lord Rama, is held nine days before Dusshera. On the tenth day, larger than life effigies of Ravana, his son Meghnath and brother Kumbhkarna are set alight. The festivities acquire a local significance in different parts of the country. For instance, in Himachal Pradesh, Dusshera is celebrated with a week-long fair at Kullu. Mysore comes alive with majestic processions, a torch light parade as well as dance and musical events.

DIWALI, all over India (October/November)

Deepawali or Diwali, the most popular of all Hindu festivals, celebrates the victory of righteousness and the lifting of spiritual darkness. It commemorates Lord Rama’s return to his kingdom. Ayodhya, after completing his 14-year exile. Twinkling oil lamps or diyas light up every home. Splendid firework displays reflect the wild abandon with which the festival is celebrated. The goddess Lakshmi (consort of Lord Vishnu), who is the symbol of wealth and prosperity, is also worshipped on this day. This festive occasion also marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year (for trade and business). Lord Ganesha, the elephant – headed god who symbolises wisdom, is also worshipped in most Hindu homes on this day.

North Fairs & Festivals

TEEJ FESTIVAL, Rajasthan / Delhi (August)

A festival that welcomes cloudy skies and rainy days. Held every year during the Hindu month of Shravan, it celebrates the divine union of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. As the rains poor down, Nature flaunts and resplendent colours – like the young girls and new brides who pray Goddess Parvati for good husbands and conjugal bliss.

PUSHKAR FAIR, Rajasthan (November)

Experience one of India’s most fascinating festivals, the annual Pushkar Fair in Rajasthan. Every year, thousands of Rajasthani villagers converge in this picturesque town to buy and sell camels and other cattle. They come for the entertaining camel-races and local circuses. Crowds of village folk also browse the local markets for camel saddles, textiles, glass bangles and silver jewellery. They wash away the day’s fatigue at the Pushkar Lake (considered sacred by the Hindus). Beyond the bustle of the markets is the sweeping expanse of desert, dotted with thousands of camping families. All around, there is a riot of colour and a throng of warm, joyous faces.

GANGAUR FAIR , Jaipur (April)
The Gangaur Festival, a spirited celebrations, gets underway every year during the Hindu month of Chaitra (March-April). It marks the end of winter and heralds the spring.

‘Gan’ is a synonym for Lord Shiva and ‘Gaur’ or ‘Gauri’ for Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva. The festival celebrates conjugal bliss and marital happiness. During the festival, the ladies decorate their palms and fingers with intricate patterns of mehndi (henna). A traditional procession is headed by a colourful pageantry of elephants, camels, horses, musicians, old palanquins, chariots and bullock carts. People purchase and worship idols of Gauri and Isar. The room where the prayer ceremony is conducted is usually whitewashed.

YOGA WEEK, Varanasi (22 nd – 28 th February)
“Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together”, says Mark Twain, of the city where the science of Yoga originated. Yoga Week is dedicated to this practice. And Varanasi is the perfect setting for the festival – for it is here, along the banks of some of the most holy rivers, that Yoga can be practiced in its purest form.

Private hotels, tour operators and renowned Yoga institutes offer packages for 7, 10 and 14 days. The programmes include asana practices, pranayam, mediation and discussions by revered spiritual leaders.

URS AJMER SHARIF, Ajmer (17 th – 25 th August)
Held in the holy town of Ajmer, in honour of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, the celebration unites people of all faiths. Special prayers are offered at the mosque, and consecrated food is served to one and all, from the large, steaming cauldrons that were a gift from the Mughal Emperor, Akbar.

The festivities continue well into the night, with impassioned qawwali singers fuelling the spirit of devotion and selfless love.

HOLLA MOHALLA, Punjab (3 rd Week of Mareb)
The fair begins a few days before Holi and is marked by the congregation of Sikh devotees from all over the state. A large number of langars (community kitchens) offer free food to the poor and the rich alike. The day after Holi, called Hol, is unshered in with the singing of divine hymns in the early morning hours. With the dawning of the day, the Nihangs, called the Guru’s beloved force, together with the colourful seets of the Sikhs, acquire center-stage. They were traditional robes of blue and saffron as well as armour of steel.

BAISAKHI, Punjab (13 th / 14 th April)
This is a celebration of Mother Nature’s bounty. Farmers, amidst dancing, singing and revelry, carry a portion of the first harvest of wheat and offer it at a Gurudwara (place of worship, sacred to the Sikhs). Devotees gather from far-flung places and run free kitchens. The next day is heralded by a display of martial arts by the Nihangs.

KULLU – DUSSEHRA FESTIVAL, Himachal Pradesh (October)
This festival is held just after Dussehra is celebrated in other parts of the country. Colourful processions of devotees, bearing magnificent images of gods and goddesses, move towards Kullu from all parts of the valley. Homage is paid to Lord Raghunath on the first day. Rituals, graceful Natti dances and folk songs are performed over the remaining nine days.

As part of the festival, traders from all over the valley set up temporary stalls, where woolen shawls, caps, blankets, pullan (traditional footwear made from plant fibre and goat hair) and other interesting articles are displayed. This is the best time to see the crafts of the Kullu Valley.

JAHAN-E-KHUSRAU, Delhi (Last week of February)
This is an impassional musical festival associated with Hazrat Amir Khusrau – one of the great followers of Hazrat Nizamuddin. Only Sufi music is played. The festival promoters cross-cultural music is played. The festival promoters cross-cultural music collaboration, as performers from all over the world participate. Trance inducing, fervent and joyous, this Sufi music fiesta is an intriguing experience for the discerning listener.

QUTUB FESTIVAL, Delhi (November – December)
Set amidst the historical background of the Qutub Minar, a number of cultural events are held as a part of the festival. Veterans of Indian classical music and folk dance give spectacular performances. There are Kuchipudi, Odissi, Manipuri, and various classical dance performances by famous artistes from all over the nation. Sarangi and sitar recitals mesmerise the audience, while ghazals and qawalis mark the end of the festival. Artistes like the illustrious three generations of the Sarabhai family, Mrinalini, Malika and Anahita Sarabhai, as well as ghazal maestros Ustaad Ahmad Hussain and Ustaad Mohammad Hussein are amongst the manty stalwarts who have made the festival a memorable one.

ANANYA, Delhi (Last week of August)
Ananya means pearless. This week-long festival – true to its name – showcases the rich, unparalleled cultural heritage of India. Renowned artistes are also invited to perform, in a celebration of the country’s music and dance history, in the backdrop of Delhi’s Purana Qila.

KHAJURAHO DANCE FESTIVAL, Madhya Pradesh (6 th – 12 th March)
The Khajuraho Dance Festival is held every spring in the town of Khajuraho – renowned for its sculptured temples. It celebrates the glory of the temples and the life like dances forms carved on the stone walls. The festivals showcases the finest classical dances in the country.

TAJ MAHOTSAV, Agra (18 th – 27 th February)

The Taj Mahotsav is an apt introduction to the majesty of the country and its cultural varirty. The festival is a vibrant mosaic that brings to fore the finest of Indian arts, crafts and cultural nuances.

INTERNATIONAL YOGA FESTIVAL, Rishikesh (February)
The ‘yoga capital of the world’ is an appropriate setting for an introduction to this ancient practice.

This annual festival attracts great yogic masters from all over the world, who arrive at the banks of Ganges to demonstrate and explore the major traditions of Yoga (hatha, raja, karma, bhakti, mantra, laya and jnana). The town boasts of numerous Yoga schools, as well as plenty of places to visit when your cbakras are fully aligned.

Apart from the Yoga schools, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the many ashrams (rest houses) in Rishikesh that offer courses on meditation. Yoga and Hindu philosophy. The Hatha Yoga and Pranayama meditation classes at Sri Ved Niketan Ashram are well known. The Shivananda Ashram, opposite the Shivananda Jhula, is also a favourite.

DESERT FESTIVAL, Jaisalmer (21 st – 23 rd February)
The festival is a showcase of the performing arts of the region, on the stretches of sand around the desert citadel of Jaisalmer. It is characterized by a number of amusing turban tying competitions and camel races.

The region also has its very own Mr. Desert contest. Lively craft bazaars and a sound and light spectacle make it celebration of life amidst an arid landscape. Folk artistes performing against a backdrop of sand dunes, on a full-moon night, heighten the romantic lure of the desert.

JAIPUR HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL, Jaipur (14 th – 23 rd January)
If one were to capture the essence of the festival in a single sentence, it would be – to save the vibrant culture of Jaipur by stimulating alternative ways of development that are rooted in the unique strengths of the people.

Spread over fourteen days and in locations difficult to find anywhere else in the world, the festival stands out for its superb events. Children’s programmes, sports, exhibitions, crafts bazaars, and a succession of seminars on key issues, make it a rich, dynamic interaction amongst the people of the city.

The Jaipur Heritage International Festival pays homage to the beauty of the old, reflects on the contemporary relevance of past wisdom and leads to a better understanding of the city’ s fabulous resources and assets.

TANSEN SAMMAROH, Gwalior (19 th – 22 nd November)
The great classical vocalist, Miyan Tansen, was one of the ‘nine jewels’ in Emperor Akbar’s court. His memorial, in Gwalior, is a classic representation of Mughal architecture. It is also the venue of the annual Indian classical festival held in November. Renowned singers of the land regale audiences with five mesmerising sessions of the much-loved classical ragas. An interesting fact is that performers, before the sessions begin, chew the leaves of a tamarind tree by the tomb. This is believed to make the voice beats.

HEMIS FESTIVAL, Ladakh (27 th – 28 th June)
The Hemis Festival is dedicated to Lord Padmasambhava, revered as the representative reincarnate of the Buddha. It is believed that the purpose of his life was to improve the spiritual condition of all living beings.

The festival takes place in the rectangular courtyard of the Hemis Monastery. A raised dais, with a richly cushioned seat and a finely painted small Tibetan table, is placed with the ceremonial items – cups full of holy water, uncooked rice, tormas made of dough and butter, as well as incense sticks.

A number of musicians play traditional music with four pairs of cymbals, pan drums, small trumpets and large wind instruments.

SINDHU DARSHAN FESTIVAL, Ladakh (18 th – 20 th June)
The Sindhu Darshan Festival, as the name suggests, is a celebration of the river Sindhu (also known as the Indus). People travel for a darshan and puja of this river, which originates from the Mansarovar in Tibet. The festival aims at projecting the Sindhu river as a symbol of multi-dimensional cultural identity, communal harmony and peaceful co-existence in India. Whilst promoting tourism in this area, the festival is also a tribute to the brave soldiers of India who have valiantly fought the odds at Siachen, Kargil and other places.

SURAJKUND CRAFTS MELA, outskirts of Delhi (1st – 15th February)
The Surajkund Crafts Mela, organized by Haryana Tourism, celebrates the finest handlooms and handicrafts traditions of country. It is a fortnight –long event, during which master craftspersons display their assortment of wares –mirror-work embroidery, delicate lace work, folk motifs on terracotta forms, metal and cane ware, bangles of all hues, iridescent silks and beautifully-crafted toys. The Mela is more than just a celebration of crafts. At the fan-shaped, open-air theatre, ‘Natyashala’, rich folk dances and musical evenings keep crowds of tourists entertained.

East Fairs & Festivals

DURGA PUJA, West Bengal (October)
Durga Puja is one of the largest and most splendid festivals in the country. Community pujas (prayer service) in Bengal are organized in every locality. Families visit each other and spread the communal goodwill. On Bijoya Day, idols of Durga are taken in elaborate processions and immersed in the river or sea.

SONEPUR CATTLE FAIR, Bihar (26 th November – 12 th December)
A traditional fair that has remained prisitine in its charm through the ages. Legend has it that two branchers, devotees of Lord Vishnu, one wily and the other honest, cast a spell upon each other. As a result of this, one became an elephant and the other a crocodile. On a Kartik Purnima day, the honest elephant went to the confluence of the holy rivers Ganga and Gandak to bathe and was attacked by the wily crocodile. Lord Vishnu himself intervened and delivered good from evil. The central draw of the fair is cattle trade. All species of birds, poultry, bovines and beasts of burden, especially elephants, have a market here. The fair entertains visitors with nautankia – typical musical drama performances. Other attractions are the circus, fortune-telling parrots and peddlers of fancy goods.

BIHU, Awaan (14 th April)
The festival ushers in the New Year, with dancing, music and feasting. There are three such festivals in Assam – in the months of Bohaag (April). Maagh (January), and Kaati (Kartik or October). Each Bihu coincides with a distinctive phase in the farming calendar. The Bohaag Bihu is also called the Rongaali Bihu or the Festival of Merriment. True to its name, it ushers in the period of greatest enjoyment and marks in arrival of spring.

The festival lasts for several days during which “the young people in the village may be seen moving about in groups, gaily dressed or forming circles in the midst of which the prettiest girls dance.” (The History of Human Marriage, by Edward Western- March).

In towns and cities, there are well-organised Bihu fairs, where professional or amateur troupes perform songs on stage, with accompanying dancing. Bihu Kunwori (The Princess of the Bihu) contests are also held. Young women compete in dancing to the tune of Bihu songs. The best dancer is given the title of Bihu Kunwori.

RATH YATRA, Puri (July)
Every year in July, the sacred coastal town of Puri celebrates the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath. According to popular legend, Lord Jagannath is said to have expressed his desire to visit his birthplace. Gundicha Ghar. Yet another mythological the festival to Lord Krishna and Balaram, who went to Mathura on the invitation of Kansa (their evil uncle), to participate in a competition. The entire Ratha Yatra is a symbolie humanization of God. All rituals associated with the festival demonstrate an attempt to bring God down from His pedestal of glory to a more human level. On the day of the journey, a fabulous choice of Raths is lined up for the deities. Three chariots – the yellow Nandighosa, the blue Taladwaja and the Deviratha – lie waiting for them outside the temple. The deities are then carried to their respective modes of transport. Each divine rath is swept with a golden broom and blessed with scented water, by the king of Puri (the human representative of Lord Jagannath). The deities finally embark on their journey to the Gundicha Ghar – in resplendent chariots, pulled along by enthusiastic devotees.

KONARK DANCE FESTIVAL, Orissa (1 st – 5 th December)
The Konark Dance Festival brings to fore India’s eminent classical dancers, who perform against the backdrop of the floodlit Sun Temple. The temple has been described as a poem in stone and is one of India’s greatest architectural sights.

During the festival, the building reverberates with the beats of Raga and Tala, as the performers present their interpretations of various classical dance forms, including Odissi, Bharat Natyam, Manipuri, Kathak and Chhau Dance.

TEESTA TEA FESTIVAL, Darjeeling (November – December)
The Teesta Tea Festival commences in Darjeeling and Sikkim and ends in Dooars. The Dooars area, which is the gateway to Bhutan, is an enchanting land encompassing historic plains, tea gardens, rolling hills and dense forests.

The Teesta Festival includes a variety of cultural programmes. One can enjoy a pleasant ride through beautiful landscapes, in the toy train at Darjeeling, recognized as a World Heritage. The Siliguri – Alipur Dooars Intercity Express runs through tea gardens and lush forests. It is a delight for photographs and tourists alike, to click wildlife and exotic birds as the train chugs along the meandering track.

GANGA SAGAR MELA, West Bengal (14 th January)
This festival is celebrated on the day of Makar Sankranti at Ganga Sagar Island in the Ganges delta. People convene to take a holy dip at the confluence of the sea and the river Ganga. A large fair is held for three days during the period.

DOVER LANE MUSIC CONFERENCE, Kolkata (22 nd – 26 th January)
The largest Indian classical musical event in Kolkata, the Dover Lane Music Confrence has been taking place for the last 25 years. The festival is presented annually at Nazrul Mancha.

NATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL, Kolkata (16 th – 25 th December)
This is one of the largest theatre festivals of the country, with troupes participating from several neighbouring countries.

HORNBILL FESTIVAL, Nagaland (1 st – 5 th December)
The festival showcases Nagaland’s heritage in all its diversity and grandeur. It is a tribute to the Honbill – the most revered bird of the Naga tribes.

West Fairs & Festivals

GANESH FESTIVAL, Maharashtra (September / October)
Lord Ganesh, with his elephant head, is the God of good omen in the Hindu pantheon. He is revered by his followers, who carry clay models of him in grand processions, to the sound of cymbals and drums. The festival – Ganesh Chaturthi – is held on the fourth day of Bhadrapad.

GOA CARNIVAL, Goa (February – March)
The carnival is a secular event, celebrated all over Goa. On the eve of the festival (Fat Saturday), a colourful procession of bedecked floats, led by King Momo, is taken through the main street in the city.

NAVRATRI, Gujarat (September / October)
Navratri is the celebration for the divine goddess, Durga. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival occurs four times a year but the one in the month of Ashwin (September / October) is the most popular. During the festivities, the streets throng with a devotees performing the Garbas and the Rasa (unique folk dance forms), especially in the state of Gujarat.

ELEPHANTA FESTIVAL, Elephanta Island, Mumbai (February)
Nine nautical miles away from Mumbai, the Elephanta Island is now a World Heritage Site, in recognition of the second and sixth century cave temples found there. The Elephanta Festival celebrates classical music and dance forms. It is recognized as a hub of creative activity across the country.

KALA GHODA FAIR, K . Dubash Marg, Mumbai (On eight successive Sunday, from November to January)
This fair showcases traditional Indian arts & crafts, ethnic food, street performances as well as village and classical arts. The event is very popular among the people of Mumbai and tourists alike.

KITE FESTIVAL, Ahmedabad (14 th January)
This festival is celebrated on Makra Sankranti. This day has a special significance. For the sun, symbolising knowledge, wisdom and spiritual light – that recedes from us when we revel in the darkness of ignorance, delusion and sensuality – now joyously turns on its northward course and rushes towards one and all, to shed its light and warmth in abundance.

The day prior to Makara Sakranti is called the Bhogi Festival. On this day, old, worn – out and dirty things are discarded and burnt. Houses are cleaned and whitewashed. Kites are flown, in a celebration of the light and warmth of the sun.

KALIDAS FESTIVAL, Nagpur (27 th – 28 th November)
This festival is dedicated to the great Sanskrit Poet Kavi Kulguru Kalidas. Celebrated since 1995, it presents Indian classical dance and music to enthusiasts both in the country and abroad. Versatile artistes, together with local upcoming ones, participate in making the festival an enriching experience.

South Fairs & Festivals

PONGAL, Tamil Nadu (14 th January)
It marks the harvest festivities of the agricultural communities.

It is observed for three days in Tamil Nadu as well as in Andhra Pradesh. The first day is the Bhogi Pongal, which is celebrated as a family festival. Surya Pongal, the second day, is dedicated to the Sun (Surya). Mattu Pongal is the third day, and is also the day when cattle is decorated with ornaments. Pongal (rice cooked in milk and jaggery) is boiled and offered to the Sun on this day. Friends greet one another by asking, “Has the Pongal brimmed over in the pot?” An answer in the affirmative is followed by great rejoicing.

UGADI, Andhra Pradesh / Karnataka (April)
The New Year Festival or Ugadi follows Holi (the Festival of Colours). The Flame of the Forest (a tree with scarlet flowers) is in full bloom during the season, signifying a time of affluence and beauty.

It is believed that the creator of the Hindu pantheon, Lord Brahma, started his work of creation on this day. Also, the great Indian mathematician Bhaskaracharya’s calculations proclaimed Ugadi as the beginning of the New Year. The onset of spring also marks the beginning of new life.

Ugadi is heralded with the heavy perfume of jasmine blooms. The flower is woven into garlands and offered to the gods. It also finds favour with young girls, who wear clusters of it in their long braids of hair.

ONAM FESTIVAL AND SNAKE BOAT RACES, Kerala (August)
The people of Kerala, celebrate the return of their legendary king, Mahabali. A special group dance and song is performed during the festival. The 10-day harvest festival of Onam is the most eagerly – awaited celebration in Kerala. Elephant processions, classical and folk dance performances, music recitals, cultural pageants and boat races make it a spectacular display of the state and its heritage.

NATYANJALI FESTIVAL, Chidambaram (February / March)
A five-day utsav that coincides with a week prior to Shivratri. Dancers from all over the country pay tribute to Lord Nataraja (Lord Shiva).

PETE DE PONDICHERRY / YOGA FESTIVAL, Pondicherry (15 th – 17 th August)
A cultural pageant, coinciding with the Liberation Day of the state. The Park monument is brilliantly decorated with lights.

NISHAGANDHI FESTIVAL, Thiruvananthapuram (15 th April)
A festival of dance and music in Kerala.

CHENNAI MUSIC SEASON, Chennai (December / January)
The season begins in the first week of December and goes on till mid – January. It promises a sumptuous treat to the rasikas (local enthusiasts) and tourists alike. For it celebrates Carnatic Music and its expression in vocal, instruemental, as well as dance forms.

MAMALLAPURAM DANCE FESTIVAL, Tamil Nadu (25 th December – 30 th January)
Dancers and musicians participate from across the country, in this festival. It is conducted with Arjuna ‘s Penance, at Mamallapuram, as its backdrop.

HAMPI DANCE FESTIVAL, Karnataka (1 st week of November)
The ruins of the magnificent city of Hampi, 353 kilometres from Bangalore, come alive during this dance and music fiesta.

Hampi was once the capital of the ancient Vijaynagar Empire (one of the most powerful in the country). Its ruins of stone temples, elephant stables, barracks and palaces offer a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the people who once resided there. The Hampi Festival is a concoction of dance, drama, music, fireworks, puppet shows and spectacular processions that recreate the grandeur of the bygone era.

THRISSUR POORAM, Kerala (April – May)
The Thrissur Pooram Festival is a mammoth spectacle with rows upon rows of caparisoned elephants bedecked with ornaments. The elephants face each other in two straight, disciplined rows – with the grace and nobility of a royal entourage. The ancient resonance of Panchavadyam, the five instruments comprising the coach, cymbals, trumpet and two kinds of drums, build up the final, glorious crescendo of the spectacle.