Rich in religions and traditions, India has scores of vibrant holidays and festivals. Many festivals occur during purnima (full moon), which is considered to be traditionally auspicious. The 'wedding season' generally falls between the cooler months of November and March (although dates still revolve around auspicious dates set by astrologers). If you visit during this period, you're likely to see at least one wedding procession on the street - a merry mix of singing, dancing and a loud brass band.

Most holidays and festivals follow either the Indian lunar calendar (a complex system determined chiefly by astrologers) or the Islamic calendar, and therefore changes from year to year according to the Gregorian calendar. The India-wide holidays and festivals listed below are arranged according to the Indian lunar (and Gregorian) calendar which starts in Chaitra (March or April).

Chaitra (Mar/Apr)
Mahavir Jayanti This Jain festival commemorates the birth of Mahavira, the founder of Jainism.
Ramanavami Hindu temples all over India celebrate the birth of Rama. In the week leading up to Ramanavami, the epic of Ramayana is widely read and enacted in street theaters.

Vaisakha (Apr/May)
Muharram This 10-day Muslim festival commemorates the martyrdom of Mohammed's grandson, Imam Hussain.
Buddha Jayanti This 'triple blessed festival' falls on the full moon and celebrates Buddha's birth, enlightenment and attainment of nirvana. Processions of monks carrying sacred scriptures pass through the streets of Gangtok (Sikkim) and other northern towns.

Jyaistha (May/June)
Milad-un-Nabi This Muslim festival celebrates the birth of Mohammed.

Asadha (June/July)
Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival) Hindu Lord Jagannath's great temple chariot makes its stately journey from his temple in Puri, Orissa, during this festival. Similar festivals take place in other locations, particularly in the Dravidian south.

Sravana (July/Aug)
Naag Panchami This Hindu festival is dedicated to Ananta, the serpent upon whose coils Vishnu rested between universes. Offerings are made to snake images and snake charmers do a roaring trade. Snakes are supposed to have power over the monsoon rainfall and keep evil from homes.
Raksha Bandhan (Narial Purnima) On the full-moon day girls fix amulets known as rakhis to their brothers' (not necessarily blood related) wrists to protect them in the coming year. The brothers reciprocate with gifts. People also worship the Vedic sea-god deity Varuna on the same day.

Bhadra (Aug/Sept)
Independence Day This public holiday on 15 August celebrates the anniversary of India's independence from Britain in 1947 with procession, floats, bands, marches and gun-salutes. The prime minister delivers an address from the ramparts of Delhi's Red Fort.
Drukpa Teshi This festival celebrates the first teaching given by Buddha.
Ganesh Chaturthi This joyful festival celebrates the birth of the popular elephant-headed god, Ganesh. It is widely celebrated across India, but with particular verve in Mumbai. Fire-crackers explode at all hours and families buy clay idols of Ganesh, the god of good fortune. On the last day of the festival the idols are paraded through the streets before being ceremoniously dunked in a lake, river or the sea.
Janmashthami The anniversary of Krishna's birth is celebrated - in tune with Krishna's own mischievous moods. Devotees fast all day until midnight and in Mathura (Krishna's birthplace) the festivities last for an entire month.
Shravan Purnima On this day of fasting, high-caste Hindus replace the sacred thread which they always wear looped over their left shoulder.
Pateti Parsis celebrate their new year at this time.

Asvina (Sept/Oct)
Dussehra This popular festival celebrates Durga's victory over the buffalo-headed demon Mahishasura. In many places, it culminates with the burning of huge images of the demon king Ravana and his accomplices, symbolic of the triumph of good over evil. In Delhi it is known as Ram Lila (life story of Rama), with fireworks and re-enactments of the Ramayana. In West Bengal, the festival is known as Durga Puja and in Gujarat, it is Navratri (Festival of Nine Nights).
Gandhi Jayanti This public holiday is a solemn celebration of Mohandas Gandhi's birth anniversary on 2 October with prayer meetings at the Raj Ghat in Delhi where he was cremated.

Kartika (Oct/Nov)
Diwali (Deepavali) This is the happiest (and noisiest) festival of the Hindu calendar, celebrated on the 15th day of Kartika. At night decorative oil lamps are lit to show Rama the way home from his period of exile. The festival is also dedicated to Lakshmi (particularly in Mumbai) and to Kali (Kolkata). In all, the festival lasts five days. On the first day, houses are thoroughly cleaned and doorsteps are decorated with intricate rangolis (chalk designs). Day two is dedicated to Krishna's victory over Narakasura, a legendary tyrant. In the south, a pre-dawn oil bath is followed by the donning of new clothes. Day three is spent worshipping Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Traditionally, this is the beginning of the new financial year for companies. Day four commemorates the visit of the friendly demon Bali whom Vishnu put in his place. On the fifth day men visit their sisters to have a 'tika' put on their forehead. Diwali has also become the 'festival of sweets'. Giving sweets has become as much a part of the tradition as the lighting of oil lamps and fire-crackers.
Govardhana Puja A Hindu festival dedicated to that holiest of animals, the cow.

Aghan (Nov/Dec)
Nanak Jayanti The birthday of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, is celebrated with prayer readings and processions.
Ramadan This 30-day dawn-to-dusk fast is the most auspicious Muslim festival. It was during this month that the Prophet Mohammed had the Quran revealed to him in Mecca. This festival generally occurs between November and December, but can also fall in early January.
Eid al-Fitr This is a day of feasting to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

Magha (Jan/Feb)
Republic Day This public holiday on 26 January celebrates the anniversary of India's establishment as a republic in 1950; there are activities in all state capitals but most spectacularly in Delhi, where there is a colorful military parade along Rajpath. As part of the same celebration, three days later a Beating of the Retreat ceremony takes place near Delhi's Rashtrapati Bhavan, the residence of the Indian president.
Pongal This Tamil festival marks the end of the harvest season. It is observed on the first day of the Tamil month of Thai, which is in the middle of January. The festivities last four days and include such activities as the boiling-over of a pot of pongal (a mixture of rice, sugar, dhal and milk), symbolic of prosperity and abundance. On the third day, cattle are washed, decorated and even painted, and then fed the pongal.
Vasant Panchami It is traditional to dress in yellow to celebrate this Hindu festival, held on the 5th day of Magha. In some places, especially West Bengal, Saraswati, the goddess of learning, is honored. Books, musical instruments and other professional tools and equipments are placed in front of the goddess to receive her blessing.

Phalguna (Feb/Mar)
Holi This is one of the most exuberant Hindu festivals, when people celebrate the end of winter by throwing colored water and gulal (powder) at one another. Don't wear good clothes on this day and be ready to duck. On the night before Holi, bonfires are built to symbolize the destruction of the evil demon Holika. It's mainly a northern festival; there is no real winter to end in the south so it is as not widespread there. In Barsana near Mathura, women not only douse men in colored powder, they also get the pleasure of beating them with sticks, reliving the routing of the gopas by the gopis (milkmaids).
Shivaratri This day of Hindu fasting is dedicatee to Shiva, who danced the tandava (cosmic dance) on this day. Temple processions are followed by the chanting of mantras and anointing of lingams
Eid al-Zuhara This Muslim festival commemorates Abraham's attempt to sacrifice his son.
Losar Tibetan New Year is a great time to be in McLeod Ganj in Himachal Pradesh - the Dalai Lama gives week-long teachings.