Fairs and Festivals in January

India is known to the world as the country of festivals and celebrations and the month of January marks the inception of the season of festivals in India. The fairs and festivals in India are celebrated with great enthusiasm and enjoyment that never ends. In the month of January, various prominent fairs and festivals fairs are organized that present a beautiful picture of the vibrant culture, rich history and tradition of incredible India. Step into this land for all seasons and be a part of the enthusiastic celebrations and take back an unforgettable experience with you.

The Bikaner Camel festival is lively and colorful festival which is organized every year by Department of Tourism, Rajasthan Government. Here, several magnificently decorated camels are displayed. There are several camel games and competitions held such as the camel race, camel dance, camel beauty pageant, etc.

Dates: January 12-13, 2021. Venue: Bikaner, Rajasthan

The birthday of last of the 10 living sikh Gurus, Guru Gobind Singh, is celebrated on the 5th of January every year. On this auspicious day, Gurudwaras all over India are beautifully decorated and special prayers are organized. The Birthday celebration lasts for three days. Two days before the birthday, a team of men and women starts reading the Guru Granth Sahib or Adi Granth, a sacred book of Sikhism, from start to end without interruption, this is called the Akhand Path and is done at any Gurdwara, Sikh worship place.

Dates: January 20, 2021. Venue: Punjab

This magnificent festival is celebrated by the devotees, on the full moon night of the Tamil month which falls between Mid Jan to Mid Feb. This year it falls on 8th Feb 2020. deserves a special mention among the festivals of Tamilnadu, as it is one of the most gorgeous and grandeur celebrations in South India On this day, idols of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Soundareshwar are taken out in the golden palanquins from the Meenakshi Temple to the beautiful Teppakolam Lake.

Dates: January 21, 2021. Venue: Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai, Tamil Nadu

This 10 day long festival, also known as “Gramam” in the local ethnicity is a wonderful festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm in the verdant villages situated around Kovalam village in Kerala. During this festival the houses are decorated and folk dance and musical events are held depicting the culture of Kerala. The festival offers many attractions to be seen in the festivals by travelers.

Dates: To be announced. Venue: Kovalam Beach, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Lohri, a winter Punjabi folk festival is celebrated in most parts of northern India with great enthusiasm. The festival marks the end of the winter season and beginning of happy sunny days in India. On this day, the friends and family members assemble together, sing Lohri songs and enjoy special food items like jaggery, popcorn, peanuts etc. Bonfire is the top highlight of Lohri. One the fire dies out, dinner includes crowd favorites like makki di roti te sarson da saag(cornflour pancakes and mustard spinach) and lassi (buttermilk).

Dates: January 13, 2021. Venue: Punjab

The Makar Sankranti festival marks the start of the harvest season in India. Every state celebrates and welcomes the new season of harvest in their own indigenous manner. It is generally celebrated by preparing sweets and wearing new clothes. The festival also marks the onset of spring season in India. Makar means Capricorn and Sankranti is transition. This festival is celebrated on 14th of January every year.

Date: January 14, 2021. Venue: All over India

Mamallapuram Dance Festival is organised for around 4 weeks, in the town of Mahabalipuram, to celebrate the diverse forms of folk dance popular in different regions and cultures of India. On this day, various forms of classical dance such as the Bharat Natyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Kathak, etc are organized. People from various parts of India and the world assemble in Tamil Nadu to be a part of this dance festival.

Dates: December 15, 2020 – January 15, 2021. Venue: Mahabalipuram

This famous dance festival is organized every year in the month of January by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat. This festival brings together brilliant dancers and musicals to perform an amazing musical, intermingled with their origin. The main motive of organizing the festival is to conserve the traditional dance forms of the country. Modhera is a place situated no less than 100 km north-west of Ahmedabad.

Dates: January 19-21, 2021. Venue: Modhera, Mehsana District, Gujarat

The historictown of Nagaur comes to life during the Nagaur Cattle Fair. Here, the trading of approx 75000 animals such as camels, goats, bullocks, horses, sheeps, etc are undertaken every year. Apart from traders and buyers, it also attracts a large number of tourists to visit and enjoy this sheer cultural beauty.

Dates: January 30- February 02, 2021. Venue: Nagaur, Rajasthan.

The onset of the harvesting season in the state of Gujarat is celebrated by flying kites of various sizes and colors in the sky. The city of Ahmedabad has been hosting the International Kite Festival since 1989 as part of the official celebration of Uttarayan, bringing master kite makers and flyers from all over the world.

Dates: January 07-14, 2021. Venue: Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Chalukya Dance Festival or the Pattadakkal dance Festival is a magnificent dance festival which is celebrated to revive and keep alive the culture of Pattadakal which is ages old heritage of India. Due to its history as the place of coronation for the Chalukya dynasty, this festival is organized every year at Pattadakkal, a world heritage site in Karnataka by the Govt. of Karnataka.

Date: January 01, 2021. Venue: Pattadakkal Temple, karnataka

In the various states of South India, the festival of Pongal is basically the harvest season of state Tamil Nadu which is considered as very auspicious and celebrated with great pomp. This festival can be considered as the ‘thanksgiving’ festival’ because this day is celebrated to thank the Sun God and Lord Indra for helping farmers in getting better-yielding crops. This 4-day festival marks the end of the harvest season.

Dates: January 13-16, 2021. Venue: Tamil Nadu

This is the day which honours the day on which constitution of India came into effect on 26 Jan 1950. This day is celebrated in entire India. On this day, a ceremony is organized in the Rajpath, New Delhi. The President of India unfurls the National Flag followed by the grand Republic Day parade which puts forth India’s defence capabilities, cultural and social heritage and puts the diversity of the country on the limelight. The festivities in Delhi last for a week with lots of special events and a large parade that highlights each state.

Date: January 15, 2021. Venue: Rajpath, New Delhi