Cuttack · Odisha
Asia's largest open-air trade fair. Celebrates ancient maritime links between Odisha and Southeast Asia (Bali, Java, Sumatra). Boat races, cultural programs, mega fair.
November (Kartik Purnima)
Bundi · Rajasthan
Cultural festival in the lanes of Bundi with processions, fireworks, turban-tying, traditional music, and tours of the town's famous stepwells and murals.
November (varies)
Athirapally Falls · Kerala
River conservation festival celebrating the Chalakudy River ecosystem. Nature walks, documentary screenings, river cleanup, and community events. Emphasizes the campaign to protect Athirapally from hydroelectric projects.
November (2 days)
Chandigarh · Chandigarh
Three-day city carnival with float parades down Sector 17, open-air concerts at Rock Garden, food stalls, and cultural performances at Sukhna Lake.
November (varies)
Shillong · Meghalaya
India's only cherry blossom festival — Shillong's streets turn pink as Prunus cerasoides bloom. Live music, photography walks, food stalls, and a Japan-like aesthetic in the hills.
Mid-November
Patna · Bihar
Bihar biggest festival — 4-day sun worship on Ganga ghats. Standing in water at dawn offering arghya to rising sun. Massive and ancient.
November (Kartik Shukla)
Netarhat · Jharkhand
Tribal Chhath celebrations at Jharkhand hill station. Combines Bihar tradition with Jharkhand tribal elements.
November
Darjeeling · West Bengal
Week-long festival showcasing Darjeeling's world-famous tea culture, local cuisine, music, and adventure tourism with tea garden visits.
Late November – early December
Ayodhya · Uttar Pradesh
Millions of diyas lit along Saryu river. Ram Leela performances. India's biggest Diwali event.
November (eve of Diwali)
Varanasi · Uttar Pradesh
A million diyas light up all 84 ghats along the Ganga. Priests perform grand aarti. The entire riverfront becomes a cascade of fire.
Nov full moon (15 days after Diwali)
Dudhwa National Park · Uttar Pradesh
Festival showcasing the indigenous Tharu tribal culture with traditional dances, handloom exhibitions, and guided safaris to spot the endangered swamp deer (barasingha).
November (varies)
Guruvayur · Kerala
The most important festival at Guruvayur Krishna Temple. Elephant processions, all-night singing, thousands of oil lamps. Lakhs of devotees. The temple courtyard becomes a sea of devotional energy.
November-December (11th day of waning moon)
Hampi · Karnataka
Cultural festival recreating the grandeur of the Vijayanagara empire. Puppet shows, classical dance, music concerts, fireworks against the boulder landscape.
First week of November (3 days)
Bengaluru · Karnataka
Massive groundnut fair at Bull Temple Road. Farmers offer the first harvest of groundnuts to Nandi. Heaps of fresh groundnuts sold. Street food carnival.
Late November (1 day, full moon)
Kolkata · West Bengal
Festival dedicated to the fierce goddess Kali, celebrated especially in Kolkata's cremation grounds where she is believed to dwell. The Kalighat Temple and Dakshineswar Kali Temple (associated with Sri Ramakrishna) are major centres of worship. Rituals at midnight, hymn singing, and offerings mark the celebration. Kali Puja coincides with Diwali night in Hindu tradition.
November (new moon day of Kartika month; 2026: November 8)
Tiruvannamalai · Tamil Nadu
The Festival of Lamps at Arunachaleswarar Temple. The ten-day Karthigai Brahmotsavam culminates with the Bharani Deepam (sacred lamp) lit at the temple, followed by the Mahadeepam (Great Lamp) ignited atop Annamalai Hill. Lakhs of devotees gather for the final night, witnessing the giant beacon signifying Shiva's manifestation as the element of fire.
November-December (10-day Brahmotsavam; Maha Deepam on final day)
Ananthagiri Hills · Telangana
Annual fair held for 11 days including Karthika Pournami (full moon in Karthika month). Marks sacred observance at Anantha Padmanabha Swamy temple with rituals and pilgrim gatherings.
November–December (lunar calendar)
Omkareshwar · Madhya Pradesh
Ten-day festival at Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga celebrated at the end of Chaturmas. A major fair is organized where devotees take holy dips in the Narmada River and offer prayers to Lord Shiva, making it a spiritually enriching experience for thousands of pilgrims.
November (full moon in Kartik month)
Bhimashankar · Maharashtra
A significant Shiva festival celebrated at the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple, commemorating the slaying of the demon Tripurasura by Lord Shiva. Celebrated on the full moon of the Kartik month with special rituals, prayers, and illuminations.
November (full moon day in Kartik month)
Somnath · Gujarat
Grand celebrations at the first of 12 Jyotirlingas. Special puja during Kartik Purnima. Light festival on the coast.
November (full moon)
Dharmasthala · Karnataka
Festival of a lakh (100,000) lamps lit around the Dharmasthala temple complex. Cultural programs, mass feeding of pilgrims (Annadaana).
November (5 days)
Lunglei · Mizoram
A three-day music and cultural festival held in Lunglei celebrating Mizo art, culture, and music. Features the Leitlangpui Band Contest, Hathkargha Mela State Handloom Expo, traditional musical and cultural performances, and opportunities to experience local entrepreneurship and tourism promotion.
November 13-15
Mount Girnar · Gujarat
A sacred pilgrimage circumambulating Mount Girnar during the Hindu month of Kartik. The green parikrama (pradakshina) is approximately 36 km through dense forest, starting from Bhavnath temple. Around 1 lakh pilgrims participate, walking over 4 days, honoring Girnar as a sacred peak for both Hindu and Jain faiths.
Kartik Sud Agyaras to Kartik Sud Poonam
Lucknow · Uttar Pradesh
Ten-day cultural extravaganza showcasing Awadhi heritage with kathak performances, qawwali nights, chikan embroidery exhibitions, and the famous Lucknow food festival.
November 25 - December 5 (varies)
Ravangla · Sikkim
Annual masked dance performance at nearby Ralang Monastery celebrating the deity Mahakala. Part of Tibetan Buddhist festival traditions.
November
Sabarimala · Kerala
The major 41-day pilgrimage season at Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple begins in early November (Vrishchikam Malayalam month) and culminates in mid-January (Makarasankranthi). The Mandala Pooja marks the midpoint, while Makaravilakku (lighting of the sacred lamp at nearby Ponnambalamedu) signals the season's end. Hundreds of thousands of devotees undertake this sacred pilgrimage.
November–January; Makaravilakku (Makarajyothi lighting) ~January 14
Manikaran · Himachal Pradesh
Grand celebrations at Manikaran Sahib Gurudwara where food is cooked in natural hot springs, with special kirtan and langar serving thousands of pilgrims.
November (Kartik Purnima)
Alwar · Rajasthan
Cultural festival at Alwar's Siliserh Lake and city palace featuring folk performances, handicraft exhibitions, and boat rides celebrating the Matsya kingdom heritage.
November (varies)
Pachmarhi · Madhya Pradesh
Festival celebrated in Pachmarhi dedicated to the worship of Nag Devata (serpent deity). Attracts thousands of tourists from Nagpur and Maharashtra who visit the fair to worship the serpent deity. Historically held during Nag Panchami (July-August), the festival timing has shifted to November in recent years.
November
Pawapuri · Bihar
An annual Jain pilgrimage celebration commemorating Lord Mahavira's attainment of Nirvana at Pawapuri on the night of Diwali. Devotees gather to participate in religious ceremonies and rituals at the Jal Mandir (water temple), including the offering of a 151-kilogram blessed laddu to Lord Mahavira and its distribution among thousands of pilgrims.
October-November (Kartik Amavasya, Diwali)
Shillong · Meghalaya
The most important Khasi festival — men in feathered headdresses and swords, women draped in gold silk, goat sacrifice, and five days of thanksgiving to the goddess Ka Blei Synshar.
November (5 days)
Jampui Hills · Tripura
An annual celebration held at Jampui Hills to honor the successful orange harvest. Features orange picking, cultural performances by local communities, traditional food stalls, grand fair with handicraft exhibitions (Tibetan crafts, handlooms), tea and coffee sales, and arrangement of oranges in sculptural patterns depicting wildlife and Indian monuments. Also offers adventure sports including paragliding, trekking, cycling, and zip-lining.
November
Pushkar · Rajasthan
50,000+ camels traded. Mustache competitions, longest turban contests, hot air balloons over the desert.
Late Oct / Nov (5 days around Kartik Purnima)
Majuli · Assam
A grand theatrical celebration held across 65+ satras of Majuli, showcasing Raas Leela performances that depict Lord Krishna's divine life through Bhaonas (religious plays). Dancers, musicians, and actors from the satras perform with traditional instruments, masks, and artistic costumes, attracting hundreds of thousands of devotees and visitors who are hosted by local families during the 4-5 day festival.
November (Kartik Purnima)
Rudraprayag · Uttarakhand
Fair at the Rudranath and Chamunda Devi temples at the confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers, with oil lamp floats on the river and Garhwali folk performances.
November (Kartik Purnima)
Imphal · Manipur
Manipur's biggest tourism and cultural showcase — named after the endangered Sangai deer of Loktak Lake. Traditional dance, indigenous sports, handloom exhibitions, and local cuisine.
Nov 21-30
Sarnath · Uttar Pradesh
The archaeological site hosts a light-and-sound show narrating the story of Buddha's first sermon, drawing large audiences during the tourist season.
November–February
Palitana · Gujarat
Jain pilgrimage festival at Shatrunjaya Hill (863 temples). Mass pilgrimage with special ceremonies.
November
Kannur · Kerala
Kerala's most electrifying ritual art. Performers transform into deities with elaborate costumes, face paint, and towering headgear. Enter trance states and perform superhuman feats. Hundreds of different Theyyam forms across North Kerala temples.
November to May (6 months)
Tura · Meghalaya
100 drums played simultaneously as the Garo tribe celebrates the post-harvest season. Horn-blowing, mass tribal dance, and a rhythm that shakes the hills.
Second week of November