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Fairs &
Festivals
of
North
India
TEEJ
FESTIVAL,
Rajasthan/Delhi
(August)
A
festival
that
welcomes
cloudy
skies
and
rainy
days.
Held
every
year
during
the
Hindu
month of
Shravan,
it
celebrates
the
divine
union of
Goddess
Parvati
and Lord
Shiva.
As the
rains
pour
down,
Nature
flaunts
resplendent
colors –
like the
young
girls
and new
brides
who pray
to
Goddess
Parvati
for good
husbands
and
conjugal
bliss.
PUSHKAR
FAIR,
Rajasthan
(November)
Experience
one of
India’s
most
fascinating
festivals,
the
annual
Pushkar
Fair in
Rajasthan.
Every
year,
thousands
of
Rajasthani
villagers
converge
in this
picturesque
town to
buy and
sell
camels
and
other
cattle.
They
come for
the
entertaining
camel-
races
and
local
circuses.
Crowds
of
village
folk
also
browse
the
local
markets
for
camel
saddles,
textiles,
glass
bangles
and
silver
Jewellery.
They
wash
away the
day’s
fatigue
at the
Pushkar
Lake
(considered
sacred
by the
Hindus).
Beyond
the
bustle
of the
markets
is the
sweeping
expanse
of
desert,
dotted
with
thousands
of
camping
families.
All
around,
there is
a riot
of
colour
and a
throng
of warm,
joyous
faces.
GANGAUR
FAIR,
Jaipur
(April)
The
Gangaur
Festival,
a
spirited
celebration,
gets
underway
every
year
during
the
Hindu
month of
Chaitra
(March-April).
It marks
the end
of
winter
and
heralds
the
spring.
’Gan’ is
a
synonym
for Lord
Shiva
and
‘Gaur’
or
‘Gauri’
for
Goddess
Parvati,
the
consort
of Lord
Shiva.
The
festival
celebrates
conjugal
bliss
and
marital
happiness.
During
the
festival,
the
ladies
decorate
their
palms
and
fingers
with
intricate
patterns
of
mehndi
(henna).
A
traditional
procession
is
headed
by a
colourful
pageantry
of
elephants,
camels,
horses,
musicians,
old
palanquins,
chariots
and
bullock
carts.
People
purchase
and
worship
idols of
Gauri
and Isar.
The room
where
the
prayer
ceremony
is
conducted
is
usually
whitewashed.
YOGA
WEEK,
Varanasi
(22nd-28th
February)
“Benaras
is older
than
history,
older
than
tradition,
older
than
legend
and
looks
twice as
old as
all of
them put
together”,
says
Mark
Twain,
of the
city
where
the
science
of Yoga
originated.
Yoga
Week is
dedicated
to this
practice.
And
Varanasi
is the
perfect
setting
for the
festival
for it
is here,
along
the
banks of
some of
the most
holy
rivers,
that
Yoga can
be
practised
in its
purest
form.
Private
hotels,
tour
operators
and
renowned
Yoga
institutes
offer
packages
for 7,
10 and
14 days.
The
programmes
include
asana
practice,
pranayam,
meditation
and
discussions
by
revered
spiritual
leaders.
URS
AJMER
SHARIF,
Ajmer
(17th-25th
August)
Held in
the holy
town of
Ajmer,
in
honour
of the
Sufi
saint
Khwaja
Moinuddin
Chisti,
the
celebration
unites
people
of all
faiths.
Special
prayers
are
offered
at the
mosque,
and
consecrated
food is
served
to one
and all,
from the
large,
steaming
cauldrons
that
were a
gift
from the
Mughal
Emperor,
Akbar.
The
festivities
continue
well
into the
night,
with
impassioned
qawwali
singers
fuelling
the
spirit
of
devotion
and self
less
love.
HOLLA
MOHALLA,
Punjab
(3rd
week of
March)
The fair
begins a
few days
before
Holi and
is
marked
by the
congregation
of Sikh
devotees
from all
over the
state. A
large
number
of
langars
(community
kitchens)
offer
free
food to
the poor
and the
rich
alike.
The day
after
Holi,
called
Hol, is
ushered
in with
the
singing
of
divine
hymns in
the
early
morning
hours.
With the
dawning
of the
day, the
Nihangs,
called
the
Guru’s
beloved
force,
together
with the
colourful
sects of
the
Sikhs,
acquire
centre-stage.
They
wear
traditional
robes of
blue and
saffron
as well
as
armour
of
steel.
BAISAKHI,
Punjab
(13th/14th
April)
This is
a
celebration
of
Mother
Nature’s
bounty.
Farmers,
amidst
dancing,
singing
and
revelry,
carry a
portion
of the
first
harvest
of wheat
and
offer it
at a
Gurudwara
(place
of
worship,
sacred
to the
Sikhs).
Devotees
gather
from
far-flung
places
and run
free
kitchens.
The next
day is
heralded
by a
display
of
martial
arts by
the
Nihangs.
KULLU-DUSSEHRA
FESTIVAL,
Himachal
Pradesh
(October)
This
festival
is held
just
after
Dussehra
is
celebrated
in other
parts of
the
country.
Colorful
processions
of
devotees,
bearing
magnificent
images
of gods
and
goddesses,
move
towards
Kullu
from all
aprts of
the
valley.
Homage
is paid
to Lord
Raghunath
on the
first
day.
Rituals,
graceful
Natti
dances
and folk
songs
are
performed
over the
remaining
nine
days.
As part
of the
festival,
traders
from all
over the
valley
set up
temporary
stalls,
where
woolen
shawls,
caps,
blankets,
pullan
(traditional
footwear
made
from
plant
fibre
and goat
hair)
and
other
interesting
articles
are
displayed.
This is
the best
time to
see the
crafts
of the
Kullu
Valley.
JAHAN-E-KHUSRAU,
Delhi
(Last
week of
February)
This is
an
impassioned
musical
festival
associated
with
Hazrat
Amir
Khusrau
– one of
the
great
followers
of
Hazrat
Nizamuddin.
Only
Sufi
music is
played.
The
festival
promotes
cross-cultural
music
collaboration,
as
performers
from all
over the
world
participate.
Trance
inducing,
fervent
and
joyous,
this
Sufi
music
fiesta
is an
intriguing
experience
for the
discerning
listener.
QUTUB
FESTIVAL,
Delhi
(November-December)
Set
amidst
the
historical
background
of the
Qutub
Minar, a
number
of
cultural
events
are held
as a
part of
the
festival.
Veterans
of India
classical
music
and folk
dance
give
spectacular
performances.
There
are
Kuchipudi,
Odissi,
Manipuri,
and
various
classical
dance
performances
by
famous
artistes
from all
over the
nation.
Sarangi
and
sitar
recitals
mesmerize
the
audience,
while
ghazals
and
qawwalis
mark the
end of
the
festival.
Artistes
like the
illustrious
three
generations
of the
Sarabhai
family,
Mrinalini,
Mallika
and
Anahita
Sarabhai,
as well
as
ghazal
maestros
Ustaad
Ahmad
Hussain
and
Ustaad
Mohammad
Hussein
are
amongst
the many
stalwarts
who have
made the
festival
a
memorable
one.
The
regional
food
stalls
at the
complex
add a
local
flavour
to the
evening
with
cuisine
from
Delhi,
Madhya
Pradesh,
Maharashtra
and The
North-Eastern
states.
ANANYA,
Delhi
(Last
week of
Auagust)
Set
amidst
the
historical
background
of the
Qutub
Minar, a
number
of
cultural
events
are held
as a
part of
the
festival.
Veterans
of India
classical
music
and folk
dance
give
spectacular
performances.
There
are
Kuchipudi,
Odissi,
Manipuri,
and
various
classical
dance
performances
by
famous
artistes
from all
over the
nation.
Sarangi
and
sitar
recitals
mesmerize
the
audience,
while
ghazals
and
qawwalis
mark the
end of
the
festival.
Artistes
like the
illustrious
three
generations
of the
Sarabhai
family,
Mrinalini,
Mallika
and
Anahita
Sarabhai,
as well
as
ghazal
maestros
Ustaad
Ahmad
Hussain
and
Ustaad
Mohammad
Hussein
are
amongst
the many
stalwarts
who have
made the
festival
a
memorable
one.
The
regional
food
stalls
at the
complex
add a
local
flavour
to the
evening
with
cuisine
from
Delhi,
Madhya
Pradesh,
Maharashtra
and The
North-Eastern
states.
KHAJURAHO
DANCE
FESTIVAL,
Madhya
Pradesh
(6th-12th
March)
The
Khajuraho
Dance
Festival
is held
every
spring
in the
town of
Khajuraho-renowned
for its
sculptured
temples.
It
celebrates
the
glory of
the
temples
and the
life-like
dance
forms
carved
on the
stone
walls.
The
festival
showcases
the
finest
classical
dances
in the
country.
TAJ
MAHOTSAV,
Agra
(18th-27th
February)
The Taj
Mahotsav
is an
apt
introduction
to the
majesty
of the
country
and its
cultural
variety.
The
festival
is a
vibrant
mosaic
that
brings
to force
the
finest
of
Indian
arts,
crafts
and
cultural
nuances.
INTERNATIONAL
YOGA
FESTIVAL,
Rishikesh
(February)
The
‘yoga
capital
of the
wolrd’
is an
appropriate
setting
for an
introduction
to this
ancient
practice.
This
annual
festival
attracts
great
yogic
masters
from all
over the
world,
who
arrive
at the
banks of
the
Ganges
to
demonstrate
and
explore
the
major
traditions
of Yoga
(hatha,
raja,
karma,
bhakti,
mantra,
laya and
jnana).
The town
boasts
of
numerous
Yoga
school,
as well
as
plenty
of
places
to visit
when
your
charkas
are
fully
aligned.
Apart
from the
Yoga
schools,
it is
easy to
be
overwhelmed
by the
many
ashrams
(rest
houses)
in
Rishikesh
that
offer
courses
on
meditation,
Yoga and
Hindu
philosophy.
The
Hatha
Yoga and
Pranayama
meditation
classes
at Sri
Ved
Niketan
Ashram
are well
known.
The
Shivananda
Ashram,
opposite
the
Shivananda
Jhula,
is also
a
favourite.
DESERT
FESTIVAL,
Jaisalmer
(21st-23rd
February)
The
festival
is a
showcase
of the
performing
arts of
the
region,
on the
stretches
of sand
around
the
desert
citadel
of
Jaisalmer.
It is
characterized
by a
number
amusing
turban
tying
competitions
and
camel
races.
The
region
also has
its very
own Mr.
Desert
contest.
Lively
craft
bazaars
and a
sound
and
light
spectacle
make it
a
celebration
of life
amidst
an arid
landscape.
Folk
artistes
performing
against
a
backdrop
of sand
dunes,
on a
full-moon
night,
heighten
the
romantic
lure of
the
desert.
JAIPUR
HERITAGE
INTERNATIONAL
FESTIVAL,
Jaipur
(14th-23rd
January)
If one
were to
capture
the
essence
of this
festival
in a
single
sentence,
it would
be – to
save the
vibrant
culture
of
Jaipur,
by
stimulating
alternative
ways of
development
that are
rooted
in the
unique
strengths
of the
people.
Spread
over
fourteen
days and
in
locations
difficult
to find
anywhere
else in
the
world,
the
festival
stands
out for
its
superb
events.
Children’s
programmes,
sports,
exhibitions,
crafts
bazaars,
and a
succession
of
seminars
on key
issues,
make it
a rich,
dynamic
interaction
amongst
the
people
of the
city.
The
Jaipur
Heritage
International
Festival
pays
homage
to the
beauty
of the
old,
reflects
on the
contemporary
relevance
of past
wisdom
and
leads to
a better
understanding
of the
city’s
fabulous
resources
and
assets.
TANSEN
SAMAROH,
Gwalior
(19th-22nd
November)
The
great
classical
vocalist,
Miyan
Tansen,
was one
of the
‘nine
jewels’
in
Emperor
Akbar’s
court.
His
memorial,
in
Gwalior,
is a
classic
representation
of
Mughal
architecture.
It is
also the
venue of
the
annual
Indian
classical
festival
held in
November.
Renowned
singers
of the
land
regale
audiences
with
five
mesmerising
sessions
of the
much-loved
classical
ragas.
An
interesting
fact is
that
performers,
before
the
sessions
begin,
chew the
leaves
of a
tamarind
tree by
the
tomb.
This is
believed
to make
the
voice
better.
HEMIS
FESTIVAL,
Ladakh
(27th-
28th
June)
The
Hemis
Festival
us
dedicated
to Lord
Padmasambhava,
revered
as the
representative
reincarnate
of the
Buddha.
It is
believed
that the
purpose
of his
life was
to
improve
the
spiritual
condition
of all
living
beings.
The
festival
takes
place in
the
rectangular
courtyard
of the
Hemis
Monastery.
A raised
dais,
with a
richly
cushioned
seat and
finely
painted
small
Tibetan
table,
is
placed
with the
ceremonial
items –
cups
full of
holy
water,
uncooked
rice,
tormas
made of
dough
and
butter,
as well
as
incense
sticks.
A number
of
musicians
play
traditional
music
with
four
pairs of
cymbals,
pan
drums,
small
trumpets
and
large
wind
instruments.
SINDHU
DARSHAN
FESTIVAL,
Ladakh
(18th-20th
June)
The
Sindhu
Darshan
Festival,
as the
name
suggests,
is a
celebration
of the
river
Sindhu
(also
known as
the
Indus).
People
travel
for a
darshan
and puja
of this
river,
which
originates
from the
Mansarovar
in
Tibet.
The
festival
aims at
projecting
the
Sindhu
river as
a symbol
of
multi-dimensional
cultural
identity,
communal
harmony
and
peaceful
co-existence
in
India.
Whilst
promoting
tourism
in this
are, the
festival
is also
a
tribute
to the
brave
soldiers
of India
who have
valiantly
fought
the odds
at
Siachen,
Kargil
and
other
places.
SURAJKUND
CRAFTS
MELA,
outskirts
of Delhi
(1st-15th
February)
The
Surajkund
Crafts
Mela,
organized
by
Haryana
Tourism,
celebrates
the
finest
handlooms
and
handicrafts
traditions
of
country.
It is a
fortnight-long
event,
during
which
master
crafts
persons
display
their
assortment
of
wares-mirror-work
embroidery,
delicate
lace
work,
folk
motifs
on
terracotta
forms,
metal
and cane
ware,
bangles
of all
hues,
iridescent
silks
and
beautifully-crafted
toys.
The Mela
is more
than
just a
celebration
of
crafts.
At the
fan-shaped,
open-air
theatre,
‘Natyashala’,
rich
folk
dances
and
musical
evenings
keep
crowds
of
tourists
entertained.
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