If the only name that came to your mind while thinking of a colourful festival in India is ‘Holi’, it is time for some enlightenment! Yes, for India is a land of more colours than you can imagine in a palette, so vibrant that it is more of a painter’s dream than a country. This nation is a melting pot of cultures so diverse and interesting that
you will be left awed, especially if you have a penchant for folk arts. So yes, it is time to move over Holi and know more of the wonder that is India; with that in mind, we have a lowdown on some of the most colourful festivals of India.
Hemis Festival, Ladakh
While Ladakh in the state of Jammu & Kashmir is already known for its stunning landscape and thus a visual delight, the Hemis Festival takes its reputation a notch up. It is an annual, two day festival that is celebrated on the 10th day of the Lunar Month as per the Tibetan calendar. Brace yourself for enticing and immensely colourful Cham dance performances that see masked dancers in awe-striking outfits dancing to the tunes of some really interesting Ladakhi instruments.
Bihu Festival, Assam
It would be apt to refer to Bihu as the most important festival of Assam. It comprises of three different festivals, Rongali, Kogali and Magh, held in April, October and January. So yes, you have more chances of partaking in Bihu! Rongali Bihu sees celebrations on a massive scale, and is the perfect one to get an insight into the culture here. Apart from some immensely delectable food, Bihu is a festival wherein you will get privy to Assam’s folk dance and music as well. Mark our words, the sheer energy here will take your breath away.
Pushkar Fair, Ajmer
Think about colours, and you cannot not think of Rajasthan and one of its biggest fairs, Pushkar. It is an annual, five-day event, also hailed as country’s biggest animal fair. Yes, you read that right. This fair is where you can see legal animal trading; the mammoth event also sees the fairground turning into a carnival with shepherds coming from all over the state and pitching tents there. Delicious Rajasthani cuisine is very well-complimented by the state’s rich legacy of music, dance and other arts. Needless to write, Pushkar Fair is a riot of colours in what can be called as India’s most colourful state.
Kullu Dussehra, Kullu
This one sees around five lakh people swooping to the Himalayan town of Kullu in the state of Himachal Pradesh. An immensely entertaining event, it is celebrated to mark Dussehra, a major Hindu festival. The fair has been taking place since 16th century and is a major event for the locals. Apart from the regular rituals and a rath yatra, Kullu Dussehra sees the locals and participants in their most colourful attire, proudly pulling a feat of sorts. The celebrations have found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest folk dance festival in the world by attracting a humongous 12,000 women for dance.
Kumbha Mela, multi-city
This one is, unquestionably, the biggest and most colourful festival or fair in India and the world. Also famous as the world’s largest religious congregation, it is held in four Indian cities, including Haridwar, Allahabad, Nashik and Ujjain, with each city hosting it every 12th year. You can imagine the grandeur of this one with the fact that it finds a place in UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Kumbha Mela is where you will also see foreigners, travel journalists and photographers coming in huge numbers, for the host city becomes an amalgamation of people, faiths, and so much more. Not to miss events in these fairs are the main processions that see sages, naga sadhus, and yogis marching around the town on horses, elephants, camels and what not! Believe us, a Kumbha Mela is where you can see this country as its grandest.
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