Festival Calendar
Festivals in Odisha
16 festivals across Odisha — organized by month
January
Adivasi Mela
Bhubaneswar
16-day tribal fair showcasing 62 Odisha tribes. Tribal art, dance, craft, food stalls. One of India's largest tribal cultural exhibitions.
Chilika Bird Festival
Chilika Lake
Annual festival celebrating migratory bird arrivals. Boat tours, birding workshops, photography exhibitions, cultural programs.
February
Olive Ridley Turtle Festival
Bhitarkanika
Conservation festival during peak turtle nesting at Gahirmatha. Awareness programs, guided nesting viewing, conservation education.
March
Parab Tribal Festival
Koraput
Dongria Kondh harvest celebration in Niyamgiri Hills. Traditional dance, music, community feasting. Sacred Niyam Raja worship.
Dhauli Shanti Utsav
Bhubaneswar
Peace festival at the Kalinga War site. Classical dance performances at Dhauli Peace Pagoda. Celebrates Ashoka's transformation.
April
Chaiti Ghoda
Daringbadi
Spring horse dance festival of Kandhamal tribals. Performers wear bamboo horse frames, dance to drum rhythms. Ancient martial tradition.
Chaitra Parva Chhau Festival
Baripada
Biggest annual Chhau dance festival. Hundreds of performers in Mayurbhanj style (no masks). Fire performances, martial arts choreography.
Simlipal Flower Festival
Simlipal
Festival celebrating the blooming of 96 endemic orchid species. Nature walks, tribal cultural programs.
June
Sital Sasthi
Sambalpur
Grand chariot procession celebrating the marriage of Shiva and Parvati. Sambalpur signature festival with elaborate decorations.
Snana Yatra
Puri
Ritual bathing ceremony of Jagannath deities. After this, deities go into 15-day seclusion (Anasara) before Rath Yatra — believed to fall ill from the bath.
July
Rath Yatra
Puri
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.
Bahuda Yatra
Puri
Return journey of the chariots from Gundicha Temple back to Jagannath Temple. Equally spectacular procession.
October
Durga Puja (Cuttack Silver Edition)
Cuttack
Cuttack Durga Puja famous for silver filigree pandal decorations — unique to this city. Thousands of Tarakasi artisans create pandals with silver.
November
Bali Jatra
Cuttack
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.
December
Raghurajpur Art Festival
Raghurajpur
Village-wide art exhibition and live demonstrations. Pattachitra, palm leaf engraving, stone carving showcased. Award-winning heritage village opens all workshops.
Konark Dance Festival
Konark
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.