Fairs & Festivals of India 2013

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January 2013

06 - Feast of three kings, Goa (Jan 6)
10 - Erumely Chandanakudam festival (Kottayam)
14 - Sabarimala Makaravilakku, Maha Kumbhmela at Allahabad (Main days are Jan 27, Feb 10 *, Feb 15, Feb 25 and March 10), Thypongal (Bull fight/Jellikettu at Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and Tanjore), Kanjiramattom Urs (13th & 14th Jan), Gujarat kite festival at Ahmedabad (14th Jan), Jaipur kite festival.
17 - Kottayam flower show
20 - Arthunkal feast (Alappuzha), St Sebastian's feast at Kanjoor




22 - Adoor Parthasarathy temple Gajamela
26 - Palani chariot festival, Madurai float festival, Bikaner Camel fair (27th too)
27 - Thypooyam (Harippad Subramanya temple, Koorkanchery Sree Maheswara temple, Madurai, Palani)
29 - Cherai Pooram

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February

01 - Khajuraho dance festival (upto 7th)
03 - Surajkund mela (Haryana, fortnight long)
05 - Chinakkathoor Pooram (Palakkad)
09 - Anayadi temple Aarat (Kollam, 81 gaily caparisoned elephants were paraded), Goa Carnival (up to 12th, Panaji)
16 -Chettikulangara kumbha bharani : Kettukazcha & Kuthiyottam (Alappuzha) Video
17 - Nagaur cattle fair (up to 20th, near Jodhpur)
19 - Ezharaponnana Darshan at Ettumanoor Mahadevar temple, Machattu Thiruvanikkavu Mamankam (Kuthiravela, Vadakkancherry, Thrissur)
23 - Guruvayur Elephant race, Kuttikkol Thampuratty Theyyam (up to 26th, Kasaragod), Sikkim flower show (up to 27th)



26 - Attukal pongala, Uthralikavu Pooram (Thrissur), Elankavu Attuvela (2 days, Vadayar near Vaikom)



x - Aryankav pooram (Shornur, Palakkad)

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March

03 - Pattambi Nercha (Palakkad)
08 - Thiruvillamala Ekadasi (Palakkad)
10 - Shivaratri (Aluva), Padanilam Kettukazcha (near Charummudu, Shivaratri), Kanichukulangara temple fireworks (Alappuzha, Shivaratri) : Video, Pariyanam Patta pooram, Natyanjali dance festival at Chidambaram (TN, 5 days from Shivratri).
11 - Parippally Gajamela (Kollam)
19 - Kannamali church St Joseph's festival (Kochi, 19th March)
22 - Peruvanum pooram (Thrissur)



25 - Arattupuzha pooram (Thrissur)
27 - Panguni Uthiram (Palani, Madurai, Srirangam)
28 - Puthiyakavu Pongala (Kollam), Elephant festival at Jaipur (Holi)

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April

02 - Kollur Mookambika chariot festival
03 - Nenmara Vallangi Vela (Palakkad)
04 - Ambalapuzha Natakashala Sadya at 12.30 h (Alappuzha)
05 - Kollengod thookkam at Vattavila Bhadrakali temple (Palakkad)
07 - Malayattoor church festival (Ernakulam)

11 - Kodungallur Kavutheendal (next day is Bharani festival), Malanada Kettukazhcha (30 km from Chengannur, Kaala vela, chariot. Toddy is the main offering and temple is dedicated to Duryodhana, Aswathy day in the month of Meenam), Mewar festival at Udaipur, Gangaur festival (Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer).
12 - Pandalam kettukazcha (Meena-Bharani)

14 - Vishu : Guruvayur, Arattupuzha Pooram (71 elephants with Panchavadyam at Thrissur), Kadammanitta Devi Temple (Pathanamthitta - Spectacular padayani performance, first day of the month of Medam), Chamakkavu Kettukazhcha (Mavelikara), Car festival at Tiruvadamarudur (near Kumbakonam, Varsha Pirappu), Madurai Sri Meenakshi marriage festival.

15 - Kollam Pooram
21 - Thrissur Pooram, Kerala's biggest temple festival with processions of caparisoned elephants at Vadakkunnatha temple.



25 - Mangala devi jungle temple festival (Thekkady)

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May

03 - Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikyam temple Aarat (Thrissur)
17 - Ajmir Urs fair (Rajasthan)
20 - Ooty flower show at Botanical Gardens
23 - Kottiyur Neyyatom (2 hour by bus from Thalassery in Kannur), Abu Summer festival (Rajasthan, up to 25th)

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June

15 - Oachira kali
18 & 19 - Hemis Festival (Ladakh)
23 - Champakulam moolam boat race (Alappuzha)
24 - Sao Joao Boat festival at Siolim, Goa (24th June)
Early June - Shimla Summer Festival (Himachal Pradesh)

x - Amarnath Yatra, Jammu Kashmir (up to 13 Aug)

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July

10 - Puri Rath Yatra (Orissa, up to 19th)



14 - Chidambaram Chariot festival (Uthiram of Aani)
27 - Nag Panchami (Nagathamman Temple in Chennai, Adiesha Temple in Andhra Pradesh, Hardevja Temple in Jaipur)

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August

06 - Karikidavavu at Sankhumukham beach (Thiruvananthapuram), Varkala, Tirunavaya (Malappuram)
10 - 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 - Neelamperoor padayani at Palli Bhagavathy temple (16 km from Kottayam). Begins at 10 pm on Avittam day in the Malayalam month of Chingam.
22 - Sitabari fair (117 km from Kota, 24th too)
28 - Sree Krishna Jayanti : Guruvayur, Thrissur Thiruvambadi temple

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September

01 - Ladakh festival at Leh (up to 15th, lion dances, yak dances, craft stalls, excellent local food and plenty of chang!)



07 - Tripunithura Attachamayam (Ernakulam)



08 - Church festival (Vailankanni, Manarcad), Teej (Jaipur)



09 - Ganesh Chaturthi (Pune, Mumbai), Tarnetar fair (75 km from Rajkot, up to 11th)
16 - Onam, Onavillu, the ceremonial bows an offering to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, Thiruvananthapuram
20 - Aranmula Uttrathadi boat race (10 km from Chengannur), Tazhathangady boat race at 3 pm (first Sunday after Onam, Kottayam)

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October

05 - Navaratri Brahmotsavam at Tirupati is celebrated with Chariot festival
14 - Dussehra (Mysore, Kullu, Kota fair), dandiya, Durga Puja (West Bengal), Kollur Mookambika temple.



17 - Rayiranallur mala kayattom (Palakkad), Marwar festival (Jodhpur)
28 - Mannarasala ayilyam

November

02 - Diwali
09 -The Pushkar Fair commences on Prabodhini Ekadashi and continues till Kartik Poornima (17th)
11 - Mamburam Makham nercha (Near Kottackal)
15 - Kalpathy chariot festival (13,14,15)



26 - Ashtami at Vaikom (Kottayam)
29 - Thriprayar Ekadasi (Thrissur)

December

01- Parassinikadavu Muthappan temple festival (20 km from Kannur), Hornbill festival at Kohima (Dec 1 - 7)
03 - Feast of St Francis Xavier, Goa (3 Dec)
04 - Navy Day. Entry open to Warships at Kochi, Mumbai & Vizag bases
06 to 15 - Perumthitta Tharavad theyyam (26 km from Kasaragod via Bekal-Palakunnu-Mudiyakkal-Chandrapuram-Perumthatta)
13 - Guruvayur Ekadasi, Thiruvillamala punarjani cave 'noolalal' (Palakkad), Vaikunta Ekadesi at Srirangam temple (chariot festival).
14 - Karthigai Deepam (Thiruvannamalai temple, 6 pm)
15 - Chakkulathukavu ponkala (near Ambalapuzha), Shamlaji fair (122 km from Ahmedabad, Kartik Purnima), Sonepur Mela (25 km from Patna, Kartik Purnima)
17 - Suchindram & Chidambaram chariot festival (Tamil Nadu)
25 - Christmas : colourful stars and cribs all over Kerala and in Goa.
26 - Mullackal Chirappu (Alapuzha)
29 to 2 Jan - Kanathur Nalvar Bhoothasthanam theyyam (20 km from Kasaragod)