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What is the most attractive thing about India? Yes, the answer is its diverse culture. It is such a fantastic fact that India has something totally new to offer as soon as you travel to another state from the previous one! There are many cultural events and festivals that are celebrated in different states of India. We have compiled a list of all cultural events in India that you should be a part of if you want to know the whole of India!
7 Cultural Events In India
1. International Kite Festival
As per the Hindu calendar, Uttarayan is when winters start turning into summers and this phenomenon is celebrated as Makar Sankranti. It is on this day, International Kite Festival is celebrated in Ahmedabad, India. If you are in Ahmedabad on this day, you will be amazed by seeing the city’s sky filled with unusual & colourful kites; to give you an example, the masters of Malaysia bring kites named “Wau-balang”. USA kite makers come with giant kites made in banner form. You will also see Italian sculptural kites, Japan’s fighting kites, and Chinese flying dragons!
2. Pushkar Mela
Pushkar Mela (aka Pushkar Camel Fair) is celebrated in November (in Kartik Purnima) and is a famous festival in India. In this 7-day festival, cattle, camels, and horses are bought together. In these 7 days, you can enjoy activities like camel safari and horse safari and be a part of cultural performances. You can also see a race between camels and between horses. Magic shows, bridal competitions, long moustache competitions, exhibitions, etc. are other activities you will witness at this fair.
Apart from all these, there is something very special happening; that is a hot-air balloon ride. The skyline is filled with colorful hot air balloons and the view of the majestic desert from the top in a hot-air balloon is an experience worth not missing!
3. Rann Utsav
The Desert of Kutch is the largest salt desert in the world; Evaporation happens from November to February in the desert of Kutch which makes it a crystal white desert. It is during this event that Rann Utsav is organized in the white desert. This is a wonderful festival which you will experience during your stay in tents (which you can easily book via a travel portal).
If you want to take a relaxing and fun-filled family vacation, then Rann Utsav is an extremely amazing venue for it. You can enjoy Gujarati food, camel cart ride, paramotoring, ATV ride, and endless music and dance programs. And here’s an extra tip to make your trip even more delightful, Before booking your hotels & flights, don’t forget to use coupons to avail fantastic discounts on travel websites.
4. Hornbill Festival
Hornbill Festival is one of the famous cultural events in India, It is known as the festival of Nagaland and is considered the “festival of festivals”. This festival is about celebrating Naga culture through a series of wonder and traditional dance & musical performances.
There are diverse tribes in Nagaland and all these tribes put in efforts to make this festival a super success; these tribes come together to put forward a thrilling program. If you witness this function, you will get a glimpse of Nagaland’s culture (you can also take part in the celebration!). Usually, this festival is organized in the first week of December and goes on for 7 days. If you want to be a part of this festival, then you will need to head to Kohima (the capital city) in the first week of December!
5. Goa Carnival
Goa Carnival is celebrated before the onset of Lent. The Goa Carnival is a 4-day event that usually happens in February/March; the preparation of this carnival, however, starts in December itself. People look forward to this event and decorate the whole of Goa with shimmering lights. There is music, dance, performances, colourful decorations, and a whole lot of positive vibes during this Carnival period. On the day of Carnival, you can see people donning colourful costumes and taking part in amazing grand parades. People also perform plays that revolve around the Goan culture. This event is a must-visit, at least once in a lifetime.
6. Losar Festival
Losar Festival is celebrated in the first month of the Tibetan lunar calendar and this festival represents the tussle between good and evil powers. Tibetan homes are filled with joy and happiness. If you want to be a part of this festival, then you can visit Ladakh, Kinnaur, Spiti, Darjeeling, Himachal Pradesh (a known festival of Himachal), or Sikkim and be a part of this 15-day grand celebration. The first three days of this 15-day event are very important.
On the first day, a special beer-based beverage- “Changkoi” is made and distributed amongst the group of people celebrating the festival. On the second day, people visit monasteries and present gifts to the monks of monasteries, along with bursting firecrackers. On the third day, people celebrate by presenting gifts to each other and feasting on Kapse (traditionally prepared cake) and Chaang (traditionally prepared local alcoholic drink).
7. Bohag Bihu
Bohag Bihu is a festival of abundance and joy, celebrated in Assam. This festival is celebrated for 7 days and every day is celebrated differently (in fact, each is termed differently!). The origination of this festival dates back to 3500 BC when an agrarian tribe living in the northeastern region made sacrifices in order to get a better harvest. During this 7 days celebration, young women and men dance to the tunes of traditional music played on traditional instruments like taal, gogona, toka, dhol, and pepa.
