Fairs and Festivals in November in India: 2024

Add some festivities to your travel plans to make the most of the November Holidays. Here is a list of the most famous Fairs and Festivals in November in India: 2023.

1.Wangala Festival- The 100 Drum Wangala Festival

When: 8th November, 2024

Where: Meghalaya

Fairs and Festivals in November in India

The 100 Drum Warangal Festival (Source)

Wangala Festival of Meghalaya, which is also known as the “100 Drum Wangala Festival,” is practiced traditionally by Garos. It is the annual harvest festival of Meghalaya and is celebrated in the honor of Misi Saljong, The Great Giver. Wangala Festival signifies the beginning of winter and also marks the end of labor in fields ushering in a period of relaxation and merry-making.

One of the grandest fiestas for the folks of Meghalaya, the festival's main attraction is the music and orchestra of long oval-shaped drums, gongs, and flutes, and an ancient traditional flute made of buffalo horn. During Wangala, people young and old dress in their colorful garments and feathered headgear and dance to music.

2. NH 7 Weekender

When: All along November

Where: Pune, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Shillong

Website : http://nh7.in/weekender

nh7weekender, November Festivals in India

NH 7 Weekender banner (Source)

A one-of-a-kind music festival in the country, NH 7 Weekender has only got bigger and better since its inception.

First held in 2010 in Pune, NH7 Weekender has now expended to Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata. The festival amalgamates some of the most popular Indian and international musicians. Apart from the music, over the years, the festival has also hosted a vibrant flea market, live graffiti setups, an elaborate food court, and several interesting art installations.

This year it will debut in Shillong, Meghalaya.

3. Alpashi Utsavam

When: 31 October to 09 November

Where: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

The procession carrying the deities (Source)

Alpashi Festival is held at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, one of the most renowned temples in Kerala. It is an annual ritual where the deities are bathed. The procession starts from the temple and proceeds to the Shanghumugham beach.

The head of the Travancore royal family will escort the procession, bearing a sword. The procession comprises magnificently decorated elephants, mounted police, and columns of armed police.

4. Pushkar Fair

When: November 9-15th, 2024

Where: Pushkar, Rajasthan

Camels at the Pushkar Mela(Source)

Every year Pushkar plays host to one of the world’s largest camel fairs, the Pushkar Fair. This five-day camel and livestock fair is a wonderful eye candy for travelers worldwide. The real action takes place at Pushkar Lake. There is a camel race, local music, exhibitions, and cultural performances.

The Pushkar Mela also offers various rides, a giant Ferris wheel, hot-air balloons, a camel safari, food stalls, etc. Not to be missed is the “longest mustache” competition.

One can find all kinds of people at the Pushkar Fair, be it pilgrims, foreign tourists, local traders and tribes, folk musicians and dancers, astrologers, snake charmers, and artists, all adding an eclectic mix to the place.

To read more about the festival, check this out! Pushkar Fair 2015

5. International Film Festival of India -IFFI

When: 20th- 28th November, 2024

Where: Goa

IFFI Banner (Source)

Goa is the permanent venue for International film festivals and attracts many national and international film fraternities. It is a festival to appreciate film art and understand films of different cultures worldwide. The film festival hosts screenings of national and international art films.

Over the years, IFFI has become known as one of Asia's most significant film festivals.

6. Loku Festival

When: October/November

Where: Arunachal Pradesh

Locu Festival is a major festival of Arunachal Pradesh (Source)

Loku or Chalo Loku is the greatest festival of the Nocte tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. A harvest festival, Loku is celebrated with remarkable pomp and grandeur. The famous Chalo dances of the Noctes add much color and grace to the Loku festival.

It is a 3 days festival that starts with a day called Phamlamja; on this day, animals like pigs and buffaloes are slaughtered for meat, and the village people prepare for the next day.

The second day of the festival is known as Chamkatja, and on this day, the Noctes enable the male members of the family to become full-fledged members of the Paang (decision-making committee.

The third and final day is called Thanlangja, and villagers participate in folk dances on this day.

7. Bundi Utsav

When: November 18-20

Where: Bundi, Rajasthan

Traditional dances during the Bundi Festival (Source)

The lesser-known town of Bundi, located in the Hadoti district of Rajasthan, comes to life during the Bundi Utsav. The Bundi festival involves traditional music, folk dance,cultural exhibitions, camel rides, fireworks, and competitions such as turban-tying. The festival also displays the artisanship of traditional households.

In the evenings, the town is lit up with diyas, and prayers are offered on the banks of river Chambal.

8. Dev Deepawali

When: 15th November

Where: Varanasi

Dev Deepawali in Varanasi, Novemeber Festivals India

Dev Deepawali in Varanasi (source)

Celebrated 15 days after the festival of Diwali, Dev Deepawali in Varanasi is a celebration of light. It is observed on Kartik Purnima (the full moon night of Kartik month according to the Hindu calendar) and happens to be on 14th November 2016. A culmination of the Ganga Mahotsav Festival that occurs every year, Dev Diwali finds the ghats (riverbanks) of Varanasi lit up with thousands of lit earthen lamps called diyas, with more of these floated into the river. It is a sight to behold and accompanied by elaborate Ganga Aarti and various religious and cultural events.