Fairs & Festivals of India 2012

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April

01 - Peruvanum pooram (Thrissur)
02- Nenmara Vallangi Vela (Palakkad)



05 - Sabarimala Aarat, Mahavir Jayanthi, Panguni Uthiram (Palani, Mylapore, Madurai, Srirangam)
06 - Good Friday, Vagamon malakayattom, Thankey church.
08 - Easter
13 - Car festival at Tiruvadamarudur (near Kumbakonam, Varsha Pirappu)
14 - Vishu : Guruvayur, Sabarimala (Open for 10 days), Thirunelli, Chidambaram temple, Arattupuzha Pooram (71 gaily caparisoned elephants with Panchavadyam at Thrissur), Kadammanitta Devi Temple (Pathanamthitta - Spectacular padayani performance, first day of the month of Medam), Chamakkavu Kettukazhcha (Mavelikara).



15 - Kollam Pooram, Malayattoor church festival (Ernakulam).

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May

1 - Thrissur Pooram, Kerala's biggest temple festival with processions of caparisoned elephants at Vadakkunnatha temple.
3 - Edappally St George Church Festival (5 pm, Ernakulam), Madurai Sri Meenachi marriage festival.
4 - Abu Summer festival (upto 6th, Rajasthan)
5 - Buddha Purnima (Himachal Pradesh)



6 - Mangala devi jungle temple festival (Thekkady/Idukki)
7 - Edathua church festival (procession at 4 pm - near Ambalapuzha, Alappuzha)



13 - Irijalakuda Koodalmanikyam temple Aarat (Thrissur)
18 - Ooty flower show at Botanical Gardens (up to 20th)
28 - Ajmir Urs fair (Rajasthan)

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June

3 - Srirangapatanam Chariot festival (Mysore)
Early June - Shimla Summer Festival (Himachal Pradesh)
15 - Ochira kali (Near Kayamkulam in Kollam Dt.)
21 - Puri Rath Yatra (Orissa)
24 - Sao Joao Boat festival at Siolim, Goa (24th June)
25 - Amarnath Yatra, Jammu Kashmir (up to 13 Aug), Chidambaram Chariot festival (Uthiram of Aani)



28 - Kottiyur Kalasattam. It is 2 hour by bus from Thalassery in Kannur.
29 & 30 - Hemis Festival (Ladakh)



The Pandharpur Palki yatra from Dehu near Pune ends on the previous day of Ashadhi Ekadasi at Pandharpur Vithoba Temple in Maharashtra (21 days)

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July

3 - Champakulam moolam boat race (accessible from Alappuzha)
18- Karikidavavu at Sankhumukham beach (Thiruvananthapuram), Varkala, Tirunavaya (Malappuram), Tirunelli (Wayanad), Ponkuzhy Sree Rama temple (Wayanad).
22 & 23 - Teej, is a fasting festival for Hindu Women, mainly celebrated in Jaipur.



24 - Nag Panchami (Adiesha Temple in Andhra Pradesh, Nagathamman Temple in Chennai, Hardevja Temple in Jaipur).

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August

4 & 5 - Sitabari fair (117 km from Kota)
10 - Sree Krishna Jayanti : Guruvayur, Thrissur Thiruvambadi temple, Ambalapuzha temple (Alappuzha) - Shobha yatra,
Dahi Handi (Pune and Mumbai)
11- Nehru Trophy Boat race at Punnamada lake (Alappuzha, Second Saturday of August at 2 pm)
Metemneo Festival in second week of August, Nagaland
15 - Independence Day parade at New Delhi and other State capitals
21 - Tripunithura Attachamayam (Ernakulam), Ganesh Chaturthi ("Ganpati bapa, mouriya! Pudcha varshi, laukar ya!") celebrated all over Maharashtra mainly in Pune and Mumbai.
29 - Thiru Onam, Pookkalam (Flower arrangement from Atham to Onam day). Onavillu, the ceremonial bows an offering to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on Thiruonam day. Harippad Payippad boat race, Neerettupuram boat race (On the Ambalapuzha - Thiruvalla highway).
30 - Neelamperoor padayani at Palli Bhagavathy temple in Alappuzha district (16 km from Kottayam). Begins at 10 pm on Avittam day in the Malayalam month of Chingam.

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September

1 - Ladakh festival at Leh (up to 15th, lion dances, yak dances, craft stalls, excellent local food and plenty of chang!.)
2 - Aranmula Uttrathadi boat race (10 km from Chengannur/Pathanamthitta), Tazhathangady boat race at 3 pm (first Sunday after Onam, Kottayam).
8 - Sree Krishna jayanti, Manarcad church festival (Kottayam, 7th nadathurackal), Vechoor church, Vailankanni festival (Tamil Nadu)
19 to 21 - Tarnetar fair (75 km from Rajkot)



25 - Navaratri Brahmotsavam at Tirupati is celebrated with Chariot festival in September/October for 9 days (in the month of Asweeja in Salivahana Calendar, when sun is in kanya rasi). Ends on October x with Chakrasnanam.

Jwalamukhi Fair (30 km from Kangra, HP)

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October

11 - Vettikot Ayilyam (Kayamkulam)



14 - Koratty church festival
15 - Mahe St Theresa's church festival
17 - Rayiranallur mala kayattom (Palakkad)
24 - Vijayadashami / Dussehra (Mysore, Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, Kota fair), dandiya, Durga Puja (West Bengal), Kollur Mookambika temple.



26 - Bakrid
28 - Marwar festival (Jodhpur, up to 29th)

Cape festival at Kanyakumari (3 days, in October).