India Festivals Calendar
Plan your India trip around a festival — with the real 2027 dates.
Holi is on 23 March 2027 and Diwali on 29 October. Here are the major 2027 festival dates from the Government of India’s own holiday list, the longer festival windows that tourism boards publish, what each one is like for a visitor, and which trip fits it. Written by a travel company based in the Himalaya.
- 23 Mar Holi 2027
- 29 Oct Diwali 2027
- 1–10 Dec Hornbill, Nagaland
- Checked 9 Nov 2026
What are the main festival dates in India in 2027?
The Government of India’s 2027 holiday list puts Holi on Tuesday 23 March, Dussehra on Saturday 9 October and Diwali on Friday 29 October; Christmas is Saturday 25 December. Longer windows matter too: Haridwar’s Ardh Kumbh runs 14 January – 20 April 2027 and Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival is held 1–10 December every year. We plan the trip around the festival you choose.
Talk to a real person: our team in Himachal answers 9 am–9 pm IST (UTC+5:30), usually within 2 hours. Message us on WhatsApp +91 70874 88961 or email info@suzutravels.com.
India festival dates 2027, month by month
Dates are from the Government of India’s 2027 holiday list (DoPT, 16 July 2026). Islamic festival dates depend on the sighting of the moon and can move by a day; local festival programmes are announced by the organisers — confirm before you book flights.
| Month | Festival | 2027 date | What a visitor sees |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Makar Sankranti · Pongal · Magha Bihu | Thu 14 Jan · Fri 15 Jan | Harvest festivals; kites in Gujarat and Rajasthan, Pongal in Tamil Nadu. The first big bathing day of the Haridwar Kumbh (14 Jan). |
| January | Republic Day | Tue 26 Jan | The Republic Day parade in New Delhi. |
| February | Basant Panchami | Thu 11 Feb | The spring festival — yellow clothes, kites; a Kumbh bathing day in Haridwar. |
| March | Maha Shivratri | Sat 6 Mar | Night-long worship at Shiva temples; an Amrit Snan (main bathing day) of the Haridwar Kumbh. |
| March | Id-ul-Fitr | Wed 10 Mar | The end of Ramadan — prayers at big mosques such as Delhi’s Jama Masjid, sweets and family visits. Moon-dependent. |
| March | Holi (Holika Dahan the evening before) | Tue 23 Mar (bonfires Mon 22 Mar) | The festival of colours — longest in Braj (Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana): UP Tourism’s Rangotsav runs 16–30 March. |
| March–April | Good Friday · Easter | Fri 26 Mar · Sun 28 Mar | Church services in Goa, Kerala, Kolkata and the hill-station churches of Shimla. |
| April | Vaisakhi · Vishu · Bahag Bihu | Wed 14 Apr · Thu 15 Apr | New-year and harvest festivals — Vaisakhi is a major day at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Also an Amrit Snan of the Haridwar Kumbh (14 Apr). |
| April | Ram Navami · Mahavir Jayanti | Thu 15 Apr · Mon 19 Apr | Hindu and Jain temple festivals. |
| May | Buddha Purnima | Thu 20 May | Buddha’s birthday — at Sarnath near Varanasi, Bodh Gaya, and the Tibetan monasteries of Dharamshala and Ladakh. |
| May–June | Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) · Muharram | Mon 17 May · Wed 16 Jun | Islamic festivals; moon-dependent. |
| July | Rath Yatra | Mon 5 Jul | The chariot festival of Puri (Odisha). |
| August | Independence Day · Raksha Bandhan · Janmashtami | Sun 15 Aug · Tue 17 Aug · Wed 25 Aug | Flags and kites on 15 August; Krishna’s birthday celebrated at midnight in Mathura and Vrindavan. Monsoon season in most of India. The Nashik Simhastha has Amrut Snan days on 2 and 31 August. |
| September | Ganesh Chaturthi · Onam | Sat 4 Sep · Sun 12 Sep | Ganesh festival, biggest in Mumbai and Maharashtra; Onam, Kerala’s harvest festival. Last Nashik Amrut Snan 11 Sep. |
| October | Navratri / Durga Puja days · Dussehra | Wed 6 – Fri 8 Oct · Sat 9 Oct | Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata; Ramlila plays and effigy burning across the north on Dussehra. |
| October | Diwali (with Naraka Chaturdasi, Govardhan Puja, Bhai Duj) | Fri 29 Oct (28–31 Oct) | The festival of lights — oil lamps, sweets and fireworks; Jaipur and Varanasi are lit up. A family festival: shops and offices close. |
| November | Chhath Puja · Guru Nanak’s Birthday | Thu 4 Nov · Sun 14 Nov | Chhath on the riverbanks of Bihar and Varanasi; Guru Nanak’s birthday at the Golden Temple. Dev Deepawali in Varanasi falls on the same Kartik full moon — confirm the 2027 date locally. |
| Oct–Nov | Pushkar Camel Fair | October–November (2027 dates not yet published) | Decorated camels, camel parades and folk performances in Pushkar, Rajasthan. |
| December | Hornbill Festival · Christmas | 1–10 Dec (every year) · Sat 25 Dec | Naga tribal culture at Kisama, about 12 km (7 mi) from Kohima; Christmas in Goa, Kerala and Shimla. |
Gazetted holidays close central government offices; restricted holidays are optional days off. Dates checked 9 Nov 2026.
Five festivals worth planning a trip around
Most visitors come for one of these. Each fits a different part of India and a different season:
Holi — 23 March 2027
Colour, music and crowds. Braj (Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana) celebrates for about two weeks — UP Tourism’s Rangotsav 2027 is 16–30 March — and Braj sits between Delhi and Agra, so Holi fits a Golden Triangle trip. See our Holi guide.
Diwali — 29 October 2027
The festival of lights, at the start of the cool, dry season in the north. Lovely to see, but it is a family festival: trains and flights are full around it and some shops close for a day or two. Arrive a few days before or stay on after.
Kumbh Mela — Haridwar, 14 Jan – 20 Apr 2027
The Ardh Kumbh at Haridwar on the Ganga, with main bathing days (Amrit Snan) on 6 March, 8 March and 14 April. Holi 2027 falls inside the window. See our Kumbh Mela guide.
Pushkar Camel Fair — October–November
Camel traders, decorated camels and folk music on the edge of the Thar desert, an easy add-on from Jaipur or Udaipur on a Rajasthan tour. The organisers publish the year’s dates nearer the time.
Hornbill Festival — 1–10 December
Nagaland’s showcase of Naga tribal dance, music, food and crafts at the Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, about 12 km (7 mi) from Kohima. We arrange North-East trips on request.
Which trip fits which festival
India’s festival year lines up with its travel seasons. A simple way to choose:
- January – March: North India's best weatherMakar Sankranti, the Haridwar Kumbh, Maha Shivratri and Holi all fall in the cool, dry months — the classic time for the Golden Triangle, Rajasthan, Varanasi and Rishikesh. See the best time to visit India.
- April – June: the HimalayaThe plains get hot, so Vaisakhi in Amritsar and Buddha Purnima in Dharamshala pair well with the hill towns of Himachal. Srinagar’s tulip garden usually opens in March — check the opening dates.
- July – September: monsoon festivalsJanmashtami in Mathura, Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai and Onam in Kerala. Expect rain in most regions; we plan around it or suggest a shorter trip.
- October – December: the big festival seasonDurga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali, Guru Nanak’s birthday, Pushkar and Hornbill — with the return of clear skies in the north. The busiest and most colourful time of year: book early.
Travelling during a festival: what to know
Festivals are the best memories of many trips. A few practical points help:
Book early
Trains, flights and hotels fill around Diwali, Holi and Christmas–New Year. Hill stations such as Shimla ask visitors to book early for Christmas and New Year.
Dates can move
Islamic festivals depend on the moon, and fairs such as Pushkar or Dev Deepawali are fixed by the organisers each year. We confirm the dates before you book flights.
Crowds
The UK Foreign Office (India travel advice, 7 Oct 2026) says to take particular care during periods of national or religious significance, and notes that stampedes have occurred at large religious gatherings. Go with a local guide, agree a meeting point and leave early if a crowd feels too tight.
Closures
On big festival days some shops, offices and markets close. Monuments usually stay open, but check — the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, and Diwali 2027 is a Friday.
Respect
Ask before photographing people at worship, dress modestly at temples, gurdwaras and mosques, and take your shoes off where others do.
Your visa
Apply only at the official site indianvisaonline.gov.in — beware look-alike sites that charge extra. See our India e-Visa guide.
How we plan a festival trip
We are a small travel company in Himachal Pradesh. For a festival trip we do this:
- 1 — You tell us the festival and your datesSend which festival, how many days and where else you want to go.
- 2 — We check this year's programmeWe confirm the dates and the best days to be there, and set the route around them.
- 3 — You get a day-by-day plan and a US-dollar quotePrivate car with driver, hotels and a local guide on the festival days. Your driver’s name, photo and car number are shared with you before the trip.
- 4 — You book only when you are happyNothing is charged until you accept the plan.
Prices
A festival trip is quoted on request — the dates, the length, the hotel level and the group size change the total. You get a day-by-day plan with a US-dollar total and what it covers before you pay anything. Two trips many festival visitors build on have published prices:
| Option | From | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| A festival added to your India trip | on request | Car with driver, a local guide on the festival days, hotels with breakfast |
| Golden Triangle — 4 days (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) | from US$299 | Per person, two sharing: private air-conditioned car and driver, hotels with breakfast, airport pick-up and drop, local guides at the main monuments |
| Golden Triangle — classic 6 days | from US$449 | Per person, two sharing: private air-conditioned car and driver, hotels with breakfast, airport pick-up and drop, local guides at the main monuments |
Prices are per person in US dollars, indicative for the season shown, and confirmed on your quote. Taxes included; international flights excluded.
Booking terms (20% deposit, 48-hour refund window) are stated once, under Plan it with a local.
Questions travellers ask
When is Diwali 2027?
Diwali 2027 falls on Friday 29 October, per the Government of India’s 2027 holiday list (DoPT, 16 July 2026). The festive days around it on the same list are Naraka Chaturdasi on 28 October, Govardhan Puja on 30 October and Bhai Duj on 31 October.
When is Holi 2027?
Holi 2027 is on Tuesday 23 March, with Holika Dahan bonfires on the evening of Monday 22 March. In Braj the celebrations start earlier: UP Tourism lists Rangotsav 2027 in Mathura and Vrindavan as 16–30 March.
When is the next Kumbh Mela?
Haridwar’s Ardh Kumbh runs from 14 January to 20 April 2027, with main bathing days (Amrit Snan) on 6 March, 8 March and 14 April. The Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Simhastha began on 31 October 2026, with main baths on 2 August, 31 August and 11 September 2027.
When is the Pushkar Camel Fair?
It is held in October–November in Pushkar, Rajasthan. The 2027 dates were not yet published when we checked (9 Nov 2026); we confirm them for you before you book.
Is it a good idea to travel in India during Diwali or Holi?
Yes, if you plan for it. Both are joyful to see, but trains, flights and hotels fill up and some shops close. Book early, keep a local guide with you at Holi, and arrive a day or two before the main day.
Do Indian festival dates change every year?
Yes. Most Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Islamic festivals follow lunar calendars, so the dates move each year. Islamic festival dates also depend on the sighting of the moon and can move by a day. Use the official list for the year you travel.
Which festival is best for a first trip to India?
There is no single best one. Holi in March fits the classic Golden Triangle in good weather; Diwali in October–November opens the cool season in the north. Tell us your dates and interests and we suggest what fits.
How far ahead should I book a festival trip?
For Diwali, Holi, the Kumbh bathing days and Christmas–New Year, plan a few months ahead — hotels near the main sites fill first.
Tell us which festival — we'll plan the trip
Send the festival, your dates and where else you’d like to go. You get a day-by-day plan with a private car and driver and a US-dollar quote from our office in Himachal.
We usually reply within 2 hours, 9 am–9 pm IST (UTC+5:30). Email info@suzutravels.com if you don’t use WhatsApp.
Booking: A 20% deposit locks your dates and price. Full refund if you cancel within 48 hours of paying. Pay by card (Razorpay, international cards accepted) or PayPal; the balance is due before the trip.
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Sources
- Government of India — List of holidays 2027, gazetted (DoPT O.M. 16 Jul 2026, republished by staffnews.in)
- Government of India — List of restricted holidays 2027 (DoPT O.M. 16 Jul 2026, republished by staffnews.in)
- Incredible India (Uttar Pradesh Tourism) — Rangotsav 2027
- Government of Uttarakhand — Haridwar Kumbh 2027
- Incredible India — Pushkar Camel Fair
- Nagaland Tourism — event calendar (Hornbill Festival)
- UK Foreign Office — India travel advice: safety and security
Written by the Suzu Travels team in Himachal Pradesh, India. Facts checked 9 Nov 2026. Prices, visa rules and road conditions change — we re-check this page regularly; ask us before you book.
