Skip to content
Naksh.iq

FESTIVALS · TAMIL NADU · MAY

Tamil Nadu festivals in May.

7 festivals this month — dates, locations, and travel tips.

Coonoor Fruit Show (Nilgiris Summer Festival)

Coonoor

Annual fruit exhibition at Sim's Park, Coonoor featuring colourful display of fruits sourced from across India, artistically arranged. Part of the broader Nilgiris Summer Festival celebrated across Ooty, Coonoor, Kotagiri, and Gudalur in May.

May (typically May 24-26; as part of Nilgiris Summer Festival)

Kodai Vizha (Summer Festival and Flower Show)

Kodaikanal

Major annual summer festival hosted by Tamil Nadu Tourism Department at Kodaikanal hill station. Features elaborate flower structures planted with over 2.5 lakh seedlings, vegetable carvings, boat races on Kodai Lake, dog shows, and cultural folk dances at Bryant Park.

May (mid-to-late May; annual 10-day festival)

Ooty Flower Show

Ooty (Udagamandalam)

Annual flower show at the Botanical Gardens featuring rare Nilgiri species, orchid displays, and competitive arrangements. 100,000+ visitors. Coincides with the Ooty summer festival.

May (3 days)

Samayapuram Mariamman Brahmotsavam

Trichy (Tiruchirappalli)

Annual Brahmotsavam celebrated at Samayapuram Mariamman Temple, located 17 km from Trichy. Thousands of devotees from various castes and communities gather to worship Goddess Mariamman during this major festival celebrating her divine power and blessings.

May-June (Tamil month Vaikasi)

Summer Festival

Yercaud

Annual celebration held during mid-May coinciding with the festival of Lord Servarayan (Shevaroy), the presiding deity of the Shevaroy Hills. Features a 7-day exhibition including spectacular Flower Shows with thousands of potted flowering plants, dog shows, boating races, and village fairs. Traditional performances include Karakattam (an ancient Tamil folk dance) and Naiyandi Melam (percussion performances).

May (7-day festival)

Vaikasi Brahmotsavam (Garuda Sevai)

Kanchipuram

Annual 10-day Brahmotsavam festival at Varadaraja Perumal Temple, with the spectacular Garuda Sevai procession on the third day where the deity is carried on the golden Garuda vahanam. The seventh day features the chariot (ther) festival through the streets of Kanchipuram.

May (Vaikasi month, typically mid-to-late May)

Vaikasi Vishakham / Brahmotsavam

Tiruparankundram

Fourteen-day Brahmotsavam celebrated during Vaikasi Vishakham, commemorating Lord Murugan's birth star (Vishakha nakshatra). The festival culminates in the Car Festival, a grand procession displaying the deity on elaborate mounts. Murugan is celebrated as the presiding power during this period.

May-June (14-day festival, Tamil month Vaikasi)

ALSO ON NAKSHIQ

Eight more rooms in the magazine.

Guides

Visa, scams, food, packing.

Everything the guidebook won't tell you — written for India in 2026.

Blog

Field notes from the road.

Long-form reads on regions, festivals, and the offbeat circuit.

Road trips

Curated multi-day routes.

Driving itineraries with day-by-day stops, distance, and difficulty.

Collections

Themed reading lists.

Wettest places. Sacred lakes. Solo-female-safe. Curated cuts.

NakshIQ 100

The 100 best destination-months.

India's highest-scoring places, ranked across all 12 months.

The Window

Our weekly newsletter, archived.

One honest spread, every Sunday. The full back catalogue.

Skip list

What we'd skip — and what we'd do instead.

Overhyped places with honest alternatives.

First trip

Planning your first time in India.

Safety, scams, what to wear, food survival, solo female travel.