International Kite Festival, Gujarat — 14th January

In Gujarat, the 14th of January is not just a date on the calendar. It is Uttarayan, the day the sun begins its northward journey, marking the end of winter and the start of the harvest season. For centuries, Gujaratis have celebrated this shift by taking to their rooftops before dawn and flying kites until well after dark, the skies over Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara filling with colour and the sound of manjha strings cutting through the wind.

Since 1989, Gujarat Tourism has formalised this tradition into the International Kite Festival, bringing master kite flyers and craftspeople from across the world to the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad. Participants from Japan, Italy, France, Indonesia, and the United States arrive with extraordinary creations, from giant sculptural kites to Chinese flying dragons and Indonesian wau bulan. Families share undhiyu, jalebi, and chikki on terraces through the day, and as evening falls, illuminated kites called tukkals rise alongside fireworks, turning the night into something spectacular.

For visitors, Uttarayan in Gujarat is one of those days that is impossible to watch from a distance. You will end up flying a kite before noon.

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
    • @indiabycreative

    Follow us on Instagram
    @indiabycreative