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April in India is a time of festivals filled with traditions, food, and celebrations. Streets fill with parades, markets bustle with shoppers looking for festive goods, and families prepare meals passed down through generations. Festivals in April in India reflect the country’s cultural diversity, with each region celebrating in its own way. These festivals are more than just events—they carry history and meaning, preserving traditions and keeping cultural practices alive year after year. Explore the top festivals in India in April and immerse yourself in the diverse culture.
Top 10 Festivals In April In India
Here are 10 festivals in April in India, marking the month with diverse traditions and events:
1. Vaisakhi
Photo: Ministry of Culture / Wikimedia Commons
Celebrated primarily in Punjab on April 13-14, Vaisakhi marks the Sikh New Year and harvest festival. It commemorates the formation of the Khalsa (community of baptised Sikhs) by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. Festivities include vibrant processions called Nagar Kirtan, with devotional singing and martial arts displays. The day brings communities together with colourful celebrations, feasting, and thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest.
Main Attraction: Harvest Celebrations, Processions, Traditional Dances like Bhangra and Gidda, Visits to Gurudwaras
Traditions: Visiting Gurudwaras, Offering Prayers, Sharing Communal Meals
2. Rama Navami
Photo: Iharishs / Wikimedia Commons
Rama Navami celebrates Lord Rama’s birth, the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu, typically falling in early April. Devotees observe fasts, perform special prayers, and organise readings of the Ramayana epic. Temples dedicated to Lord Rama are beautifully decorated, with the most elaborate celebrations at his birthplace in Ayodhya. Chariot processions carry Rama’s image through streets as people sing devotional songs. Many homes prepare special prasad (offerings) of sweets and fruits. The festival emphasises values of righteousness, truth, and moral duty that Lord Rama embodied.
Main Attraction: Recitations from the Ramayana, Temple Processions, Cultural Performances
Traditions: Fasting, Reciting Ramayana, Visiting Temples
3. Hanuman Jayanti
Photo: DesiBoy101 / Wikimedia Commons
Marking the birth of Lord Hanuman, the monkey god known for strength, devotion, and service, this festival typically falls in April. Devotees visit temples dedicated to Hanuman, where his statues are adorned with vermilion paste and garlands. Many observe fasts and recite Hanuman Chalisa (forty verses honouring Hanuman). The celebration symbolises courage, loyalty, and selfless service—virtues Hanuman embodied in the Ramayana. In some regions, wrestlers and bodybuilders perform demonstrations honouring Hanuman’s strength. Devotees often distribute prasad and seek blessings to overcome obstacles.
Main Attraction: Special Prayers, Recitation of Hanuman Chalisa, Processions, Community Feasts
Traditions: Offering Vermilion, Distributing Prasad, Reciting Hymns
4. Gudi Padwa, Maharashtra
Photo: Abhijit Tembhekar / Wikimedia Commons
Gudi Padwa is celebrated as the New Year festival in Maharashtra and falls in early April. The celebration involves cleaning homes, decorating them with mango leaves, flowers, and rangolis, and wearing new clothes. One of the most significant rituals is the raising of the gudi, a bamboo stick draped with a silk cloth, neem leaves, and marigold flowers, symbolising victory, prosperity, and the triumph of good over evil. The festival is marked by traditional music, folk dances, and feasts, bringing families and communities together to celebrate the auspicious beginning of a new year.
Main Attraction: Raising of the Gudi (Decorated Flag), Home Decorations, Traditional Sweets like Puran Poli
Traditions: Decorating Homes, Making Rangoli, Wearing New Clothes
5. Ugadi
Photo: Kalyan Kanuri / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only
Ugadi, the New Year festival in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, is celebrated around early April. It involves cleaning homes, decorating with mango leaves, flowers, and rangolis, and wearing new clothes. A highlight of the festival is preparing Ugadi pachadi (or bevu-bella), a special dish that combines six flavors symbolising different life experiences—sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent, and spicy. The festival includes prayers, cultural performances, and family gatherings. Ugadi marks a fresh start and encourages people to reflect on the past year, while embracing new opportunities and challenges in the coming one.
Main Attraction: Preparation of Ugadi Pachadi (A Dish Symbolizing Various Life Experiences), Temple Visits, Cultural Events
Traditions: House Cleaning, Wearing New Clothes, Preparing Festive Meals
6. Bihu
Photo: NabaJyoti / Wikimedia Commons
Assam’s most important festival, Bohag Bihu celebrates the Assamese New Year and spring harvest in mid-April. The week-long celebration includes three phases: Goru Bihu (honouring cattle), Manuh Bihu (for people), and Gosai Bihu (worship of deities). Communities perform the energetic Bihu dance accompanied by traditional instruments like dhol and pepa. Special dishes include pitha (rice cakes) and laru (sweet balls). Young people seek blessings from elders, while traditional Bihu songs echo through villages. Colourful traditional attire and community gatherings highlight Assam’s rich cultural heritage.
Main Attraction: Traditional Dances, Music, Feasts
Traditions: Honoring Cattle, Singing Folk Songs, Exchanging Sweets
7. Thrissur Pooram
Photo: Manojk / Wikimedia Commons
Kerala’s most spectacular temple festival, Thrissur Pooram typically occurs in April-May, featuring magnificent elephant processions, traditional percussion performances, and dazzling firework displays. Two temple groups—Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu—compete in splendour with richly caparisoned elephants carrying ceremonial parasols (kudamattam). The hypnotic rhythm of traditional percussion ensembles creates an electrifying atmosphere as thousands gather in Thrissur’s Thekkinkadu Maidan. The festival showcases Kerala’s cultural heritage with its unique music, elaborate decorations, and community participation spanning over 36 hours of continuous celebration.
Main Attraction: Grand Elephant Processions, Traditional Percussion Ensembles, Spectacular Fireworks
Traditions: Fireworks Display, Conducting Temple Rituals, Organizing Grand Processions
8. Tamil New Year, Puthandu
Photo: Amila Tennakoon / Wikimedia Commons
Celebrated mid-April, Puthandu marks the Tamil New Year when families create colourful kolam (rangoli) at entrances and arrange “kani”—a display of seasonal fruits, flowers, and other auspicious items viewed first thing in the morning for good fortune. Special prayers are offered, and traditional feasts feature a balance of six tastes, symbolising life’s different experiences. People wear new clothes, visit temples, and exchange gifts and greetings. Cultural performances of Bharatanatyam and other traditional arts take place across Tamil Nadu and among Tamil communities worldwide.
Main Attraction: Kolam (Rangoli) Designs at Entrances, Viewing of the Auspicious ‘Kanni’ First Thing in the Morning, Traditional Feast
Traditions: Making Kolam, Preparing Special Meals, Seeking Blessings
9. Maha Vir Jayanti
Photo: Rajesh Mishra / Unsplash / Image For Representation Only
Commemorating the birth of Lord Mahavira, the 24th and last Tirthankara (spiritual teacher) of Jainism, this festival falls in April. Jain temples are decorated with flags and religious symbols, while devotees perform special prayers, meditation, and fasting. Charitable activities like feeding the poor and donations to animal shelters reflect Jain principles of compassion and non-violence. Processions carry Mahavira’s image through streets, accompanied by devotional songs. The celebration emphasises Mahavira’s teachings of ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), aparigraha (non-attachment), and brahmacharya (celibacy).
Main Attraction: Processions, Prayers, Charitable Activities Reflecting Jain Principles of Non-Violence and Truth
Traditions: Offering Donations, Reciting Jain Scriptures, Performing Acts of Charity
10. Shab-E-Qadr
Photo: Naveed Ahmed / Wikimedia Commons
Also known as Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Power), this sacred Islamic observance falls during the last ten days of Ramadan, often in April. Muslims believe it commemorates the night when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad. Considered more valuable than a thousand months of worship, devotees spend the night in prayer, reciting the Quran, and seeking divine blessings. Mosques are illuminated and filled with worshippers performing special prayers. Many practice charitable giving and self-reflection. The exact date varies, but most commonly it’s observed on the 27th night of Ramadan.
Main Attraction: Night-Long Prayers, Quran Recitations, Community Feasts in Mosques
Traditions: Seeking Forgiveness, Giving Charity, Engaging in Night-Long Worship
Festivals in April in India offer a glimpse into traditions that have been celebrated for generations. From vibrant street processions to age-old rituals, every festival adds to the country’s rich cultural landscape. This is the perfect time to explore different regions, experience local customs, and witness grand celebrations. Plan your trip to India with TripXL and be part of the events that make April one of the most exciting times to visit.
Cover Photo: Donvikro / Wikimedia Commons
