Uttar Pradesh

January to March, in the Magh season. The site rotates between Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik–Trimbakeshwar and Ujjain on a twelve-year astrological cycle, and dates are set by planetary positions rather than a fixed calendar.

Kumbh Mela

The largest human gathering on earth, held where rivers and astrology meet. Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain take turns on a twelve-year cycle. After the 2025 Maha Kumbh on the Prayagraj sands, the Simhastha moves to Nashik in 2027 and Ujjain in 2028.

Uttar Pradesh · Uttarakhand · Maharashtra

Late February to mid-March, with Holika Dahan on the full moon of Phalguna and colours the next morning. Dates follow the lunar calendar, and Braj plays for more than a week beforehand.

Holi

India's spring riot of colour, and in Krishna's Braj country it runs for over a week. Barsana's women drive Nandgaon's men off with lathis, Vrindavan's Banke Bihari temple throws marigold petals and gulal by the sackful, and Rajasthan's cities burn Holika bonfires the night before.

Uttar Pradesh · Rajasthan

The first day of Shawwal, once the crescent is sighted at the end of Ramadan. The Islamic calendar moves about eleven days earlier each year, so Eid falls in March through 2027 and in February from 2028.

Eid-ul-Fitr

The morning that ends a month of fasting: white kurtas, the embrace given three times, and sheer khurma before anything else. Old Delhi's Jama Masjid, Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid and Srinagar's Hazratbal hold the largest congregations, and the night bazaars beforehand are as good as the day.

Delhi · Uttar Pradesh · Telangana

October or November, five days around the new-moon night of Kartika, when Lakshmi Puja is performed. Dates follow the lunar calendar; in 2026 the main night falls on 8 November.

Diwali

Five days of lamps, rangoli and sweets that reset the year for most of India. Jaipur lights whole bazaars in a ward-by-ward competition, Ayodhya floats lakhs of diyas along the Saryu, and Varanasi follows a fortnight later with Dev Deepawali on the ghats.

Uttar Pradesh · Rajasthan · Punjab

Uttar Pradesh

Galouti Kebab

Minced mutton tenderised with raw papaya and bound with scores of ground spices, then griddled into patties soft enough to eat without teeth, which is exactly why Awadh created them. Fold one into a warm sheermal or ulta tawa paratha. Tunday Kababi in Lucknow has been serving them since 1905.

Uttar Pradesh

Banarasi Tamatar Chaat

Tomatoes and boiled potato mashed on a hot iron pan with ginger, chilli and garam masala, then piled into a leaf bowl with crushed namkeen, coriander and a squeeze of lime. It is served scalding hot in Varanasi, most famously at the Godowlia and Dashashwamedh stalls after an evening at the ghats.