Baisakhi — 13/14th April

Few festivals carry as many threads at once as Baisakhi. On this single April day, Punjab celebrates the wheat harvest, welcomes the Sikh New Year, and honours one of the most defining moments in Sikh history: the founding of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in Anandpur Sahib in 1699. That layering of faith, remembrance, and harvest joy is what gives Baisakhi its particular depth.

At the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the day begins before dawn with unbroken scripture readings and kirtan, drawing thousands of devotees into the glow of the sacred complex. Nagar Kirtan processions wind through the streets, with saffron flags, devotional singing, and displays of gatka martial arts drawing crowds at every turn. In the villages, the mood shifts into celebration as farmers mark the rabi harvest with bhangra and gidda dances in open fields. Fairs spring up across the countryside with food, music, and the particular exuberance of a community giving thanks.

For visitors, Baisakhi offers something increasingly rare: a festival that is genuinely lived rather than performed.

FESTIVAL ARCHIVE

December +-

  • Losar — December to March (date varies by community)
  • Christmas — 25th December
  • Mahindra Kabira Festival — December
  • Jaigarh Heritage Festival — December
  • Jodhpur RIFF — October
  • Konark Dance Festival — 1–5 December
  • Hornbill Festival — 1–10 December

    • November +-

  • Sonepur Cattle Fair — November
  • Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival — November
  • Black-Necked Crane Festival — 11th November
  • Pushkar Camel Fair — October / November
  • Rann Utsav — November to February
  • Guru Nanak Jayanti — November

    • October +-

  • Royal Highland Festival — 23 – 24 October 2026
  • Bhai Dooj / Bhai Tika — October / November
  • Diwali — October / November
  • Jomolhari Mountain Festival — October
  • Dussehra — October
  • Jambay Lhakhang Drup — October / November

    • September +-

  • Durga Puja — September / October
  • Thimphu Tshechu — September / October
  • Ziro Festival of Music — September
  • Ganesh Chaturthi — August / September
  • Onam — August / September
  • Wangdue Phodrang Tshechu — September / October

    • August +-

  • Raksha Bandhan — August
  • Pulikali, Thrissur — August / September
  • Aranmula Boat Race — August / September
  • Nehru Trophy Boat Race — August / September
  • Independence Day — 15th August
  • Janmashtami — August / September

    • July +-

  • Teej — July / September
  • Hemis Festival — June / July

    • June +-

  • Rath Yatra, Puri — June / July
  • Eid al-Adha — Late May / June (date shifts annually)

    • May +-

  • Buddha Purnima — May
  • Thrissur Pooram — April / May

    • April +-

  • Haa Spring Festival — April
  • Easter — March / April
  • Baisakhi — 13/14th April
  • Mahavir Jayanti — March / April
  • Apricot Blossom Festival, Ladakh — April
  • Ura Yakchoe — April / May

    • March +-

  • Eid ul Fitr — Late February / March (date shifts annually)
  • Paro Tshechu — March / April
  • International Yoga Festival, Rishikesh — March
  • Holi — March
  • Gangaur — March / April

    • February +-

  • Maha Shivratri — February / March
  • Taj Mahotsav — 18–27 February
  • Punakha Tshechu — February / March
  • Punakha Drubchen — February / March

    • January +-

  • Hampi Utsav — January / February
  • Republic Day
  • International Kite Festival, Gujarat — 14th January
  • Makar Sankranti — 14th January
  • Kumbh Mela — Dates vary by city and cycle
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