Festival Calendar
Festivals in July
21 festivals happening across India in July
Aadi Festival at the Falls
The Tamil month of Aadi sees thousands of families bathing under Courtallam's waterfalls for therapeutic benefits. The water is believed to have peak medicinal properties during this month when rainfall is heaviest.
Amarnath Yatra Start
The annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath ice Shiva lingam at 3,888m begins from Pahalgam via the traditional Chandanwari route, with lakhs of pilgrims passing through.
Bahuda Yatra
Return journey of the chariots from Gundicha Temple back to Jagannath Temple. Equally spectacular procession.
Bastille Day
French flag ceremony, parades on Promenade, French-Tamil cultural events.
Bastille Day Celebration
Pondicherry celebrates French Independence Day with a parade on the Promenade, French tricolor flags on colonial buildings, cultural events, and French cuisine specials. The only Indian city that celebrates Bastille Day.
Bonalu
Electrifying goddess festival with colorful processions, pot-carrying devotees, and ecstatic celebrations in Old City neighborhoods.
Chamba Minjar Fair
Week-long royal festival where silk threads (minjar) symbolizing corn silk are offered to the Ravi River, with processions from Akhand Chandi Palace led by the deity Raghuvir.
Godavari Pushkaralu
12-yearly sacred river festival when Jupiter enters Simha Rashi. Millions bathe in the Godavari for spiritual cleansing.
Harela Festival
Agricultural festival where saplings are planted and small herb gardens are sown 10 days before; on Harela day, green shoots are placed behind ears and on caps.
Jageshwar Monsoon Mela
Month-long fair at the 9th-century Jageshwar Dham temple complex of 124 Shiva temples in a deodar forest, with special Shravan Monday worship.
Kanwar Yatra
Millions of Shiva devotees (Kanwariyas) carry holy Ganga water from Haridwar to their local Shiva temples, one of the largest annual pilgrimages in the world.
Kargil Vijay Diwas
National commemoration at the Kargil War Memorial in Drass of India's 1999 victory, with military ceremonies, wreath-laying, and veteran tributes at -60°C winter-famous Drass.
Karsha Gustor
Two-day monastic festival at Karsha Gompa, Zanskar's largest monastery, with Cham dances, oracle prophecies, and ritual burning of evil effigies.
Kharchi Puja
Tripura biggest festival — 7-day worship of 14 deities. Royal temple rituals. Tribal and Hindu traditions merge.
Korzok Gustor
Monastic festival at Korzok Gompa on the shores of Tso Moriri at 4,595m, with Cham dances by monks and Changpa nomads gathering from surrounding camps.
Lucknow Muharram Processions
Grand taziya processions through the old city from Bara Imambara and Chhota Imambara, with elaborate replicas of Imam Hussain's tomb carried by thousands.
Pandharpur Wari
Hundreds of thousands walk 250km from Pune to Pandharpur carrying saints' palanquins. One of India's longest walking pilgrimages.
Pangong Nomad Festival
Celebration of Changpa nomadic culture near Pangong Tso with pashmina goat herding demonstrations, butter tea ceremonies, and traditional Changpa tent exhibits.
Rath Yatra
World's largest chariot festival. Three 45-foot wooden chariots carrying Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra pulled by 1M+ devotees from Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple.
Shravani Mela
One of India largest Shiva pilgrimages. Millions of Kanwariyas carry Ganga water from Sultanganj to Deoghar Baidyanath.
Yusmarg Shepherd Festival
Gujjar and Bakerwal shepherd festival in the Meadow of Jesus with traditional milk product competitions, horse races, and nomadic culture showcases.