Festival Calendar
Festivals in September
17 festivals happening across India in September
Alleppey Houseboat Onam
Onam celebrations on houseboats — special Onasadya (feast of 26+ dishes on banana leaf) served aboard kettuvallam. Decorated boats, Thiruvathira dance on deck.
Aranmula Boat Race
The oldest boat race in Kerala, predating Nehru Trophy. Snake boats race on the Pamba River near Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple. More ritualistic and spiritual than the Nehru Trophy. Boats are never painted.
Champawat Nanda Devi Fair
Fair at the Baleshwar Temple complex and Nanda Devi Temple in Champawat — the ancient capital of the Chand dynasty — with Chholia war dance and folk processions.
Chitkul Pahari Fair
Post-harvest celebration in India's last inhabited village on the Indo-Tibet border, with Kinnauri dances, archery, and offerings at the Mathi temple.
Ganesh Chaturthi at Trinetra Ganesh Temple
Thousands visit the 1,000-year-old Trinetra Ganesh Temple inside Ranthambore Fort, believed to be the only temple where Ganesh is shown with his entire family.
Kaas Plateau Wildflower Bloom
UNESCO-listed plateau erupts with hundreds of wildflower species. Daily visitors capped. Online permits required.
Ladakh Festival
Polo matches, archery, traditional music, masked dances. Cultural performances at multiple monasteries.
Mata Murti Ka Mela
Annual fair honouring Mata Murti, mother of Nar and Narayan, held on the banks of the Alaknanda River with rituals and local festivities.
Nako Lake Festival
Festival at the sacred Nako Lake in Spiti with Buddhist prayer ceremonies at the 11th-century Nako Monastery, folk dances, and boating on the high-altitude lake.
Nanda Ashtami Trek Gathering
Trekkers and pilgrims gather at Bedni Bugyal (en route to Roopkund) for Nanda Ashtami prayers at the high-altitude meadow shrine.
Nanda Devi Mahotsav
Grand procession carrying the idol of Nanda Devi through Nainital's Mall Road with folk music, Chholia dance, and decorated floats.
Nanda Devi Mela
A vibrant fair dedicated to Goddess Nanda Devi with colourful processions, folk music, and traditional Kumaoni dance.
Neelakurinji Bloom
The Neelakurinji flower (Strobilanthes kunthiana) blooms once every 12 years, covering entire hillsides in blue-purple. The last bloom was 2018, next expected around 2030. When it happens, it is one of nature's greatest spectacles.
Nubra Valley Festival
Cultural festival showcasing the Balti and Nubra heritage with yak polo, double-humped Bactrian camel rides at Hunder dunes, and traditional music.
Phulech Festival
Kinnauri flower festival where locals collect alpine wildflowers from high meadows and decorate homes, temples, and deity palanquins to welcome autumn.
Urs of Sheikh Salim Chishti
Annual Sufi death anniversary at the dargah of Salim Chishti with qawwali sessions, prayers, and thousands of pilgrims seeking blessings.
Ziro Music Festival
India's coolest indie music festival set in the Apatani tribal valley. Camping under stars, craft beer, independent artists from across Asia. Intimate crowd, no corporate sponsors.