Festivals and New Years
Festivals region by region, and the many New Years of India's calendars.
New Years across India (22)
India has many New Years: its solar, lunar and lunisolar calendars begin the year on different days in different regions and communities.
| Name | Where | When | Calendar | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government of India (Gazette, All India Radio, official calendars) | 1 Chaitra = 22 March (21 March in leap years) | Saka (national solar calendar) | 22 March 2027 (1 Chaitra, Saka 1949) | |
 | All of India | 1 January | Gregorian (solar) | 1 January 2027 (restricted holiday) |
| Jammu and Kashmir; Kashmiri Pandits everywhere | Chaitra Shukla Pratipada (March–April) | Lunisolar (Saptarishi era) | 7 April 2027 (listed as Chaitra Sukladi) | |
| Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi; Sikh communities everywhere | 1 Vaisakh (13 or 14 April) | Solar (Mesha Sankranti) | 14 April 2027 | |
 | Ladakh; Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur (Himachal Pradesh); Sikkim; Arunachal Pradesh | Ladakh: 11th Tibetan month (December–January); elsewhere usually February–March | Tibetan lunisolar | — |
| Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Delhi and other parts of North and Central India | Chaitra Shukla Pratipada (March–April) | Lunisolar (Vikram Samvat) | 7 April 2027 (1st Navratra); Ram Navami 15 April 2027 | |
 | West Bengal, Tripura, Assam's Barak Valley | 1 Boishakh (14 or 15 April) | Bengali solar calendar (Bangabda) | 15 April 2027 (Vaisakhadi) |
| Odisha | Mesha Sankranti (about 14 April) | Solar | — | |
 | Mithila region of Bihar | Mesha Sankranti (about 14 April) | Solar (Mithila calendar) | — |
 | Maharashtra, Goa | Chaitra Shukla Pratipada (March–April) | Lunisolar (Shalivahana Shaka) | 7 April 2027 |
| Gujarat; Gujarati communities everywhere | Kartika Shukla Pratipada, the day after Diwali (October–November) | Lunisolar (Vikram Samvat, year starting in Kartika) | 30 October 2027 (listed as Govardhan Puja) | |
 | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka | Chaitra Shukla Pratipada (March–April) | Lunisolar (Chandramana) | 7 April 2027 |
 | Tamil Nadu, Puducherry; Tamil communities everywhere | 1 Chithirai (about 14 April) | Solar (Mesha Sankranti) | 14 April 2027 (Meshadi, Tamil New Year's Day) |
 | Kerala; Malayali communities everywhere | 1 Medam (about 14 April) | Solar (Mesha Sankranti) | 14 April 2027 |
| Kerala | 1 Chingam (August–September) | Malayalam solar calendar (Kollam era) | — | |
| Dakshina Kannada and Udupi (Karnataka); Kasaragod (Kerala) | Mesha Sankranti (about 14 April) | Solar (Tulu calendar) | — | |
| Manipur | First day of Sajibu (March–April) | Meitei lunar calendar | — | |
 | Assam | Mid-April, start of the month of Bohag | Assamese solar calendar | 15 April 2027 (Bahag Bihu) |
| Sikkim | 10th month of the Tibetan calendar (December) | Tibetan lunisolar | — | |
 | Sindhi community across India | Chaitra (Chet), at the new moon's first sighting (March–April) | Lunisolar | 7 April 2027 (listed with Chaitra Sukladi) |
| Parsi community, especially Maharashtra and Gujarat | Shahenshahi calendar (July–August); Jamshedi Navroz on 21 March | Zoroastrian (Shahenshahi) | 15 August 2027 (Parsi New Year's Day/Navroz) | |
| Muslim communities across India | 1 Muharram (new year); Ashura on 10 Muharram | Islamic lunar (Hijri) | Muharram (Ashura) holiday: 16 June 2027, subject to the moon |
Festivals region by region
Grouped by the Zonal Councils of India (Ministry of Home Affairs). Every State and UT also has many more local festivals.
All India (14)
| Name | Where | When | What people do | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All of India | Kartika Amavasya (October–November) | Diyas, rangoli and fireworks; Lakshmi Puja in the evening. | 29 October 2027 (Naraka Chaturdasi 28 October; Govardhan Puja 30 October; Bhai Duj 31 October) | |
 | All of India; famous in Braj (Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana), and as Dol Jatra in Bengal and Odisha | Phalguna Purnima (March) | Holika Dahan bonfire. | Holika Dahan 22 March 2027; Holi 23 March 2027 |
| All of India | Ashvin Shukla Pratipada to Dashami (September–October) | Ramlila performances and burning of Ravana effigies. | Dussehra 9 October 2027 (Saptami 6, Ashtami 7, Navami 8 October) | |
 | All of India | 14 or 15 January | Holy dips at rivers and the Ganga Sagar fair. | 14 January 2027 (Makar Sankranti / Magha Bihu); Pongal 15 January 2027 |
| All of India | 1 Shawwal (Islamic lunar calendar) | Eid prayers and fitra (charity) for the poor. | 10 March 2027, subject to the moon | |
| All of India | 10 Dhu al-Hijjah (Islamic lunar calendar) | Eid prayers. | 17 May 2027, subject to the moon | |
 | All of India; especially Goa, Kerala, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya | 25 December | Midnight Mass and carol singing. | 25 December 2027 (Christmas Eve 24 December) |
 | All of India; especially Punjab | Kartik Purnima (November) | Prabhat pheris and Nagar Kirtan processions. | 14 November 2027 |
| All of India; Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Sikkim, Ladakh | Vaisakha Purnima (April–May) | Prayers, meditation and the reading of the Buddha's teachings. | 20 May 2027 | |
| All of India; especially Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Bihar | Chaitra Shukla Trayodashi (March–April) | Rath yatra with the idol of Mahavira. | 19 April 2027 | |
| All of India; Mathura and Vrindavan; Dahi Handi in Maharashtra | Bhadrapada Krishna Ashtami (August–September) | Fasting until midnight, bhajans and jhankis. | 25 August 2027 | |
 | All of India | Shravana Purnima (August) | Rakhi, tilak and sweets. | 17 August 2027 |
| All of India | Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi (February–March) | Night-long vigil and chanting. | 6 March 2027 | |
 | Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Haridwar (Uttarakhand), Nashik (Maharashtra), Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) | At each site about every 12 years, set by the positions of Jupiter, the sun and the moon | Holy dips at the sangam or river on fixed bathing days. | — |
Northern India (8)
| Name | Where | When | What people do | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Delhi | 13 or 14 January, the eve of Makar Sankranti | Bonfire with offerings of til, gur, popcorn and peanuts. | — |
 | Anandpur Sahib (Punjab) | The day after Holi (March) | Gatka (Sikh martial art) and horse riding displays. | — |
 | Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar | Hariyali Teej: Shravana Shukla Tritiya (July–August) | Swings, mehndi and folk songs. | — |
 | Rajasthan; parts of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh | Chaitra (March–April), ending on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya | Clay idols of Gauri and Isar are worshipped at home. | — |
 | Kullu (Himachal Pradesh) | Begins on Vijayadashami (October) and lasts seven days | The rath of Lord Raghunath is pulled by devotees. | — |
 | Hemis Monastery (Ladakh) | 10th day of the 5th Tibetan month (June–July) | Cham masked dances to music of drums, cymbals and long horns. | — |
 | Tulmulla, Ganderbal (Jammu and Kashmir) | Jyeshtha Shukla Ashtami (May–June) | Offerings of kheer, milk and flowers at the spring. | — |
 | Pushkar, Ajmer district (Rajasthan) | Kartika, ending on Kartik Purnima (October–November) | Holy dip in Pushkar lake. | — |
Central India (3)
| Name | Where | When | What people do | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) | Kartik Purnima (November) | Diyas on every ghat and Ganga aarti. | — | |
 | Jagdalpur, Bastar (Chhattisgarh) | About 75 days, from Shravana Amavasya to Ashvin (July–October) | Rituals such as Pat Jatra (worship of the wood) and Kachhan Gadi. | — |
 | Jhabua, Alirajpur, Dhar, Khargone and Barwani (Madhya Pradesh) | The week before Holi (February–March) | Haats (village markets) become fairs with drums and flutes. | — |
Eastern India (5)
| Name | Where | When | What people do | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh; Bihari communities everywhere | Kartika Shukla Shashthi (October–November) | Nahay-Khay, Kharna, evening arghya and morning arghya. | 4 November 2027 (Surya Shashthi) | |
 | West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand; Bengalis everywhere | Ashvin Shukla Shashthi to Dashami (September–October) | Pandal-hopping, dhunuchi dance and anjali. | Saptami 6, Ashtami 7, Navami 8 and Dashami 9 October 2027 |
 | Puri (Odisha); Rath Yatras in many cities | Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya (June–July) | Chhera Pahanra: the Gajapati king sweeps the chariots. | 5 July 2027 |
 | Western Odisha (Sambalpur, Bargarh, Balangir, Kalahandi); also Chhattisgarh | Bhadrapada Shukla Panchami (August–September) | Nabanna (new rice) offering at the auspicious time. | — |
 | Jharkhand; also Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal | Chaitra (March–April), when the sal blossoms | Worship at the sarna and sal flowers worn in the hair. | — |
Western India (5)
| Name | Where | When | What people do | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat | Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi (August–September) | Idols in homes and public pandals; aarti and modaks. | 4 September 2027 |
| Gujarat; Gujarati communities everywhere | Ashvin Navratri (September–October) | Garba and Dandiya Raas every night. | — | |
| Gujarat | 14–15 January | Kite flying from rooftops from dawn to dusk. | 14 January 2027 (Makar Sankranti) | |
| Goa | Phalguna (March) | Parades of floats depicting mythology. | — | |
| Goa | February–March, before Lent | Float parades and street dancing. | — |
Southern India (7)
| Name | Where | When | What people do | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Kerala; Malayalis everywhere | Thiruvonam in Chingam (August–September) | Pookalam and new clothes (Onakkodi). | 12 September 2027 (Thiru Onam) |
 | Tamil Nadu, Puducherry | First days of Thai (14–17 January) | Pongal cooked outdoors in new pots, facing the sun. | 15 January 2027 |
 | Thrissur (Kerala) | Pooram asterism in Medam (April–May) | Elephant processions of the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambady temples. | — |
| Mysuru (Karnataka) | Ashvin Navratri to Vijayadashami (September–October) | The Mysuru Palace lit up every evening. | 9 October 2027 (Vijayadashami) | |
 | Telangana | Nine days ending on Durgashtami (September–October) | Women sing and dance in circles around the Bathukamma. | — |
 | Hyderabad and Secunderabad (Telangana) | Ashadha (June–July), on Sundays | Bonam pots carried on the head to the temples. | — |
| Tamil Nadu; also Kerala and Karnataka | Karthigai month, on the Krittika asterism (November–December) | Rows of clay lamps at every home. | — |
North-Eastern India (8)
| Name | Where | When | What people do | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Kisama, Kohima (Nagaland) | 1–10 December | Dances, songs and games of every Naga tribe. | — |
| Assam | Mid-January (Makar Sankranti) | Uruka community feast. | 14 January 2027 (Magha Bihu) | |
| Garo Hills (Meghalaya) | October–November, after the harvest | Offerings to Saljong. | — | |
| Mizoram | March | Cheraw (bamboo dance) and other folk dances. | — | |
 | Kamakhya temple, Guwahati (Assam) | June (Ashadha) | The temple closes for three days. | — |
| Imphal and other venues (Manipur) | 21–30 November | Manipuri dance, Thang-Ta martial arts and polo. | — | |
| Ziro valley (Arunachal Pradesh) | 5 July | Prayers and sacrifices for the crops. | — | |
| Old Agartala (Tripura) | July | The fourteen deities are bathed in the river and worshipped. | — |
Next dates are from the Government of India's holiday list for 2027 (DoPT). Festivals that follow the moon can move by a day; States may observe some on a different date.
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