Festival and Fairs

INDIA has an incredible variety of fairs and festivals of which the more well known are

January	The grand Republic Day parade in New Delhi on 26 January. Desert kite festival – Jodhpur
February	Surajkund Crafts Mela Fair – near Delhi Desert Festival in Jaisalmer Carnival - Goa
March	Holi or the Festival of Colours mainly in the North Classical Dance Festival – Khajuraho
April / May	Chithirai festival – Madurai ; Paro festival – Bhutan
June	Hemis Gompa festival – Ladakh Rath Yatra – Orissa Temple festival in honour of Lord Jaganath
July	Teej in Rajasthan particularly Jaipur – to welcome the monsoon.
August	The Great Elephant March in Kerala Snake Boat races in Kerala Raksha Bandhan – Northern and western India Independence Day Onam – Harvest festival – Kerala
September	Ganesh Chaturthi – mainly Orissa , Mumbai, Chennai dedicated to the Elephant headed god Ganesh. Janamashtami – Birthday of Lord Krishna Kumbh Mela – the oldest of Hindu festivals takes place once in three years. Dussehra – one of the most popular festivals known as Ram Lila in the North and in Bengal as Durga Puja.
October	Diwali or the Festival of Lights ushering in the Hindu New Year Illuminations and fireworks celebrate the auspicious return of Lord Rama from exile and the symbolic victory of good over evil.
November	Pushkar Festival in Rajasthan (near Ajmer ) a colourful camel and cattle Fair with races , acrobatics, and a fascinating glimpse into rural India.
December	Christmas Day The Feast of St.Francis Xavier – Goa Island Tourism Festival held between December and January at the Andaman Islands located in the Bay of Bengal.