Festivals in the city

Vacations are a celebration of the season and so are most of our festivals. Plan your trip to coincide with the year's many special occasions

January

Basant Panchami

This colourful spring festival is when you'll find everyone dressed in yellow to welcome spring. Saraswati, the goddess of learning, is honoured during this time and if you're invited to someone's house, you'll find that books, musical instruments and other objects related to art and learning are placed at the feet of the Goddess to receive Her blessings. January is the only month that the Mughal Garden, behind Rashtrapati Bhavan, is open to the public. Don't miss the masses of roses if you're in town.

February-March

Shivratri

During this month, one day of fasting is devoted to Lord Shiva. Mantras are chanted and Shiva lingams are anointed and then carried in a procession to the temple.

Holi

Marking the end of winter, Holi is possibly one of the most boisterous of Hindu festivals. Unless you have disposable clothes, stay indoors. People gather on the streets and douse each other in colour. There is general merry-making in the streets and things can get rough. The night before Holi, bonfires go off all over the city to symbolize the destruction of evil.

March-April

Ramnavami

This festival is a celebration of the birth of Lord Rama. This is a good time to catch local theatre as many playgroups enact interesting versions of the Ramayana.

April-May

Baisakhi

A Sikh festival celebrated to honour Guru Gobind Singh who created the Khalsa or the Sikh brotherhood. Punjabis are a joyous, fun-loving people. During Baisakhi, besides the reading of the Granth Sahib (the holy book) at gurudwaras (Sikh temples), there's much feasting and dancing.

July-August

International Mango Festival

One of the most delicious festivals in Delhi is the Mango Festival at the Talkatora stadium. Expect hundreds of varieties of mangoes and sticky fingers.

Naag Panchami

The snake festival is held to celebrate the slithery creature on whose scaly back Lord Vishnu took a break between universes. People offer food and drink to snakes during this time.

Raksha Bandhan (Narial Purnima)

Raksha Bandan is a festival for siblings. Sisters will tie a rakhi (a thread that's been offered up for blessings) on the wrist of their brothers on a full moon day. This is to protect them from harm and bestow good luck in the coming year. In return for these good wishes, brothers give their sisters gifts. It is also a time when a select few worship the lord of the oceans, Varuna.

August-September

Janmashtami

Lord Krishna's birthday is celebrated the way he is said to have lived his life... with a lot of fun and a little bit of naughtiness. Good places to catch full-scale celebrations are at Lakshminarayana temples.

September-October

Ram Lila (Dussehra)

Dussehra is a very popular weeklong festival celebrating the goddess Durga’s victory over the buffalo-headed demon Mahisasura. You are likely to see people lighting up effigies of the demon king Ravana and his accomplices, in a triumph of good over evil. Also called Ram Lila (life story of Ram) you can catch a theatrical recreation of the Ramayana at the Ram Lila Grounds near Turkman Gate.

October-November

Phulwalon Ki Sair (Procession of the flower sellers)

During the time of the Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah, flower sellers of Mehrauli honoured the emperor with fans that were adorned with flowers. Also called the Pankha (fan) festival it is extremely colourful and smells divine.

Diwali (Deepawali)

The noisiest and most joyous of all festivals, Diwali is eagerly awaited by children because it is a time for firecrackers. In many homes, oil lamps are lit at night to so Lord Rama will find his way home after his 12 years in exile. The festival lasts five days. Day one begins with cleaning of the house and decorating the steps with Rangoli (chalk-design). Day two is dedicated to Krishna's victory over the tyrant Narakasura. South Indians wear new clothes on this day. Day three is spent worshipping Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune. For business establishments, this marks the start of the new financial year. Day four commemorates the visit of friendly demon Bali, whom Vishnu put in place. On the fifth day men visit their sisters to have a tilak put on their forehead. Diwali has also become 'festival of sweets' and families present each other with various rich Indian sweets. Jains celebrate Diwali as their New Year's day.