25 Famous Festivals in India in September 2023
India is a land of colorful fest and festivals. Indians celebrate the festivals with enthusiasm and splendor. They perform the rituals wholeheartedly and seek blessings from the Gods and Goddesses. Each of the festival has its own significance and creates a wonderful surrounding.
September comes on a happy note with pleasant weather and a lot of holidays lining up the calendar the reason being the month has a lot of festivals. Events also get lined up as holidays come around and people look for different plans to occupy their weekends. Coming to India in September can be a good decision as one can witness loads of festivals and culture on display. Every year, grand festival of Durga Pooja in the north with its varied faces across the country covers the atmosphere.
It is during the festivals, one can see the true color of this glorious country. Therefore, visiting India at the time of festivals can help you explore the best of it. Below mentioned are some of the popular upcoming festivals of India to be held in the month of September.
Festival to Be Celebrated in September 2023
1. Ganesh Chaturthi
Date : 18th September 2023 to 28th September 2023
It is observed all over India in between August and September, which is also known as the month of Bhadra to honor Lord Ganesha, the elephant headed God of the Hindus.
Lord Ganesha is believed to be the remover of obstacles. He is also considered as the god of wisdom and beginnings. This festival is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi lasts for 10 days. It gets over on Anant Chaturdashi or the 14th day of waxing moon period.
Though it is celebrated all over India, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana is celebrated elaborately and is the grandest among all other celebration in the country.
Ganesh Chaturthi in this year will be begin on 1st September and Ends on 10th September 2021
Also Read : Top Festivals & Events in Mumbai
Suggested Tour : Full Day Ganesh Chaturthi Tour
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2. Ramnagar Ramlila
Date : 15th October - 25th Oct, 2023
The festival of Ramlila is quite famous among those who worship Lord Vishnu. Ramlila is celebrated as the day of victory of Lord Ram over King Raavan. There are numerous styles of Ramlila around the country and Ramnagar Ramlila is the oldest one. The main attraction of this festival is the enactment of the battle between Ram and Ravan. The festival starts on Anant Chaturdashi and ends on the next full moon night. This festival is celebrated in Ramanagar, right opposite to Varanasi, along the River Ganges.
Also Read : 25 Best Places to Visit in Varanasi
Suggested Tour : 3 Days - Varanasi Tour including Sarnath
3. Solung Festival, Pasighat
Date : 1st - 7th Sep, 2023
Solung festival is celebrated for five days by the Adi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. Each day is celebrated with unique celebrations. The first day is for preparation of the event; the second day is for slaughtering animals, the third day is for rituals, fourth day is for making ammunition and arms, and the last day is the celebration, which is conducted as a farewell. This festival is celebrated as a prayer to the almighty for a bountiful harvest and for protection from harmful spirits. The iconic performance of this festival is Miri. It is a narration of the life of Abotani (Nibo), the ancestor of Tani.
Also Read : Tawang Festival – A Famous Tourist Festival Of Arunachal Pradesh
4. Onam Festival
Date : 20th Aug - 31st Aug 2023
Onam is celebrated by the state of Kerala at the end of monsoon season. Starting from royally decorated elephant procession to the iconic Kathakali dance, nothing about this festival is simple. This festival welcomes the harvest festival and is celebrated for 10 days. Apart from religious rituals and elaborate feasts, this festival is famous for flower decorations, elephant procession, snake boat race, tiger dance, traditional music performances and many others.
Fairs and shops are constructed at numerous destinations for shopping traditional items and souvenirs. The main aim of the festival is to establish the culture and, the beauty that comes from it.
In 2021, the festival of Onam is celebrated from 12th August to 23th August.
Read More : Top Fairs and Festivals in Kerala
Suggested Tour : 10 Days - Best of Kerala Tour
5. Payippad Snake Boat Race
Date : Not Confirmed
On the backwaters of Payippad in Alappuzha of Kerala, this traditional snake boat race takes place every year. This race is linked with Hindu temple Subramanya Swamy Temple. The main deity of the temple was found from the bed of this backwater and this race commemorates inauguration of the deity in the temple. This is the most visited and participated race of Kerala.
The beauty of the race is the long boat that accommodates fifty to hundred rowers. The rowers chant enthusiastic songs to motivate themselves. It would be a colorful race to watch.
In 2021, Payippad snake boat race takes place.
Also Read : A Complte Guide about Snake Boat Races, Kerala
Suggested Tour : 7 Days - Kerala Houseboat Tour
6. Pang Lhabsol Festival, Sikkim
Date : 10th Sep, 2023
This is a unique festival conducted in Sikkim to please Mt. Khagchendzonga. This mountain is represented as a guardian power. This three-day festival is celebrated with dance, music, and fun. The main attraction of this festival is the famous masked warrior dance, which takes place in the Royal Chapel Monastery. Later, religious scriptures are read to the audience. Another grand element of this festival is the Pangtoed dancer procession, which moves around the monastery with song, music, and dance, three times. This procession indicates victory.
Also Read : 20 Best Places to VIsit in Sikkim
Suggested Tour :
7. Sri Gaura Purnima
Date : Shifted in March
This is the day that marks the anniversary of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance. The celebrations start by early evening with a palanquin procession with Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda. The devotees sing songs and shower flowers along the way. The procession ends at the temple, where people witness the grand ritual and abhisheka. Watching the deity being bathed with 108 pots of water is a blessing for the devotees. Later, a feast with 56 dishes is served to everyone. The devotees spend the night singing praises. On the next day, they fast until the moon appears and a grand feast is conducted called Jagannath Mishra Feast.
8. India Food Fair
This is a trade show for food and industrial engineering products. More than 500 different stalls will be erected for visitors to explore and enjoy. This three-day event takes place in Pune. Starting from street food vendors to food machine companies, you can find a variety of stalls related to food. Conferences, exhibitions, and seminars also take place during this fair.
9. Pitru Paksha Mela, Gaya
Date : 28th Sep - 14 th Oct , 2023
Gaya is one of the famous spiritual destinations of Bihar. The Pitru Paksha Mela is a celebration, which includes a Hindu ritual of paying obligatory prayers to the deceased loved ones for those souls to attain salvation. The locals offer lymph of boiled rice as offering to God. During this ritual time, you can find flocks of Hindus visiting Gaya to perform Pinda Daan. According to mythology, the process of Pinda Daan was started by Lord Buddha.
10. Neelamperoor Padayani
Date : 14th September 2023
Alappuzha region of Kerala sees a lot of Padayani festivals and one of the most interesting ones in the Neelamperror Palli Bhagavati shrine’s Padayani. This festival takes place in August or September (in 2021, it takes place in September). The main attraction of this festival is the Kettukazhcha ritual. In this ritual, massive effigies are brought into the temple in a procession and displayed to the devotees.
You can find effigies of major legendry characters in Malayalam mythologies. The procession of the effigies is called Annamkettu. By the end of the festival, people carry these effigies around the town with dance, music, and celebrations. They burn dried coconut leaves to make light for the way.
Also Read : About Culture of Kerala
11. Abhaneri Festival
Date : 17th - 19th Sep, 2023
This festival is celebrated for 2-4 days in the small village of Abhaneri. This festival focuses on highlighting the richness, color and diversity of the Rajasthan culture. You can enjoy Kalbelia dance performances, Langa singing, Kachhi Ghodi dance, Bhawai dance, puppet shows, exhibition for crafts and art-works and many others. This festival is the right place to explore the cuisine of the land to take a camel for village exploration.
This is a local festival celebrated only in Abhaneri Village, which is 90km away from Jaipur. You can find numerous public and private transportation to reach Abhaneri from any part of Rajasthan.
This year; Abhaneri Festival is celebrated on 17th and 19th September, 2023. The date of the festival varies every year.
Get Complete Info : Abhaneri Festival 2019 – A Celebration Inside the Step-Well
12. Naropa Festival
If you are looking for enjoying the innate culture of Buddhism, it is time to visit Ladakh. The Naropa festival is called as the Kumbha of Ladakh. During this celebration, millions of Drupka followers visit the Hemis Monastery for rituals, performance arts and much more. The best of all is the grand opening ceremony. This festival covers display of relics, archery competition, panel discussion, feast of traditional food and many others.
This festival takes place on September, once in 12 years. The last festival took place in 2018. Next celebration can be expected in 2030.
Read More : Popular Festivals of Ladakh and Calendar
Suggested Tour : 6 Nights - Hemis Festival Tour Packages
Also Read : The Colorful World of Hemis Festival
13. Chakradhar Samaroh
Date : Not Confirmed
Chakradhar Samaroh is a music and dance festival, in which many celebrities and local talented performers showcase their abilities. Starting from Bharthanatyam to Sufi performance, you can find all heritage dance and music performances of the country in this festival.
This festival is celebrated in Raigarh of Chhattisgarh. This festival is celebrated to commemorate the talents of King Chakradhar Singh of Raigarh and it has now spread its fame throughout the country. This festival is usually celebrated during the Ganesh Chaturthi. Apart from the dance and music performances, you can enjoy light and sound show during this festival.
In 2021, Chakradhar Samaroh date is not yet confirmed.
14. Neelamperoor Padayani
Date : 14th September 2023
This local Hindu festival is a unique tradition involving Kettukazhcha (decorated effigies). The festival starts at night 10 pm with effigies of legendary characters brought into the Palli Bhagavati Temple. After a colorful procession, the effigies are displayed to the public. More than a lakh INR is spent on creating the huge effigies. This festival takes place inside Palli Bhagavati temple of Neelamperoor in Alappuzha.
In 2023, this festival takes place on 14th September. The festival usually falls in the month of Chingam (August/September).
Also Read : Things To Do In Alleppey – 10 Interesting Activities
Suggested Alleppey Tour :
- 4 Days - Kerala Backwater Tour Package
- 8 Days - Kerala Cultural Tour
- 12 Days - Golden Triangle with Kerala Backwater Tour
15. Latin Festival Madras
Date : 1st Sep – 3rd Sep, 2023
Latin Festivals Madras is an international styled celebration of dance, music, and beach. This is one of the very few Afro-Latin festivals of the country covering participants from 30 different countries. The festival also includes boot camps, workshops, certification courses, and others related to dance. Starting from Kalaripayttu workshop to high-end food from international brand hotels, this festival is for those who love to salsa and fun.
16. Brahmotsavam Festival, Tirupati
Date : 18th Sep to 26th Sep 2023
Srivari Brahmotsavam is a famous temple festival that takes place in Venkateswara Temple of Tirupati. This festival lasts for 9 days. The main deities of the temple are taken on grand processing through the streets surrounding the temple for eight days (morning and evening). The procession includes dance, celebrations, music, horses, and elephants. This festival is a religious celestial cleansing ceremony, which is conducted to please Lord Brahma. On the eighth day, the grand Golden Chariot is used for the procession and on the ninth day, the temple flag is brought down, indicating the end of the festival.
Suggested Tour : 15 Days - South India Temple Tour Package
17. Pune International Literary Festival
Date : 8th Sep to 11th Sep 2023
This is an English literary festival, which is aimed at creating an interactive platform for writers, publishers and readers of Pune. Authors and publishers can showcase their creative works during this festival. Speakers from around the world like Ciler Ilhan, Alexander Buchler, Clara Macedo Cabral, Bahar Dutt and others inaugurate this festival.
In 2023, Pune international literary festival dates are 8th Sep to 11th Sep 2023.
18. Delhi Book Fair
Date :29th July to 2 August 2023
This is a five-day trade show for literature, which takes place in the Pragati Maidan of New Delhi. You can find more than 500 stalls of books and more than 200 thousand audiences of book lovers, collectors, intellectuals, teachers, students, and others. You can find books for all age groups and in all genres here. Apart from the bookstalls, you can find buyer-seller meets, seminars, conferences, book discussions, meet-author programs, gift fairs, and more.
Also Read : Famous Fairs and Events in Delhi
19. India Art Festival
Date : Shifted in November (2nd to 5th Nov 2023)
Indian Art Festival – IAF is conducted for three days in major cities. In 2023, the festival will be conducted in Bengaluru, New Delhi, and Mumbai. During this festival, you can find art galleries from various private and government art schools and departments. This contemporary art festival is a platform for art buyers, sellers, architects, interior decorators, artists, and others to meet and flourish.
Apart from the exhibition, you can find panel discussions, seminars, workshops, and others. Every year, more than 700 artists put up 50+ galleries of paintings, sculptures, artworks, photographs, prints, installations, ceramics, and more.
20. Leh Ladakh Festival
Date : 1st to 15th September 2023
This is an annual festival of Ladakh, which is grandly celebrated in Leh. The main attraction of the festival is the cultural procession, which includes people from different parts and communities in Ladakh, walking towards Leh Market. The procession includes dance, music, song, locals in cheerful traditional dress, and others. Once the procession reaches Polo Ground, it stops. Later, the locals enjoy carnival activities, archery competitions, masked dances, cultural performances, and music concerts. People from the surrounding villages take part in this festival too.
Also Read : Ladakh Calender & Festival
21. Phulech (Flaich), Himachal Pradesh
Date : This festival is celebrated on the 16th day of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (August and September)
Also called the Phulaich festival, this is the celebration of flowers that takes place in Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh. During this month, the Kinnaur Valley will be covered with wild vibrant flowers. Flower merchants from around the country come to Kinnaur for trade. You can watch the traditional trade processes here. Also, this is the day when the locals harvest Ladra Flower. This day is also seen as a day to pay tributes to deceased family members. Locals offer wine and rice to their late family members. Cultural celebrations are common during this celebration.
Also Read : 15 Best Places to Visit in Himachal Pradesh
Suggested Tour :
22. Ziro Music Festival
Date : 28th Sep - 1st Oct, 2023
Ziro music festival takes place in Ziro of Arunachal Pradesh. This is an open-air concert festival. Visitors get to stay in small tents, which are arranged by the festival organizers. Some even bring their own tents. For four days, music performers from around the world stage their shows in the festival area. Apart from music celebration, people love to hike around the Alpine area, learn about their culture and get closer to the nature.
In 2023, Ziro festival starts on 28th September and ends on 1st October 2023.
Also Read : Tawang Festival 2019 – A Famous Tourist Festival Of Arunachal Pradesh
23. Dehradun International Film Festival, Delhi
Date
: 22nd September to 24th September 2023
This is a film festival, which showcases the films of Bollywood, local productions, foreign films, documentaries, short films, and others. This festival takes place for three days in Delhi. Apart from film screening and award functions, this festival is also famous for bringing the film talent together. This festival is celebrated as a platform for budding artists and college students to showcase their filmmaking talent to the local and international audience. DIFF is slowly getting more recognition from around the country.
24. Jaipur Shopping Festival
Date : Not Confirmed
Not every festival has to be related to a mythical event or a religious ritual. Some are just celebrated for the fun of it. One such festival is the Jaipur Shopping Festival. This festival takes place at different destination, every year. The main element of this festival is the one grand large shopping fiesta for all your needs starting from wooden handicraft to electrical appliances.
In 2021, this festival takes place from 25th of September to 23rd of October.
Read More : Shopping In Jaipur
Suggested Tour : 3 days – Jaipur City Tour from Delhi
25. Thiruvullakavu Festival, Thrissur
Date : Not Confirmed
Thiruvullakavu festival is also called as the Navaratri celebration that takes place in Sree Dharmasastha temple of Thrissur, Kerala. The temple has two main celebrations and this is one of those. The main element of this celebration is the Vidyarambham ceremony. This is the ceremony in which, the locals bring their young children to the temple and make them write or read for the first time. Models of pen or tongue made of silver or gold is dedicated to the God by the locals for the knowledge power of their children. During this celebration, the temple opens from 4 in the morning and many elaborate rituals will be conducted.
In 2021, Thiruvallakavu is celebrated from 29th September to 8th October.
26. Bastar Dussehra Festival
Date
: 14th Oct to 23th Oct 2023
Bastar Dussehra is an interesting festival celebrated by the locals of Chhattisgarh. This festival is celebrated for 75 days, yet tourists visit during the last ten days for cultural performances and interesting activities. You can find songs, dance, tribal crafts market, and other celebrations here. Chariots are an important element of this festival. The head priest conducts numerous rituals during this festival. During the last ten days, Jagdalpur town will be filled with locals and tourists for enjoying shopping and paying tributes at Danteshwari Temple. Top things to shop are shell work, stone sculpture, dhokra artifact, and others. People camp closer to the temple to watch the grand chariot procession, which is the emblematic element of the celebration.
All of these festivals are worth witnessing with the diverse cultural display and togetherness. Take a religious tour to India to with Travelogy India enjoy the Top Festivals celebrated in this pious land.
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