Coimbatore · Tamil Nadu
Main annual festival at Perur Patteeswarar Temple (Shiva temple in Coimbatore). The temple is known as 'Melai Chidambaram' or Chidambaram of the West, and this festival celebrates an important aspect of Lord Shiva.
December/January (Margazhi month)
Kukke Subramanya · Karnataka
Major festival at Kukke Subramanya temple dedicated to Lord Subramanya (serpent deity). Champa Shashti celebrates the temple's primary festival observance, honoring both the deity and the serpent mythology central to this sacred site.
December (Shasti tithi in Margashirsha month)
Chettinad · Tamil Nadu
Heritage walks through Chettinad mansions, Athangudi tile workshops, cooking demonstrations of Chettinad cuisine, and cultural performances. Organized by heritage hotels and Tamil Nadu Tourism.
December (2 days)
Medak · Telangana
Grand Christmas celebrations at one of Asia largest churches. Midnight mass with thousands. Stained glass windows illuminated.
December 24-25
Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram) · Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Multi-faith Christmas. Church services, Marina Park carnival, community feasts, cultural shows.
December 25-31
Kochi (Fort Kochi) · Kerala
Fort Kochi's Christmas-New Year festival. Beach sports, music, food stalls, art exhibitions, and the famous burning of Pappanji (old year effigy) on New Year's Eve. Colonial-era tradition.
December 25 - January 1 (week-long)
Adilabad · Telangana
Gond tribal dance festival. Dancers wear elaborate grass and feather costumes, perform rhythmic dances around bonfires.
December/January
Old Goa · Goa
Annual feast at Basilica of Bom Jesus honoring St Francis Xavier. Once every 10 years, the saint's body is displayed (last 2014). The December 3 feast draws hundreds of thousands.
December 3
Rann of Kutch · Gujarat
Guided moonlit walks on the white salt desert. The Great Rann glows white under moonlight — surreal experience.
Monthly (full moon nights, Nov-Feb)
Gir National Park · Gujarat
Wildlife festival at Gir celebrating the Asiatic lion. Nature walks, photography workshops, conservation education.
December
Kurukshetra · Haryana
Anniversary of when Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita. Week-long celebrations at Brahma Sarovar.
December (Ekadashi of Margashirsha)
Kohima · Nagaland
All 16 Naga tribes converge at Kisama Heritage Village for warrior dances, tribal food, traditional crafts, and Naga wrestling. The largest cultural showcase in Northeast India.
Dec 1-10
Mangalore · Karnataka
Traditional buffalo race in waterlogged paddy fields. Jockeys sprint behind pairs of buffaloes at incredible speed. Now has a professional circuit with prizes.
November-March (multiple events)
Karwar · Karnataka
Annual multi-day coastal cultural festival held at Rabindranath Tagore Beach in Karwar, celebrating the rich dance, music, culture, and natural heritage of the Karavali (coastal) region. Features performances by renowned artists, morning cultural programs, kite festivals, and various coastal celebrations.
December 22-28
Kochi (Fort Kochi) · Kerala
Asia's largest contemporary art exhibition. Fort Kochi transforms into an open-air gallery — warehouses, heritage buildings, and public spaces become art venues. International and Indian artists.
December to March (3 months)
Konark · Odisha
5-day classical dance festival held against the backdrop of the Sun Temple. Leading Odissi and other classical dancers perform at the open-air auditorium.
December 1-5 (annual)
Kovalam · Kerala
Beach-side literary festival featuring Indian and international authors, discussions, music, and culture. Held at the beachfront hotels. Intimate compared to Jaipur Lit Fest.
December (3 days)
Kumbhalgarh · Rajasthan
Three-day cultural festival held at Kumbhalgarh Fort organized by Rajasthan Tourism Department. Features folk music and dance (Sufi, Kalbelia, Bhavai, Chari, Ghoomar), sound-and-light show narrating fort history, traditional Rajasthani handicrafts markets (haats), and celebrations of Maharana Kumbha's legacy.
December 1–3
Nagarjuna Sagar · Andhra Pradesh
Three-day Buddhist cultural festival held at Nagarjuna Sagar Dam commemorating the significance of Buddhism in Andhra Pradesh (the state's dominant religion 2000 years ago). Features exhibitions of Buddhist art, local crafts, cultural shows, and spiritual activities celebrating the birthplace theme of Lord Buddha (Lumbini).
December (3 days, second Friday–Sunday)
Mandvi · Gujarat
A ten-day coastal cultural festival at Mandvi Beach with free entry, featuring nightly cultural musical performances with renowned artists on weekends. The festival includes adventure activities, beach sports, sand art, bonfire arrangements, live music, stargazing sessions, laser light shows, and traditional craft and food stalls against the Arabian Sea backdrop.
December (21st-31st)
Chennai · Tamil Nadu
The world's largest classical music festival. 3,000+ Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam performances across 50+ sabhas (auditoriums) in Chennai. Over a million attendees. Runs from mid-December to mid-January.
December 15 - January 15 (month-long)
Kavaratti · Lakshadweep
Water sports competitions, traditional boat races, marine conservation events.
December (dates vary)
Bodh Gaya · Bihar
International meditation retreats at monasteries around Mahabodhi Temple. Zen, Vipassana, Tibetan traditions all represented.
October-March
Mussoorie · Uttarakhand
Festival celebrating the rare Winterline phenomenon visible from Mussoorie where the horizon glows at sunset, with heritage walks, food festivals, and literary readings.
December (varies)
Tamenglong · Manipur
Annual state-level festival celebrating Tamenglong's position as Manipur's largest orange producer. The festival features over 300 orange growers and exhibitors competing for prizes, with the winning orange receiving Rs 2,00,000. Cultural activities include traditional dances, tug-of-war, indigenous wrestling, traditional fire-making show, and folk song presentations.
December (around mid-month)
Dambuk · Arunachal Pradesh
India's first adventure-and-music festival, held annually in Dambuk since 2015. ATV rides, river-rafting, zip-lining by day; rock, indie and DJ sets by night. Camp-style accommodation on festival grounds.
Mid-December (4 days, dates vary)
Osian · Rajasthan
Desert festival at the ancient Jain and Hindu temple town of Osian with camel safaris to sand dunes, temple tours, and folk music under the stars.
December (varies)
Pinjore Gardens · Haryana
Festival at the 17th-century Mughal-style Yadavindra Gardens with light-and-sound shows, classical dance performances, and garden heritage walks.
December (varies)
Mechuka · Arunachal Pradesh
Podi-Barbi is a harvest festival celebrated by the Ramo, Pai-Libo, and Bokar communities (Adi subtribes) of Mechuka, serving as thanksgiving to Mother Nature for agricultural abundance. The festival features traditional competitions (archery, wrestling, tug-of-war), the Yapung ceremony where rice beer is exchanged as a symbol of friendship and goodwill, and community feasting that strengthens social bonds.
December 5
Shantiniketan · West Bengal
Three-day fair (extended to six days from 2017 onwards) at Tagore's Visva-Bharati University, founded in 1894 to celebrate the establishment anniversary of Brahma Mandir temple. Features approximately 1,500 vendor stalls, live Bengali folk music (baul, kirtan, kobigan), local handicrafts, printed fabrics, and performances. Attracts ~10,000 tourists annually.
December (7th day of Poush month; typically Dec 21-24)
Raghurajpur · Odisha
Village-wide art exhibition and live demonstrations. Pattachitra, palm leaf engraving, stone carving showcased. Award-winning heritage village opens all workshops.
December (around Konark Festival)
Kutch (Bhuj) · Gujarat
4-month desert festival at the Great Rann of Kutch. White salt desert under full moon. Cultural performances, handicraft exhibitions, tent city accommodation.
November-February (full season)
Spice Plantations (Ponda) · Goa
The Shri Shantadurga Temple in Ponda, an 18th-century sanctuary dedicated to Goddess Durga, hosts an annual fair during December-January. The temple exhibits Indo-Portuguese architectural styles and is a major spiritual landmark in central Goa's Hindu heartland.
December-January (annual fair)
Bijapur (Vijayapura) · Karnataka
Massive religious fair at the Siddheshwara Temple. One of the largest jatres in North Karnataka. Ferris wheels, folk theatre, Lingayat devotional gatherings.
December (5 days)
Calangute-Baga · Goa
Asia's largest electronic dance music festival. International DJs, multiple stages, held in North Goa. Tickets sell out months ahead.
December (3 days)
Gwalior · Madhya Pradesh
Annual music festival held near the tomb of Tansen in Behat village, Gwalior, honoring the legendary musician Sangeet Shiromani Tansen. Features performances by world-class vocal and instrumental artists, awards ceremony with National Tansen Samman and Raja Mansingh Tomar Samman presentations on the opening day. Celebrates classical Indian music legacy.
December (typically mid-December, 4-day event)
Srirangam · Tamil Nadu
The most important day at Srirangam — the Paramapada Vasal (gateway to heaven) is opened. Devotees queue through the night. The 21-day Vaikunta Uthsavam festival surrounds it. Lakhs of visitors.
December (1 day — 11th day of Margazhi)
Trichy (Tiruchirappalli) · Tamil Nadu
Grand 21-day festival at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam. The festival is divided into two parts: Pagal Pathu (10 days before Ekadashi) and Ira Pathu (10 days after). On the main Ekadashi day, elaborate rituals commence at 3 AM. The deity is adorned with bejewelled armor and proceeds to the Swarga Vaasal (Gate to Vaikuntha), where the temple doors are ceremonially opened, followed by a procession to the 1000-Pillared Mandapam.
December-January (21-day festival)
Tirupati · Andhra Pradesh
Devotees believe the gates of Vaikuntha (heaven) open on this day. 100,000+ pilgrims queue for darshan through the special Vaikuntha Dwaram.
Late December / Early January
Bhadrachalam · Telangana
100,000+ pilgrims queue for darshan through the special Vaikuntha Dwaram entrance. Second only to Tirupati for this festival.
Late December
Varkala · Kerala
Pilgrimage to the Sivagiri Mutt of Sree Narayana Guru, Kerala's greatest social reformer. Thousands of followers march to the hilltop in white. Discussions on social reform, education, and equality.
December 30 - January 1
Visakhapatnam · Andhra Pradesh
Cultural festival with music, dance, art exhibitions, and food stalls on the beach. Celebrates Vizag diverse cultural heritage.
Late December (3 days)
Rani ki Vav (Patan) · Gujarat
Annual cultural festival organized by the Government of Gujarat to celebrate the grandeur of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Rani ki Vav stepwell in Patan. Features classical and folk dance performances including Garba, Raas, and Bharatanatyam. The stepwell is beautifully illuminated at night. Includes handicraft exhibitions highlighting Patan's famous Patola sarees, heritage walks, and traditional Gujarati food stalls.
December
Wayanad · Kerala
Celebration of Malabar and tribal cuisine. Bamboo rice dishes, wild honey tastings, tribal cooking demonstrations, spice garden tours, and cook-offs.
December (3 days)
Mount Abu · Rajasthan
Rajasthan's only hill station hosts a winter carnival with folk dances, boat races on Nakki Lake, fireworks, and cultural performances by tribal artists.
December 29-31