Summer & Spring Festivals In India: What do you expect from the month of Summer? Well, it’s like the combination of music, Sun, sea, colorful clothes, folk dance, and happy faces. So, it’s like summer does not bring only the hot weather in India, but a lot of lively festivals that make the whole country rejoice.
With millions of vibrant colors, Summer festivals in India paint the country in its shades which attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world.
The following list of summer festivals in India lets you know about some popular festivals celebrated during the summer season in India. Although some festivals celebrate the culture of different regions, others allow you to pour yourself in religious colors.
10 Best Summer And Spring Festivals In India
So, here’s a list of summer festivals in India, which will fall in the year 2019 for each festival featured in this blog! So, get ready for a smooth and thrilling vacation like never before!
- Spring Festival, Gangaur – 2nd March to 20th March
- Spring Festival, Baisakhi – 14th April
- Spring Festival, Chithirai Festival – 22nd Mar-20th April
- Spring Festival, Moatsu Festival – 1st -7th May
- Mount Abu Summer Festival – 17th to 18th May
- Ooty Flower Festival – 17th May to 19th May
- Yercaud Summer Festival – 2nd Week Of May
- Shimla Summer Festival – May/June
- Sikkim Summer Festival – 1st -31st May
- Hemis Festival – 11th to 12th July
1. Gangaur
Gangaur is one of India’s most celebrated Spring festivals, which is celebrated in different parts of Rajasthan, especially in Jaipur. Of all the festivals of Rajasthan, Gangaur is considered as the most important one. It starts the next day of Holi and for 16-18 days devotees worship Goddess Gauri with great passion and magnificent grandiosity.
If you are in Rajasthan during the Gangaur, then experience the spectacular series of Rajasthani folk music, dance, puppet shows, stunning food stalls, and breathtaking fireworks.
Place: Rajasthan
Main attractions of Gangaur: Puppet show and folk dances like Kalbelia Dance
Celebration Dates For Gangaur 2019: 2nd March to 20th March
2. Baisakhi
Baisakhi or Vaisakhi is one of the most colorful festivals celebrated in the Spring season in India. The community of Punjab celebrates this festival to mark the new year by harvesting Rabi Crops.
The Farmers wear new colorful clothes, prepare delicious food, and welcome this new beginning with traditional dance and music, representing farming stages, wrestling, and fairs.
Sikhs celebrated Baisakhi festival as a collective birthday of “Khalsa Brotherhood” created in the year 1699 by The 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. People of the Sikh community celebrate this auspicious occasion with a holy prayer, making Kara prasad or sweetened semolina and langar (community lunch).
Place: Punjab and Haryana
Main attractions of Baisakhi: Bhangra and Gidda dance
Dates for Baisakhi in 2019: 14th April
3. Chithirai Festival
Chithirai is one of the most beautiful religious festivals of South India, which is organized in Meenakshi Temple of Madurai. Drawing a golden chariot with statues, drum beats, dessert offerings, and floral incense sticks are the main attractions of this festival.
A great fair is organized for 10 days to celebrate Chithirai. And it’s surely one of the must-sees summer season festivals in India!
Place: Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Main attractions of Chithirai: Re-enacting of the wedding of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar Dates for Chithirai 2019: 22nd Mar-20th April
4. Moatsu Festival
The Moatsu festival is celebrated for 3 days in the first week of May. The main purpose of this festival is to bring happiness, fun, and excitement in the tribe community, after the stressful activities like clearing the fields, burning forests, sowing seeds, clearing the wells, and repairing the houses.
The Ao Naga tribal communities celebrate the Moatsu festival with refreshed enthusiasm and happiness. In fact, this is one of the most fun festivals in the summer season in India, which is celebrated with folk music, tribal dance, eating, and drinking.
Place: Nagaland
Main attractions of Moatsu festival: Sangpangtu, which is the most important part of Moatsu Place, where a huge fire is lit and females serve meat and wine to the males and kids sitting around the fire.
Moatsu festival in 2019 Dates: 1st -7th May
5. Mount Abu Summer Festival
Against the scenic landscape mode of jagged mountains and glittering Nakki lake, the summer festival of Mount Abu is paradise for music lovers.
Organized by the Rajasthan Tourism Department, it’s one of the most discussed celebrations about cultural festivals in India during the summer season.
This is a 2-day festival, in which there is a traditional rally around Nakki Lake, performances of folk dances, music, magic shows, puppet show, tug of war, boat race, Matka race, and lovely fireworks.
Place: Mount Abu, Rajasthan
Main attractions of Mount Abu Summer Festival: Gair and Ghoomar dance performances and Sham-e-Qawwali
Mount Abu Summer Festival 2019 Dates: 17th to 18th May
6. Ooty Flower Festival
The astonishing place Ooty is known for the Ooty Flower Festival, it is one of the popular seasonal festivals of India, especially in Nilgiris. In Ooty, the summer season is the peak one and the festival enhances the charm of the fiesta.
Alongside splendid flower show, there are many wonderful events such as festivals, fruits, art exhibitions, and adventure activities such as trekking.
Place: Ooty, Tamil Nadu
Main attractions of Ooty Summer Festival: Flower show is arranged at Ooty Botanical Garden with more than 150 varieties of flowers from different countries, flower rangolis, floral arrangements, and vegetable carvings.
Ooty Flower Festival 2019 Dates: 17th May to 19th May
7. Yercaud Summer Festival
The Summer Festival is the most popular event in Yercaud, which last for 3 days. Flower shows, dog shows, horse riding, folk dance shows, cooking and rangoli competitions are the main attractions of the festival.
So, when you are looking for a fun festival, to experience the best summer feeling around, make sure you visit this best carnival vibes!
Place: Yercaud, Tamil Nadu
Main attractions of Yercaud Summer Festival: Floral arrangements using one lakh flowers by Horticulture Department
Yercaud Summer Festival 2019 Dates: 2nd Week Of May
8. Shimla Summer Festival
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Shimla arranges this festival for the arrival of summer and entices tourists to this magnificent hill station.
If Shimla is one the best vacation destinations for you in Summers, then be a part of this festival and enjoy various exhibitions of local handicrafts, family sports, ice skating shows, food exhibitions, flower exhibitions, photography competitions, poster making competitions, and live theater.
Live performances by newcomers and famous artists from different countries are certainly the showstopper of this summer festival in India.
When you are in Shimla, make sure that you don’t miss one of the most beautiful festivals in the summer season in India.
Place: Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Main attractions of Shimla Summer Festival: Himachali Film festival
Shimla Summer Festival 2019 Dates: May/June (Dates awaited)
9. Sikkim Summer Festival
Unlike other festivals celebrated in the spring season in India, Sikkim Summer Festival is a month-long festival.
In this celebration, orchids, rhododendrons, and primulas are displayed in the entertainment cultural show including local food festivals, white water rafting in Teesta, folk dance of Sikkimese, an exhibition of films on Sikkim tourism, local handicrafts exhibitions.
So, are you ready to enjoy one of the most spectacular Indian summer festivals until now?
Place: Gangtok, Sikkim
Main attractions of Sikkim Summer Festival: Adventurous yak safari in the vicinity of Gangtok
Sikkim Summer Festival 2019 Dates: 1st -31st May
10. Hemis Festival
In the list of Summer Festivals in India, Hemis is a popular festival celebrated in Hemis monastery in Ladakh.
This cultural festival is celebrated with great splendor and the Lamas are dressed in fine silk apparels and masks and dances to represent the wonderful achievements of Padmasambhava – 8th-century Indian Buddhist guru.
The festival is celebrated for 2 days and the second day ends with a sacrifice.
Place: Hemis Monastery, Ladakh
Main attractions of Hemis Festival: Lamas of Hemis Monastery perform Mask Dance.
Hemis Festival 2019 Dates: 11th to 12th July