11 Most Famous Spring Festivals in India That Every Traveler Should Witness
Spring in India wakes slowly. The cold retreats. The sun feels warm on your face. Flowers appear on trees you didn’t notice before. Streets and markets hum with life. People step outside. They laugh. They move faster.
From February to April, this energy turns into festivals. Villages and cities celebrate with music, food, rituals, and colour. Every state has its own story. Some festivals are loud and joyful. Some are quiet and traditional. Some are just about people coming together and celebrating the arrival of new beginnings.
11 Most Famous Spring Festivals in India That Every Traveler Should Witness
Here are 11 spring festivals in India that every traveller should see at least once.
Holi – A Colourful Spring Festivals in India
Holi is messy and fun. Colours everywhere. Kids running around, people surprising each other with water guns, and the air full of pink and yellow powder. You can smell gujiyas frying and fresh thandai being made. There’s noise, music, and people laughing from every direction.
The night before, everyone gathers for Holika Dahan. A fire is lit, people talk, pray, and throw in small sticks. The next morning, nobody stays clean. Everyone ends up coloured from head to toe — even if you’ve never met the person throwing the colour at you.
- Festive traditions include color fights, water balloon and bonfire.
- Food is delicious: Gujiya, Malpua, Thandai, Dahi Bhalla
- Happens in Northern India regions like Mathura, Vrindavan, and Delhi
- Celebrated usually March-April
Basanta Utsav (Shantiniketan Holi) – A Musical Spring Festivals in India
Shantiniketan in spring is golden. Marigolds spill over streets and mustard flowers sway in the breeze. People wear yellow from head to toe. Music floats through the air. Students sing Rabindra Sangeet under the trees. Children dart around, cheeks smudged with gentle colour. Friends laugh over tea and sweets. Everything feels alive. Spring itself seems to be celebrating.
- You’ll see folk dances, small performances, and courtyards all decorated
- Food is simple and sweet: pithas, seasonal fruits, treats to share
- Happens in Shantiniketan, West Bengal
- Celebrated usually in March
Baisakhi – A Lively Spring Festivals in India
Baisakhi is loud and full of energy. Villages and cities are alive. Drums thumping and men in bright turbans dance Bhangra. Women twirl in Gidda and there are fairs everywhere. People go to gurudwaras. Langars happening in every corner. Smell of sarson da saag, makki di roti, and fried jalebis mixing with dust from the fields.
- Traditions include Bhangra and Gidda dances, visiting gurudwaras, fairs, kite flying.
- Food: Sarson da saag, makki di roti, lassi, kheer, jalebi.
- Celebrated mostly Punjab, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Anandpur Sahib
- Happens in April
Ugadi – A Traditional Spring Festivals in India
Ugadi mornings feel quiet but full of meaning. Homes lined with mango leaves. Rangoli at doorsteps. Family prayers in the morning. Ugadi Pachadi served — a tiny plate with sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, tangy, salty flavours. Each bite tells a story. Markets smell of fresh flowers and jaggery.
- Traditions: Decorating homes with mango leaves, morning prayers, tasting Ugadi Pachadi
- Food: Ugadi Pachadi, obbattu/puran poli, lemon rice, traditional sweets
- Celebrated in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
- Happens in March–April
Vishu – A Serene Spring Festivals in India
Vishu mornings in Kerala are serene and sunlit. The very first thing that meets your eyes is the Vishukkani – flowers, fruits, coins, and lamps, everything aesthetically arranged. Humming with a gentle and tranquil vibe, the houses remain pretty much quiet. Families get together for prayers and in the meantime fresh food is being cooked in the kitchen. Sadya is served on banana leaves, vibrant and inviting. Small kids are running here and there with their eyes wide open, to look at their new clothes and the bright flowers that are everywhere.
- Traditions: Vishukkani viewing, temple visits, feasting, giving money to children (Kani Konna).
- Food: Vishu Sadya — rice, curries, payasam, banana chips.
- Celebrated in Kerala
- Happens in March–April
Puthandu – A Joyful Spring Festivals in India
Tamil Nadu wakes up to Puthandu full of life. Kolams cover the floors. Mango pachadi sits on every table. Temples ring with bells. The streets are calm but buzzing with markets and flowers. People wear new clothes. Families gather for prayers. They eat together. Fresh flowers scent the air. Marigold chains hang everywhere. Temple chants drift through the streets.
- Traditions: Kolam drawing, temple visits, prayers, family feasts
- Food: Mango pachadi, sweets, lemon rice, festive treats
- Celebrated in Tamil Nadu
- Happens in April
Rongali / Bohag Bihu – A Harvest Spring Festivals in India
Assam welcomes spring with Bihu. Villages alive with drums and songs. Young people dance in fields, sway in circles. Fairs pop up in every corner. Homes smell of pithas and rice sweets. Cattle are decorated and worshipped. Everyone joins — farmers, kids, elders. Excitement is everywhere.
- Traditions: Bihu dance, cattle blessing, fairs, singing folk songs.
- Food: Pithas, rice cakes, sesame sweets, local dishes.
- Celebrated widely in Assam
- Happens in April
Pohela Boishakh – A Vibrant Spring Festivals in India
Kolkata wakes up for Pohela Boishakh. Streets full of colours and parades. People in new clothes, jewellery sparkling. Markets open with flowers, sweets, and handicrafts. Music and drums everywhere. Families greet each other with “Shubho Noboborsho.” The smell of mishti doi, hilsa fish, and sweets in the air.
- Traditions: Processions (Mangal Shobhajatra), temple visits, family gatherings.
- Food: Mishti doi, hilsa fish dishes, sandesh, pithas.
- West Bengal, Kolkata is the best place to take part on this festival
- Happens in April
Vasant Panchami – A Yellow-Themed Spring Festivals in India
Vasant Panchami is yellow everywhere. Clothes, flowers, sweets. Schools and temples are decorated. People pray to Goddess Saraswati. Children start new learning or musical activities. Streets quieter than Holi or Baisakhi, but lively in a gentle way.
- Traditions: Saraswati puja, dressing in yellow, cultural programs.
- Food: Sweet rice, kheer, saffron rice, simple festive treats.
- Wildey celebrated in North India, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar
Happens in February
Harela – A Green Spring Festivals in India
Harela is green everywhere. Trees, saplings, and crops come alive. Villagers plant new saplings, sing folk songs, and gather at fairs. Kids run through forests and fields. The smell of fresh soil mixes with food cooking in tiny kitchens. People pray for good harvests and nature’s blessings.
- Traditions: Planting trees, singing folk songs, village fairs, crop blessings
- Food: Simple local dishes, seasonal vegetables, traditional sweets
- Religiously celebrated in Uttarakhand
- Typically takes place in March
Gangaur – A Folk Spring Festivals in India
Rajasthan comes alive for Gangaur. Women in bright dresses, bangles, and jewellery. Streets have processions with idols of Gauri. Singing, dancing, and folk music everywhere. Temples are decorated. Sweet smell of ghewar in the air. Families and communities gather to celebrate spring, marriage, and devotion.
- Traditions: Processions, idol worship, folk songs, decorating homes.
- Food: Ghewar, malpuas, sweets made of milk and ghee.
- Widely celebrated in Rajasthan, Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur
- Usually happens in March–April
Conclusion
Spring in India is more than a season. It’s a celebration of life. The country bursts with colours, scents, and energy. Gardens bloom. Streets hum with activity. Markets overflow with fresh produce, flowers, and local treats. People step outside. They reconnect with nature. They laugh, eat, and enjoy being together.
For travellers, spring festivals in India are the perfect time to see India at its brightest. Pack a camera. Bring an appetite. Get ready to feel the energy of India in full bloom.
Don’t wait — check Surffares for winter flight deals from the USA or Canada and start planning your colourful spring adventure.
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