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FESTIVAL CALENDAR · UTTAR PRADESH · 020

Festivals in Uttar Pradesh.

20 festivals across Uttar Pradesh — organised by month.

January

Magh Mela

Prayagraj

Annual month-long religious fair at the Triveni Sangam (confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati) with ritual bathing, spiritual discourses, and tent city of saints.

February

Taj Mahotsav

Agra

Arts, crafts, music, and dance festival near the Taj Mahal. Artisans from across India showcase work.

Buddha Mahaparinirvana Day

Kushinagar

Pilgrims from across the Buddhist world gather at the Mahaparinirvana Temple housing the 6m reclining Buddha, with prayer ceremonies, lamp offerings, and meditation retreats.

March

Lathmar Holi

Vrindavan

Women from Barsana beat men from Nandgaon with sticks. The most chaotic, colorful Holi celebration in India.

Sravasti International Buddhist Festival

Sravasti

Buddhist gathering at Jetavana Monastery ruins where Buddha spent 24 rainy seasons, with meditation retreats, Dharma talks, and archaeological tours.

Maha Shivaratri

Varanasi

Kashi Vishwanath Temple sees a million devotees. Processions through the narrow galis. Night-long worship.

Holi (Festival of Colours)

Mathura

Holi celebrates the love between Krishna and Radha, central to Mathura and Braj region culture. The festival lasts a week, with Lathmar Holi at Barsana and Nandgaon featuring women playfully hitting men with sticks (symbolising Krishna's village pranks). Mathura's celebrations include colour throwing, bonfires (Holika Dahan), Dahi Handi (breaking pots of curd/butter), and Ras Leela dances depicting Krishna and Radha's love story.

April

Eid ul-Fitr at Buland Darwaza

Fatehpur Sikri

Special congregational prayers at the Jama Masjid near the Buland Darwaza, followed by community feasting and celebrations.

May

Buddha Purnima (Vesak)

Sarnath

Commemorates Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana at the very site where he gave his first sermon. Monks from across the world gather for prayers and meditation.

July

Lucknow Muharram Processions

Lucknow

Grand taziya processions through the old city from Bara Imambara and Chhota Imambara, with elaborate replicas of Imam Hussain's tomb carried by thousands.

August

Krishna Janmashtami (Birth of Krishna)

Mathura

Janmashtami celebrates Lord Krishna's birth in Mathura at midnight. Over 800,000 devotees gather annually for prayers, fasting, and Dahi Handi competitions where youth form human pyramids to break pots of curd and butter. Ras Leela performances, temple decorations, midnight aarti (worship ceremonies), and distribution of sweets mark the festival. Vrindavan celebrations extend for 16 days.

Janmashtami

Vrindavan

Krishna's birthday — temples decorated, midnight celebrations, dahi handi. Vrindavan and Mathura explode.

September

Urs of Sheikh Salim Chishti

Fatehpur Sikri

Annual Sufi death anniversary at the dargah of Salim Chishti with qawwali sessions, prayers, and thousands of pilgrims seeking blessings.

October

Prayagraj Rasa Leela

Prayagraj

Traditional Rasa Leela performances depicting Krishna's divine dance, staged at ghats along the Yamuna during the autumn full moon.

Chitrakoot Deepotsav

Chitrakoot

Thousands of oil lamps lit along the ghats of Mandakini River at Ram Ghat, recreating the scene of Lord Ram's return to Ayodhya as described in the Ramcharitmanas.

November

Dev Deepawali

Varanasi

A million diyas light up all 84 ghats along the Ganga. Priests perform grand aarti. The entire riverfront becomes a cascade of fire.

Deepotsav

Ayodhya

Millions of diyas lit along Saryu river. Ram Leela performances. India's biggest Diwali event.

Dudhwa Tharu Cultural Festival

Dudhwa National Park

Festival showcasing the indigenous Tharu tribal culture with traditional dances, handloom exhibitions, and guided safaris to spot the endangered swamp deer (barasingha).

Sarnath Light & Sound Show Season

Sarnath

The archaeological site hosts a light-and-sound show narrating the story of Buddha's first sermon, drawing large audiences during the tourist season.

Lucknow Festival

Lucknow

Ten-day cultural extravaganza showcasing Awadhi heritage with kathak performances, qawwali nights, chikan embroidery exhibitions, and the famous Lucknow food festival.

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