India celebrates more festivals, more intensely, than almost anywhere else. The Hindu calendar is punctuated by a near-constant rotation of celebrations; add Muslim, Sikh, Christian, and Buddhist observances and there is rarely a quiet month.
Holi (February/March) is the festival of colours. People douse each other with gulal — coloured powder and water — in a raucous celebration of spring and the victory of good over evil. Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh are the epicentre, but it is celebrated everywhere. Arrive willing to get thoroughly stained.
Diwali (October/November) is the festival of lights. Cities glow with diyas (clay lamps), homes are decorated with rangoli patterns, and firecrackers go off continuously for several days. It is the most widely celebrated festival in the country and falls during the pleasantest travel season. Jaipur and Varanasi are particularly atmospheric.
Durga Puja (September/October) is the great festival of West Bengal. Kolkata transforms over five days with elaborate pandals — temporary structures housing artistic representations of the goddess Durga — and the whole city takes to the streets. Nothing else quite like it in India.
Pushkar Camel Fair (November, around the full moon of Kartik) draws camel and livestock traders, pilgrims, and travelers to the small town of Pushkar in Rajasthan for one of India's most spectacular fairs. Book accommodation months in advance if you want a room; many people camp.
Navratri and Dussehra (September/October, nine days into ten) celebrates the triumph of Rama over Ravana. Giant effigies of Ravana are burned across the country; in Mysore, the royal procession on the final day is extraordinary.
Republic Day (26 January) in Delhi features a vast military parade down Rajpath. Tickets require advance booking, but the spectacle is visible from the streets.
Onam (August/September) is Kerala's harvest festival — celebrated with elaborate flower carpets, boat races, and feasting. The snake boat races on the Pampa River are a genuine spectacle.
Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are celebrated with equal fervour in Muslim communities, particularly in the old quarters of Delhi, Hyderabad, and Lucknow.