International Yoga Festival, Rishikesh — March

Rishikesh has been a place of yogic learning for centuries, drawing sages, seekers, and students to the banks of the Ganga at the foot of the Himalayas. It was here, in 1999, that the Parmarth Niketan Ashram first organised what would grow into one of the world’s most celebrated yoga gatherings. Today, the International Yoga Festival draws thousands of participants from over eighty countries to Uttarakhand every March for seven days of immersive practice, discourse, and stillness.

The week unfolds across sessions covering an extraordinary range of styles and traditions, from classical Hatha and Ashtanga to pranayama, meditation, and Ayurvedic wellness workshops. World-renowned yogacharyas and spiritual teachers lead classes from the crack of dawn, and evenings on the Ganga ghats bring everyone together for aarti, spiritual talks, and the kind of quiet that is increasingly rare in modern life. The festival is open to practitioners of all levels, from absolute beginners to those who have spent decades on the mat.

For visitors, there are few places in the world better suited to a week of genuine inner work than the banks of the Ganga in Rishikesh.

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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