Home / Festivals
Every major festival of India in one place — Hindu, Varanasi specials, national days and other faiths. The next festival is always first; once a festival passes it moves down the list with next year's date. Open any festival to read its significance, how it is celebrated in Varanasi and to book your trip.
Fri, 6 Nov 2026
The first day of Diwali, for wealth, health and new purchases
View festival guide HinduSun, 8 Nov 2026
The festival of lights and Lakshmi Puja
View festival guide HinduMon, 9 Nov 2026
The day Krishna lifted Govardhan hill, marked by mountains of food
View festival guide HinduWed, 11 Nov 2026
The last day of Diwali, for brothers and sisters
View festival guide Varanasi Special13–16 Nov 2026
The sun-worship festival of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh
View festival guide Varanasi SpecialFri, 13 Nov 2026
A living re-enactment of Krishna defeating the serpent Kaliya at Tulsi Ghat
View festival guide Varanasi SpecialTue, 24 Nov 2026
Varanasi's greatest festival, when millions of diyas light all the ghats
View festival guide Other FaithsTue, 24 Nov 2026
The birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism
View festival guide Other FaithsFri, 25 Dec 2026
Christmas celebrations in Varanasi's churches
View festival guide HinduThu, 14 Jan 2027
The bonfire festival of winter, harvest and Punjabi joy
View festival guide HinduFri, 15 Jan 2027
The kite-and-Ganga-dip festival that marks the Sun's northward journey
View festival guide HinduFri, 15 Jan 2027
The South Indian harvest festival of boiling-over rice and gratitude
View festival guide NationalTue, 26 Jan 2027
India's national day marking the adoption of the Constitution
View festival guide HinduThu, 11 Feb 2027
The festival of Saraswati, yellow flowers and the first day of spring
View festival guide HinduSat, 6 Mar 2027
The great night of Shiva — and Kashi's biggest festival
View festival guide Other FaithsWed, 10 Mar 2027
The festival that ends Ramadan
View festival guide Varanasi Special18–19 Mar 2027
Holi played with ash at Manikarnika — Varanasi's most unusual festival
View festival guide Hindu21–22 Mar 2027
The festival of colours, bonfires and spring joy
View festival guide Other FaithsFri, 26 Mar 2027
The Christian observance of the crucifixion of Jesus
View festival guide Other FaithsSun, 28 Mar 2027
The Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus
View festival guide HinduWed, 7 Apr 2027
The Hindu New Year for Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra and Telangana
View festival guide Hindu7–15 Apr 2027
Nine nights of Goddess worship that end with Ram Navami
View festival guide HinduWed, 14 Apr 2027
The harvest and Khalsa foundation festival of Punjab
View festival guide HinduThu, 15 Apr 2027
The birth anniversary of Lord Rama
View festival guide Other FaithsMon, 19 Apr 2027
The birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankara
View festival guide HinduTue, 20 Apr 2027
The birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman
View festival guide HinduSat, 8 May 2027
The day of endless prosperity, gold and new beginnings
View festival guide Other FaithsMon, 17 May 2027
The festival of sacrifice, remembering Ibrahim's devotion
View festival guide Other FaithsThu, 20 May 2027
Birth, enlightenment and passing of the Buddha, celebrated at Sarnath
View festival guide HinduSun, 13 Jun 2027
The day the Ganga is said to have descended to earth
View festival guide Other FaithsTue, 15 Jun 2027
The day of mourning for Imam Hussain
View festival guide HinduMon, 5 Jul 2027
The chariot festival of Lord Jagannath
View festival guide HinduSun, 18 Jul 2027
Honouring teachers and the sage Vyasa
View festival guide Varanasi Special19 Jul – 17 Aug 2027
A month of Shiva devotion with Kanwar pilgrims and Monday fasts
View festival guide HinduFri, 6 Aug 2027
The day of serpent worship and respect for nature
View festival guide NationalSun, 15 Aug 2027
India's national day of freedom from British rule
View festival guide Other FaithsSun, 15 Aug 2027
The birthday of Prophet Muhammad
View festival guide HinduTue, 17 Aug 2027
The festival of the sibling bond and the sacred thread
View festival guide Varanasi SpecialFri, 20 Aug 2027
The monsoon festival of Kajari folk songs
View festival guide HinduWed, 25 Aug 2027
The midnight birth celebration of Lord Krishna
View festival guide Hindu4–13 Sep 2027
The festival of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles
View festival guide HinduMon, 13 Sep 2027
The Malayali harvest festival of King Mahabali
View festival guide Varanasi Special14 Sep – 15 Oct 2027
A month-long open-air retelling of the Ramayana, unique in the world
View festival guide Hindu15–30 Sep 2027
Fifteen days to honour ancestors with shraddha and Pind Daan
View festival guide Hindu30 Sep – 8 Oct 2027
Nine nights of Goddess worship leading to Dussehra
View festival guide NationalSat, 2 Oct 2027
The birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
View festival guide Hindu6–9 Oct 2027
Bengal's great festival, celebrated with pandals and processions in Varanasi too
View festival guide HinduSat, 9 Oct 2027
The victory of Rama over Ravana and good over evil
View festival guide Varanasi SpecialSun, 10 Oct 2027
The famous 'reunion of Rama and Bharata' staged in the old city
View festival guide HinduFri, 15 Oct 2027
The full-moon night of nectar, kheer and Lakshmi worship
View festival guide HinduMon, 18 Oct 2027
The fast for a husband's long life, ending at moonrise
View festival guideChoose the festival, tell us your dates and group size. We reply on WhatsApp with hotel options near the ghats and a customised package.
The festivals list on this page is sorted by date automatically, so the first card is always the next festival. Cards below it follow in date order, and festivals that have just passed move to the bottom with next year's date.
Most Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh and Islamic festivals follow lunar or lunisolar calendars, so their dates move against the English calendar. Fixed-date festivals such as Republic Day, Independence Day and Christmas stay the same.
Dev Deepawali, Mahashivratri, Holi (including Masan Holi), Dussehra and the Ramnagar Ramlila, and Sawan are among the most spectacular. Book hotels near the ghats several weeks ahead for these dates.