Festivals of India: Colorful Celebrations You Must Experience

In India, every season, region, and belief brings its own joy and excitement. Across the country, people unite during festivals, celebrating with music, vibrant colors, lights, delicious food, and deep-rooted traditions. Whether you're seeking spiritual connection, cultural insight, or simply a unique experience, joining in on an Indian festival is something you'll never forget. 

All you have to do to enjoy these traditions is to get an India visa and be willing to explore. There are many types of India travel visas, so you can make your trip and be in India for its biggest festivals. While you’re there, you’ll experience, hear, and taste parts of Indian festivals that will stay with you and make for amazing stories you won’t forget. 

Experience the Soul of India through Its Most Vibrant and Joyful Festivals 

1. Holi – Festival of Colors 

Holi is a well-known Indian festival, marked by people showering each other with color, singing, and laughing together. Many gather outside to play with colored powder, spray water, dance to the beats of drums, and eat sweet treats. In India, Holi is celebrated to mark the start of spring and to show that good has overcome evil. Many people travel from all over the world to see the exciting Holi festivities in cities like Mathura and Vrindavan. 

2. Diwali – Festival of Lights 

As part of the holiday, people use lamps to symbolize overcoming the darkness and sadness in their lives. When Diwali is celebrated, houses are filled with light from oil lamps and candles, the sky fills with fireworks, and people enjoy sweet dishes with their loved ones. People are given an opportunity to start over and strengthen their faith through it. Diwali is celebrated all over India, but if you are looking for an extra special experience, go to Varanasi, Jaipur, or Amritsar. 

3. Durga Puja – Spirit of the Goddess 

Durga Puja is the largest celebration in Kolkata and West Bengal, with the city adorned with colorful statues and pandals. The event sees the streets taken over by music, dance, art, and local cuisine for nine days. The celebrations happen to show Durga Goddess winning over the demon Mahishasura. It combines spirituality and art, allowing us to understand Bengal’s cultural past. 

4. Ganesh Chaturthi – Welcoming Ganesha 

It is a festival where followers of Hinduism worship Lord Ganesha, who is known as the god of wisdom and prosperity. There are large Ganesha statues put up in homes and public areas in cities like Mumbai and Pune, where people pray, give sweets, and sing songs. At the end of the 10-day celebration, a big procession takes place and the idols are immersed in rivers or the sea as a sign that Ganesha returns to his home in heaven. 

5. Navratri & Dussehra – Dance and Devotion 

In Gujarat, people spend the nine nights of Navratri dancing and singing, especially by performing Garba and Dandiya Raas. Every evening, they pay respect to a different aspect of Goddess Durga. The event is wrapped up by Dussehra, which celebrates Lord Rama’s winning over Ravana. Burning Ravana figures is a key part of the festival in places like Mysore and Delhi, making it a memorable and theatrical way to celebrate good over evil. 

6. Eid – A Festival of Unity 

Eid is an occasion that takes place twice a year, and people join to be thankful, spend time with their families and friends, and celebrate. Attending a mosque, people participate in group worship, share food, and lend a helping hand to anyone who needs it. Visiting Hyderabad, Delhi, or Lucknow, you’ll find bustling markets, colorful scenes, and people enjoying each other’s company. Taking the time to be friendly and work well with others is especially important during this period. 

7. Pongal & Makar Sankranti – Harvest Festivities 

Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Makar Sankranti in other parts of India are celebrations that happen at the start of the harvest season and the end of the cold winter. Celebrations often involve making favorite foods such as Pongal rice, flying kites, and lighting up bonfires. It’s a happy time when people express their gratitude to the sun and nature for giving them lots of food and other good things. The festive mood is especially strong in rural areas, where people still keep alive old traditions and celebrate them with a lot of care. 

8. Onam – Kerala’s Grand Festival 

Onam is the biggest festival in Kerala and is all about remembering a legendary king who was said to come back for a visit. It’s marked by making beautiful flower arrangements, dancing, boat races, and a big meal where only vegetarian food is served. The highlight is the Vallam Kali (snake boat race) because so many people come to watch. Onam shows off Kerala’s strong traditions and brings people together, making it a really special and meaningful festival in South India. 

9. Christmas – Indian Style Celebrations