- Ramadan
Ramadan is a month long festival of fasting, and feasting only in evening (iftar), starting in May and ends in June with a grand celebration of Eid-ul-fitar. This festival is celebrated across the country among the Muslim community. During this holy festival the streets are decked up with some mouth watering meat dishes, biryani and sewai kheer, to feed the fasting group during iftar. This festival is all about fasting, shopping for Eid and mouth watering delicacies.
When: May 6th to June 5th, 2019
Where: Across the country
2. Shimla Summer Festival
Celebrated in capital of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla Summer Festival is all about colours, dance, music, fare and its for everyone. It is celebrated since 1960, every year in the month of May or June and last for 5 days. It is celebrated in the glory of god to thank him for the rich harvest and praying for the same bliss in the following year. The main traction of the festival are dance and music show, food festival, flower show, ice skating, Himachal film festival and handicrafts.
When: 1st week of June, 2019
Where: Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
3. International Mango Festival
Summers in India is all about the delightful, juicy, mouth watering king of fruits. Yes, MANGOES! The Delhi International Mango festival is celebrated since 1987 and draws growers and sellers of mango and of course, the foodies in large number who taste different variety of mango. The festival is also famous for stalls manned by chef of popular 5-star who offers tasty treats.
When: Last week of June, 2019
Where: Dilli Haat, Janak Puri
4. Ganga Dussehra
It is a Hindu festival, also known as Gangavataran . According to mythology, it is the day on which holy river Ganga descended from heaven to earth. The festival is celebrated for ten days and the concluding day is called Shukla Dashmi. The devotees and sage gathers on ghats of river in Haridwar, Varanasi, Allahabad, Patna and Rishikesh and perform aarti, bathe in holy water, which is believed to bring a state of purification to devotee.
When: June 12, 2019
Where: Haridwar, Varanasi, Allahabad, Patna and Rishikesh
5. Saga Dawa
Saga Dawa is the 4th month of Tibetan calendar, is the most auspicious month for the Sikkimese and Tibetan Buddhists. The full moon of this month is celebrated and different rituals are performed as this day represents the birth, enlightenment and achievement of nirvana of Gautam Buddha. In Gangtok, colourful procession of monks carrying holy texts and manuscripts and playing musical instruments is carried out in the streets. Devotee come and touches their heads with holy scripts and receives blessings. This day is celebrated as Buddha Purnima in rest of India.
When: June 17, 2019
Where: Gangtok and other monastery in Sikkim
6. Sao Joao Feast of St John
Sao Joao Feast of St John, as the name suggest is a festival dedicated to St John the Baptist. This is celebrated in Goa on onset of monsoon every year, where young men jump in wells, ponds and streams to retrieve bottles of local alcohol, fani, and other gifts places by villagers. There is boat race organized, where the boats are decorated and everything looks beautiful. Like any other Goa festival, this is also full of colour, joy, dancing, singing and merriment.
When: June 24, 2019
Where: Goa, in particular Siolim
7. Sindhu Darshan
It was first celebrated in Shey Manla (Leh) in 1997 as a symbol of unity, communal harmony and national integration. It is also dedicated to soldiers who take care of our country. It is a three day festival that happens on the bank of river Indus (Sindhu). It attracts people from different states of county who bring water from their own state in a pot and immerse in the Indus on first day. Second day, there is extensive Puja and rituals followed by sightseeing. Third day is grand celebration with dance and music.
When: June 12-14, 2019
Where: Ladakh
8. Ambubachi Festival
Ambubachi festival is celebrated in capital city of Guwahati, Assam, to mark the menstruating period of Goddess Kamakhya in Kamakhya Temple. The temple is closed for three days when the goddess is considered to be menstruating and the tantric perform prayers. On the 4th day, the Goddess is bathed under proper ritual and then the gates of temple are opened for devotees and are offered with spring water as blessing. This festival attracts tantric from India and abroad and is purely a festival for tantric cult. The festival is famous for the extensive rituals.
When: June 22-26, 2019
Where: Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, Assam