November 2020 India Festivals and Events 

Chhath Puja

This north Indian festival, traditionally celebrated by the people of Bihar, is devoted to worshiping the sun. People flock to the water’s edge to offer prayers to the Sun God at sunset. Hymns and folk songs are sung, and women fast and pray for the well being of their family and friends.

• When: November 20, 2020. (Chhath Sandhya Argh evening prayers).
• Where: Across India, particularly in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Assam, and West Bengal. The banks of the Ganges River in Varanasi are another excellent tourist place to see it. A Chhath Puja also takes place on Juhu beach in Mumbai.

POT Maya

Pingla is another part of West Bengal that’s been developed as a rural crafts hub by the Government of West Bengal and UNESCO. The specialty there is Patachitra painting. It’s done on cloth, textiles, stationery, and home decor items. During the POT Maya festival, the whole village of Naya transforms into an art gallery. There’s also a Folk Art Center dedicated to the craft. When visiting Naya, you can also see the mat weavers hub at nearby Sabang. This year marks the 11th edition of the festival.

• When: November 20-22, 2020. Cancelled.
• Where: Naya village, Pingla, West Bengal. It’s about three hours from Kolkata.

Pushkar Camel Fair

This increasingly famous festival sees an astonishing number of camels converge on the tiny desert town . The camels are dressed up, shaved, entered into beauty contests, paraded, raced, and traded. An entertaining sight indeed! Do arrive a few days before the official starting date to catch the most camel trading action. Hot air balloon rides are an added attraction. Find out more in this

• When: November 22-30, 2020. Likely to be cancelled.
• Where: Pushkar, Rajasthan.

Baul Fakir Mela

This rural festival, dedicated to the bauls (wandering musicians) and fakirs (mystics) of West Bengal, is growing in popularity. About 250 of them from aross the region take part in it. The festival is held at a lush four acre theater village called Tepantar. It’s a self-sustaining campus with accommodations for guests. Other cultural destinations in the area include Shantiniketan, Joydeb-Kenduli, the Kantha embroidery hub of Nanoor, the Dokra metal craft hub at Dariyapur, and the wooden dolls hub in Natungram.

• When: November 27-29, 2020.
• Where: Tepantar, Bardhaman, West Bengal.

Matsya Festival

The Matsya Festival, albeit little-known, showcases Rajasthani culture and heritage at its best. Attractions include exhibitions, competitions, sports, processions, folk music, and a heritage walk. The festival gets its name from the fact that Alwar was once part of the ancient Matsya Desh (Land of Fishes) kingdom during the time of The Mahabharata.

• When: November 25-26, 2020. To be confirmed.
• Where: Alwar, Rajasthan.

India Art Festival

This modern and contemporary art fair aims to provide a cultural bridge between Indian artists, art galleries, art collectors and connoisseurs. The artworks on display will include paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photographs, and video and digital art by over 400 artists. Seascapes, landscapes, rural and urban scenarios, and abstracts will all be featured. Entry is free, and various workshops and panel discussions will also take place.

• When: November 26-29, 2020. Cancelled.
• Where: Thyagaraj Stadium, Delhi.

Kolayat Fair (Kapil Muni Fair)

The largest fair of Bikaner district, in India’s desert state of Rajasthan, the Kolayat Fair combines a huge cattle fair with a pilgrimage to the town’s holy lake. It’s quite a spectacle as buffaloes, camels, horses and cattle are traded, and pilgrims bathe and float clay lanterns in the lake.

• When: November 28-30, 2020. To be confirmed.
• Where: Kolayat, near Bikaner, Rajasthan.

Karthigai Deepam

A festival celebrated by Hindus in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Karthigai Deepam takes place in a particularly spectacular way in the holy town of Tiruvannamalai. On the evening of Karthigai day, a huge fire lamp is lit high up on Mount Arunachala. Pilgrims come from far and wide to walk around the mountain, and to pray to Lord Shiva. It’s believed that Lord Shiva appeared as an endless flame of light before Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma. Hence, oil lamps are lit in homes as well.

• When: November 29, 2020. (The festival starts 10 days prior to this, and there are daily street processions of various gods. The gods are also taken out on floats for three days after the main day).
• Where: Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu.

Dev Deepavali

The gods are believed to descend on earth to bathe in the Ganges on Dev Deepavali, 15 days after on Kartik Purnima. More than a million clay lamps (diyas) are floated down the river at dusk amid chanting of Vedic hymns. The steps of the ghats, all the way from Ravidas Ghat to Raj Ghat, are also lined with lamps and dieties are taken out in procession on the streets. It’s a divine experience. Plan your trip with this.

• When: November 29, 2020.
• Where: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

Chandrabhaga Fair

Cattle market meets mass bathing ceremony at this regional equivalent of the Pushkar Fair. The Chandrabhaga River is holy to Hindus and it attracts many pilgrims who come to take a bath and offer candles on the occasion of Kartik Purnima. The fair is also quite a big one, with buffaloes, camels, cows, bullocks and horses on sale. Rajasthan Tourism organizes cultural events as well.

• When: November 29 to December 1, 2020. To be confirmed.
• Where: Jhalawar, Rajasthan.

Nanak Jayanti

Guru Nanak Jayanti is a commemoration of Guru Nanak’s birthday (he was the founder of the Sikh religion), and is widely celebrated throughout Punjab but especially so at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the main shrine of the Sikhs. On the eve of the festival, Amritsar comes alive with a huge procession, accompanied by singers and musicians. Part of it features a demonstration of Sikh martial arts. The beautifully illuminated temple is an incredible sight to behold at this time. Plan your trip with this .

• When: November 30, 2020.
• Where: Amritsar, Punjab.

Bali Jatra

The Bali Jatra (voyage to Bali) festival commemorates the ancient era of maritime exploration and trade in Odisha, which saw merchants reach as far as Bali in the 2nd century BC. When the wind shifted direction around Kartik Purnima, the merchants would set sail for Indonesia. Nowadays, families place paper boats with oil lamps in the water at sunrise and watch them sail away. There will be cultural programs, and a large fair with food stalls and handicrafts.

• When: November 30 to December 10, 2020.
• Where: Cuttack, Odisha.

Sonepur Fair

This vibrant rural fair combines spirituality, sexuality, and animal trading. Street magicians, religious gurus and tantriks, pilgrims, snack stalls, handicrafts, amusement rides, circus performers, and dancing girls all create a carnival like no other. The main event takes place at the intersection of the Ganges and Gandak rivers, when masses of pilgrims bathe at sunrise on Kartik Purnima.

• When: For a month, starting November 30, 2020. (Make sure you arrive by November 29 so you can see the devotees bathing on November 30, which is Kartik Purima).
• Where: Sonepur, near Patna in Bihar.