Fair & Festivals in India in September 2019

September brings India into a full swing. It is that time of the year, when the country celebrates some of its biggest festivals in a manner that reflects how deep it is rooted to its culture and traditions. Mentioned below are some of the popular festivals in India in September, the celebrations of which spread to its every corner.  

Ziro Festival of Music 

Artists performing at a rock music festival : Zero Fest

If you wish to experience what impact a music festival can leave to your mind, then you must head for the Ziro festival of music. Not as great as the Woodstock, but certainly this one is enough for your soul to fly like a free bird.

Some call it the wilderness effect, created by the magical landscapes and mystical mountains of the breathtaking North-east, while others believe it’s the fusion of artists (global and local) that defines the beauty of this festival. Whatever it is! The Ziro music festival is one fun trip that every music lover must cling on to.

The Ziro festival of Music goes on for 4 days and is a chance to live your hippie dream (staying in camps, merry making and the unescapable charm of music).  

When: September 27-30, 2019

Address: Ziro valley, Arunachal Pradesh

[Plan your trip to Arunachal Pradesh with our collection of tour packages]

Ganesh Chaturthi

Submergence of the idol of the Lord Ganesha

Hindu’s most adorable Lord, Lord Ganesha, gets a special attention in the month of September. And it so happens in the city of Mumbai again. A birthday celebration that goes on for 11 days, Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most auspicious festivals in this part of India. Huge and elaborated clay statues of Lord Ganesha make their way to the residences and podiums of the city. This represents the homecoming of the lord and on the last and the final 11th day (Ananta Chaturdashi), the statue of the lord is submerged into the sea, with a belief that every of their worries and problems will also be carried away with him. Before the submergence of the idol of the divine, they are paraded on the streets with full processions that include a lot of singing (Ganpati Bappa Moriya) and dancing.

Festivities of this scale can also be seen in the other southern states of India (TamilNadu, Kerala, Goa and Karnataka) as well.

When: September 2-12, 2019

Places to be during this time: Ganesh Chaturthi is the favorite festival of the state of Maharashtra and especially Mumbai’s. You can also visit Goa, TamilNadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to witness the festivities.

[ Read more about Ganesh Chaturthi Festival ]

Ladakh Festival

Cham Dance performance at Ladakh festival

For all those who take Ladakh as a cold, rusty, barren land, where the vibrancy of mass human gatherings or civilization is highly remote, the Ladakh festival celebrated in the month of September is a mind changer. The Ladakh festival is an annual fiesta that let the locals cherish their deep-rooted culture and traditions, which are the same since time immemorial. It all starts with a procession of dancers, school children and sometimes local leaders.

This gets followed by yak, lion and mask dances. By this time, the festivities turn into a big time high; not to forget the contribution of the locally made barley beer, known as Chang. The festival also talks about sports in the form of archery contests and polo matches. Adventure sports, being one of the faces of Ladakh, become the same for this festival as well. During this time various adventure expeditions like white water rafting, trekking and motor-biking are organized.

In a nutshell, the Ladakh festival is one last reason for the region to ride in the wave of celebration and partying, because after that it’s nothing but a cold and dull spell of winters.

When: September 25-28, 2019

Places to be: Leh and its surrounding villages  

[ Read more about Ladakh Festival and plan your trip ]

Eid al-Adha, Bakrid

Also known as Id-ul-Zuha, it is one of the most auspicious festivals of the Muslim world and is celebrated all over the globe. Indians prefer to call it Bakr-id because of the tradition of sacrificing a goat (Bakri) being involved.

The sacrifice has an interesting story behind it. Muslims have a belief that Allah (God) ordered Ibrahim to put his son forward as a mark of sacrifice. While following the Lord’s commands, the son accidentally got replaced with a sheep at the very last moment.

As part of the celebrations, visits to mosques in new outfits become the order of the day. People offer special prayers and exchange gifts with their loved ones. Read More

When: Every year, Eid-al-Adha falls in the last month of lunar Islamic calendar, Dhu-al-Hijjah. For the year 2019, it is going to be on 12 August 2019.

Vishwakarma Puja

TSR 1st battalion worshiping their Arms & Rifles

Hindu religion address him as ‘Devashilpi’ or the ‘Architect of Gods’. He, Lord Vishwakarma, is the divine engineer and is worshipped mainly by the professionals. Hindus believe that Lord Vishwakarma fabricated the entire universe as per the wishes of Lord Brahma. Thus, as a mark of reverence to the lord, Vishwakarma Puja is carried on by artists, craftsman, weavers and Industrial houses. Idols of the Lord and his elephant are put on display at decorated Pandals. The occasion also attracts kite flyers. Owing to which, several multi-colored kites can be seen ruling the skies. Read More

When: September 17, 2019

Where: Karnataka, Assam, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Tripura. 

Onam Festival

It’s the homecoming of the Devil king, Mahabali, and the Malayalis love it. With complete traditions and rituals, they welcome him at their home. And is the state festival of Kerala, Onam.

The festival is one of the most ancient in India, but has not lost its traditional festive shine in today’s modern times. Onam is basically a harvest festival, which beautifully showcases the culture and heritage of Kerala. Decorations known as Pookalam mark the entrances of the homes.

Women dressed in colorful attires serve guests with authentic Kerala cuisines that are a part of a ritual named Onasadya. And on the streets, processions and parades in the form of Pulikkali Tiger Play, whereas the backwaters, being raced down by traditional snake boats,  depict the festive spirit of the auspicious Onam. Read More   

When: 1st - 13th September , 2019 (celebrations start 10 days prior and continue for around a week after).

Where: Kerala. The most spectacular celebrations take place in Trivandrum, Thrissur, and Kottayam. For Aranmulla snake boat race, travel to Pampa river, near Chengannur, South of Alleppey in Kerala. 

Shravani Mela

Celebrated through out the monsoon months in India, Shravani Mela is a festival dedicated to the almighty Shiva. In an attempt to pay obeisance to Baba Baidyanath Shiva, thousands of Saffron clad devotees march for more than 100 km.

The tradition says it starts on the Amavasya (No moon) day in the month of monsoon and ends by the Purnima (Full moon) day. In between all this, devotees have to fetch the holy waters of Ganga and shower it at Deoghar Baidyanath temple.

When: 28 July to 26 August 2019
Where: All over India.

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Fair and Festivals in India in October 
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Dussehra Festival in India

Dussehra is one of the most important Hindu festivals celebrated all across India with great pomp and gusto. This festival celebrates the victory of good over evil and marks the occasion in the great Indian epic Ramayana when Lord Ram, the good kills Meghnath (Lord of the moon), the bad and Ravana (Of sun race), the ugly to rescue his captive wife Sita.

Did you know that we have mention Dussehra as one of the top reasons to travel in India in October.

The name of the festival is etymologically derived from Ravana. Since Ravana, the wise (he is referred to as great Brahman by his adversary Ram) had 10 heads - which according to the epic Ramayana, he earned from Hindu God Shiva’s blessing - the  killing of Ravana meant the defeat of the one with 10 heads hence the name Dussehra (Das meaning 10 and hara meaning defeat).

In India, the festival is celebrated on a large scale in different parts of the country. The manner in which it is celebrated is different all across the country. As the place of its celebration changes in the country, the celebration type also changes. While it is known as Durga Puja in Kolkata, it is Dasara in Mysore and Navaratri in Gujarat. The varied style of celebration makes it the most loved and popular festival. This colorful festival has much more to it which is further discussed in our following segment. Most popular places for attending Dussehra in India are Kullu in Himachal Pradesh and Mysore in Karnataka.

Flipping back the pages

Dusshera is a festival which is celebrated in the country from years. It is important for all to know the significance of the festival. We hope that this helps you in knowing about the history which makes us celebrate this festival today.

According to the Hindu religion, on the day of Dusshera in the Treta Yug, Lord Rama killed demon Ravana who abducted Lord Rama’s wife Sita. Lord Rama along with his brother Lakshmana, Hanuman and an army of monkeys fought a battle to rescue Sita. This entire story is recorded in the epic Ramayana. Lord Rama prayed to Maa Durga who blessed him and gave him knowledge to kill Ravana. Lord Rama and his team defeated Ravana on the day of Ashwin Shukla Dashami.  The day later was termed as Vijaya Dashami. From then, the day is celebrated on a grand scale to remember the victory of good over evil. Huge effigies of Ravana, his son Meghnath and brother Kumbhkaran are burnt on this day. All this is done to signify the end of evil.

Customs and rituals

Navratri festival precedes Dusshera. Navratri is a festival where Maa Durga and Lord Rama are worshipped for nine days. With the coming of Dusshera, people start cleaning and decorating their homes with beautiful items like flowers, leaves and bead strings. Puja is performed on a large scale to seek blessings of Maa Durga and Lord Rama.

One main ritual of Dusshera is Ravan Dahan. Ten heads of demon Ravana are burnt which symbolize the evil inside a human being. By burning the effigies, people pray to get rid of all these evils:

• Kama vasana: Lust
• Krodha: Anger
• Moha: Attachment
• Lobha: Greed
• Mada: Over Pride
• Matsara: Jealousy
• Swartha: Selfishness
• Anyaaya: Injustice
• Amanavta: Cruelty
• Ahankara: Ego

There is one more ritual as per which, people worship their weapons, pens and other instruments. All these things act as a symbol of fighting injustice.

Major Celebrations

Dusshera is celebrated on a large scale in:

• Kullu: Kullu Dusshera is celebrated in the Dhalpur maidan in the Kullu Valley. The celebrations of the festival begin on Vijay Dashmi and they continue for seven days. It celebrates the triumph of Lord Ram over evil.

• Mysore: Dasara in Mysore is a 10-day long celebration. The festival celebrated victory of good over evil. It is celebrated to recall the day when Maa Durga killed demon Mahishasur.

• Varanasi: Ram Nagar in Varanasi is a place which celebrates Dusshera in a unique manner. During the celebrations, multi-stage performances are given by different artists. Sadhus from different parts of the country come here to recite Ramayana. The celebrations go on for 31 days.

• Delhi: The capital city showcases a unique blend of Ramlila and Durga Puja. Around 1000 Ramlila programs and 250 Puja pandals are organized in the city. The celebration is completed by burning cracjer-stuffed effigies of Ravana and feasting with family and friends.

• Kota: A huge Dusshera Mela is organized at Kota, Rajasthan. The Mela is organized for three days and it has decorated shops which offer handicrafts, rides and food items. On the last day of the festival, effigies of Ravana are burnt to recall the victory of good over evil. 

• Bastar: Dusshera is the most important festival in Bastar. During the festival, all the deities from all the villages come together to the temple of Danteshwari in Jagdalpur. Here, the festival is celebrated completely for the devotion towards Goddess Danteshwari Devi.

• Kolkata: In Kolkata, the celebrations are known as Durga Puja. It is one of the most awaited festivals of West Bengal. During the festival, all the streets remain crowded and huge Pandal’s are set up to celebrate the festival.

Dusshera Mela

Dusshera Mela is organized in different parts of the country to add to the celebrations of the festival. The Mela is a complete riot of colors where people come with their family and friends to enjoy the festival. The Dusshera Mela houses a number of well-decorated shops offering local handmade items, food and toys. Cultural performances are given by different artists to entertain the public. Dancing competitions are also organized for the public where families perform together. At the end of the festival, effigies of the demons are burnt which is followed by feasting.

Dusshera is considered the most auspicious day of the year. Those who wish to start a new venture, choose this day with a wish to get success. The festival is a part of a long celebration which starts from Navaratri to the tenth day- Dusshera and Diwali which is celebrated after 20 days. The festival brings in with it a lot of colors, celebrations and happiness which is enjoyed by all.

Truth is always victorious! Celebrate the victory of good over evil this Dusshera.

Related Post:
Festivals in India in October 2014

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Festivals in India in October 2019

Festivals in India are times when families, friends and even entire communities come together to mark the occasion The air is redolent with the color and enthusiasm. There's joy, celebrations and events to mark the religious and cultural fests in India. The festivities are further enhanced by colorful lights, music and dance.

From the dances and rituals to mark the victory of good over evil across India to world's largest cattle fair in Pushkar, festivals in India in October give you ample reasons to pack your bags and head to the locations where they are celebrated at their best.

Here are the most important fair & festivals in India in October in no particular order:

Navratri Festival

A nine-day festival, Navaratri is when Mother Goddess is worshipped in all her manifestations. These manifestations include Maa Durga, Saraswati and Lakshmi.

During this festival, devotees worship and fast all day. At night, devotees enjoy the festival with dancing and feasting. The festival ends with Dussehra on the tenth day. Plays are organized all over Delhi and they feature the Navaratri celebrations. 

When: 29 September - 7 October, 2019
Where: All across India. Celebrated particularly in Gujarat, Mumbai, Varanasi, Mysore and Manali

Ramlila 

Sita Putting the jaymala around the neck of Rama

Ramlila is one of the best ways Hindus depict their epic Ramayana (the story of Lord Rama). And to enjoy the best of the numerous Ramlilas that are staged all across the Northern part of India, you need to schedule your plans to Ramnagar near Varanasi. Being dwelling in the mystic charm of Varanasi, it is quite obvious the connection it would be having with the prime religion of India, Hinduism.

The emulsification of Hinduism in one of the oldest habitats in the world, gave the people of Ramnagar a sense to reenact the story of Lord Vishnu’s incarnation, Lord Rama in the form of a play, some 200 years ago. This started the trend of Ramlila in India. Unlike the other small budgetary Ramlila’s in the country, this one has lavish sets and permanent structures that resemble a lot like those of the locations mentioned in the mythology. All this makes the whole city look like a giant set, where every soul is immersed completely in his respective role. When the other Ramlilas in India bail out after a period of 10 days, it continues for 31 days.

When: 29 September -11 October 2019

Address: Ramnagar, on the banks of Ganges River, opposite Varanasi

[Read More about Ramlila and Plan your trip]

Mysore Dussehra

Yes! Mysore Dussehra festival has something different to it. The festival is celebrated on a large scale. The festival is celebrated to honor the Goddess Chamundeswari who killed the great demon Mahishasur. It is celebrated to enjoy the victory of good over evil. 

When: 29 September to 7 October 2019
Where: Mysore, Karnataka

Jaipur Shopping Festival

Jaipur shopping festival is India’s biggest shopping festival which runs for a month. The festival features more than 7,000 retailers who come from major markets of the city.

The craft bazaar showcases the best handicrafts which have been designed by local and national artisans. And shopping is not all! The festival brings along, tons of entertainment in the form of music, plays, folk dancing, competitions, fireworks and fashion shows. 

When: 25 September – 23 October, 2019

Where: Different locations in Jaipur, Rajasthan

Durga Puja Festival

Durga Puja is celebrated in the honor of warrior Goddess Durga. During this festival, one can witness beautifully handcrafted statues of Maa Durga which are installed all around the city. People from different places roam around the streets to see the statues of Goddess Durga. 

At all the streets, there are different light shows and food stalls offering lip smacking dishes. All the statues of Maa Durga are paraded throughout the city before they are submerged into the river. 

When: 4 - 8 October, 2019

Where: Kolkata, West Bengal

[Browse through our collection of Kolkata tour packages]

Matsya Festival

It is the Matasya Festival which provides a look of the Rajasthani culture and heritage at its best. This colorful festival has a number of attractions including folk music, folk dance, exhibitions, competitions and sports. 

When : 21 - 22 October 2019
 Where: Alwar, Rajasthan

Ashwa Poojan

Ritual performance

Ashwa Poojan is a unique Rajasthani festival which is well-known as the Worship of the Horse. It is celebrated on a grand scale by the Mewar royal family of Udaipur on the last day of Navaratri. 

The festival celebrates and honors the relationship between the warrior and horse. So, the royal horses are worshipped by the current head of the royal family which is accompanied by the palace band. The key highlight of the festival is the mouth-watering Rajasthani cuisine which is served during the festival.

When: October 18, 2019

Where: Udaipur City Palace, Rajasthan

Dussehra

Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of the Navaratri festival. The festival is all about celebrating the victory of good over evil. 

It recalls the defeat of Ravana by Lord Rama. During the festival, a number of fairs are organized wherein the large models of Ravana are burnt on bonfires.

When: October 8, 2019

Where: Particularly in North India

Kullu Dussehra

Ceremony in Kullu

Kullu Dussehra is a week-long festival during which Goddess Hadimba is carried from the temple in Manali down to Kullu. From here, she is taken to the palace where she blesses the royal family. The goddess is then taken to Dhalpur where the idol of Lord Raghunath joins.

Gods and goddesses from all over the valley come to meet Hadimba and Lord Raghunath. Further, they are taken to the Dhalpur Maidan where they stay till the end of the festival. There are cultural performances and exhibitions which are organized during this festival.

Lastly, the chariot carrying Goddess Hadimba and Lord Raghunath is taken to Beas River. Here, a pile of thorn bushes are burnt to show the burning of Lanka. 

When: 8 October, 2019

Where: Dhalpur Maidan, Kullu Vallery, Himachal Pradesh

Marwar Festival

This festival mainly celebrates the culture of Rajasthan’s Marwar region. The festival lasts for two days over the full moon. It is organized to remember medieval heroes of the state.

Classical folk dance and music is the key highlight of this festival. There are many fun activities which are organized including horse riding, horse polo and camel tattooing.

When: October 12-13, 2019

Where: Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

[Read More about Marwar Festival]

Rajasthan International Folk Festival

Rajasthan International Folk Festival

The Rajasthan International Folk Festival is a unique one where in regional root music and art is presented. A number of things are organized during this festival such as jam sessions, interactive educational events and staged performances.

The public gets to enjoy great performances of dancers, singers, instrumentalists and storytellers who come from different Rajasthani folk communities. Performances are also given by nationally and internationally renowned artists. The festival is organized in Mehrangarh fort and this further adds to the colors of the festival.

When: 10 October - 14 October, 2019

Where: Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan

[ Read More about Folk Sounds of Rajasthani Music ] 

Pushkar Camel Fair

Pushkar Camel Fair is a traditional Indian style festival in which around 50,000 camels come together on the desert town, Pushkar. All these camels are dressed up and for them, beauty contests, parades and races are organized. From 3rd to 6th November, the festival changes its focus to the religious celebrations.

When: 4 November - 12 November, 2019

Where: Pushkar, Rajasthan

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