Travel India

Events and Festivals in Delhi

Delhi being the capital of India is home to people of all religions and communities that come from different parts of India and settle down here. Thus, the religious and state festivals have all found their way to Delhi and are especially with pomp and show, wherever there is concentration of population from same community and state. Besides the festivals such as Durga Puja, Diwali and Holi celebrated by Hindus and the Muslim festivals of Eid and Bakrid, there are National events such as the Republic Day, when the Republic Day Parade is organized on the Rajpath, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti, celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm in Delhi. Besides these, there are secular festivals specific to Delhi that we are discussing here.

Lohri, celebrated annually on 13th January, is basically a festival of Punjabis. It marks the end of winter and people arrange grand bonfire parties on this day and dance and sing all night. On the very next day, Hindus celebrate Makar Sankranti. A Kite Flying Festival is arranged every year in Delhi on this day on the green lawns above Palika Bazaar at Connaught Place.

The colorful kites of all shapes and sizes are beautiful to look at as national as well as international participants display their skills and fly their kites with dexterous movements. Basant Panchami or the Spring Festival of Hindus is celebrated usually at the end of January or early February. At Delhi, it is in this season that Moghul gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan are in full bloom and are opened to public for a month.

Thyagaraja Festival generally organized in February at the Vaikunthnath temple opposite Jawaharlal Nehru University is the best opportunity to see some of the magical performances of classical South Indian music and dance. Maha Shivratri celebrated on the no-moon night in the month of ‘Phalguna’, according to the Hindu calendar, usually falls in March.

It is said to be the day when Lord Shiva performed ‘Tandava Nritya’, the cosmic dance. People observe fasts on this day and pray to Lord Shiva for his blessings. Amir Khusrau’s anniversary is celebrated in April and a fair is organized in his honor at Nizamuddin. Prayers are offered to him and ‘qawwalis’ are sung in the evening. On this occasion, the National Drama Festival is also held where plays are staged, mostly at the Rabindra Bhawan.

Baisakhi celebrated in mid-April just marks the beginning of the harvest season while Buddha Jayanti is held on the first full moon night in May to commemorate the birth of the Lord Buddha. In Delhi, prayer meetings are held at Buddha Vihar, Ring Road and Buddha Vihar, Mandir Marg on this occasion. Mahavir Jayanti is also celebrated in May to commemorate the birth of Lord Mahavira, founder of Jainism. Tourists would certainly love to visit the International Mango Festival held in July at Talkatora Stadium, where one can have free tastings to sample over five hundred types of mangoes that are displayed here. Phoolkwalon ki Sair or the Flower Sellers’ Procession organized at Mehrauli in early October originated in the 16th century.

The procession highlights people carrying decorated floral fans that blessed at the Mehrauli shrines, namely, the Hindu temple of Jogmaya and the 13th century Sufi saint known by the name of Khwaja Utb-ud-din Bakhtyar Kaki. The procession ends at Jahaz Mahal, a 16th century pleasure resort. Qutub Festival organized by Delhi Tourism October showcases performances of musicians and dancers at night, with the 12th Qutub Minar as the chosen backdrop of the event.

In November or December, Sikhs celebrate Guru Purab, the birth anniversary of first of the ten Sikh gurus, Guru Nanak, organizing processions known as ‘Nagar Kirtans’ through the streets of Delhi. In the Gurdwaras, there are recitals of verses from the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs on this day. Besides there are Christian festivals such as Christmas and New Year, when special events are organized throughout Delhi.