Ganga Mahotsav

Held in Varanasi on the very banks of the great River Ganges, the Mahotsav festival promotes Varanasi as India’s cultural capital and the impressive river as India’s vein, its very lifeline. Organised on the day of Dev Deepavali, when the full moon is present, it is believed that God comes down from heaven to bathe in the Ganges, which is always lit with lamps on this day.

Dusshera

The festival of Dusshera, also known as Vijayadasham, is celebrated in different forms across India and Nepal and falls on the tenth day of the bright half of the Hindu month Ashwina (the overlap of September and October). This year the festivities are on the 28th of September. As India is so vast, each region has its own celebration and rituals when it comes to the festival of Dusshera.

Events and Festivals in India

 

Due to the belief in life celebration, festivals are commonplace in India. Festivals can signify the welcoming of a season, the weather, the arrival of a full moon, the harvest, the birthday of a saint or the coming of a new year to name a few. Due to a huge diversity and cultural variation in India, each and every festival is a special and colourful occasion with attractive elements for all. Here are a few of the major festivals: