Festivals in November Month in India

For Indians, the month of November passes by really fast. And the reason being is the number of festivals in this month. Most of the famous festivals that represent the true culture of India are usually in the month of November. 

I personally really like this month. There are a lot of holidays, we get to spend a lot of time with our families and of course, numerous parties. And festivals are not all about these things only. The food, especially the sweets are what we all live for during the festivals of November.

 India is the birthplace of countless faiths and cultures. Each of them carries with it a plethora of festivities in the shape of cultural events and religious festivals that take place throughout the year. And the great events of some of the November holidays are not to be missed.

With the full moon around the corner, November is the month when India changes its weather and brings out the beautiful chilly of the year. These unique celebrations are celebrated all around the country. 

So, we have created this list of festivals that occur in the month of November in India. 
Keep reading!

1.    Bhai Dooj 

Bhai dooj is the festival that is celebrated to symbolize the sister-brother relationship's closeness and affection. Bhai Dooj, like the Indian celebration of Raksha Bandhan, commemorates the everlasting relationship between a brother and sister. During the tika ritual, sisters apply vermilion, dahi (curd), and rice on their brothers' foreheads. And it is celebrated throughout India.

2.    Chatt Puja

Celebrated mainly in the state of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. This festival is one of India's most famous festivals, and it is widely celebrated. People gather at the river's bank to say prayers in unison. They chant hymns in praise of the Sun God and carry out several ceremonies. The sunset ritual is a beautiful event to photograph and witness.

3.    Diwali

Deepawali, also known as Diwali, refers to a row of lamps. This holiday is celebrated for five days with tremendous zeal in India and other Hindu-majority nations. This celebration creates a lot of joy and excitement among the people. Diwali is celebrated with the lighting of numerous lamps on the new moon day of the Kartik month. People celebrate this joyful day by lighting diyas in their homes, decorating it with lights, rangolis and fire crackers. 

4.    Wangala Festival

The Wangala Celebration is the greatest harvest festival of the Garo tribe of Meghalaya, located in northeast India. Wangala Festival celebrates the conclusion of the planting season for the people and is widely celebrated across the region's communities. The celebrations include drumming, blowing horns, and traditional dance. Aside from that, people participate in slow-cooking competitions, indigenous games, and handlooms. Visit Meghalaya in November to experience this literary festival.

5.    Ganga Mahotsav

Ganga Mahotsav is a prominent celebration in Uttar Pradesh that celebrates culture, history, and legacy on the banks of the Ganga. The event begins fifteen days after Diwali, the most important Hindu holiday, in October or November. During Ganga Mahotsav, Birju Maharaj, Girija Devi, Sujat Khan, Bhimsen Joshi, Amjad Ali Khan, Zila Khan, and Zakir Hussein will perform beautiful shows.

6.    Ka Pomblang Nongkrem

Eastern Indian festivities are often hidden treasures in the region. This celebration lasts five days, during which the villagers pray for the tranquilly of the country. Highlights of this celebration include goat sacrifice, ceremonies, dancing displays, and sword dance. This event is held at Smit, near Shillong, and is lavishly celebrated by the Khasi people in the region.

This event honours Goddess KaBleiSynshar and is technically a harvest celebration. The maiden dance is performed early in the morning, followed by the Nongkrem dance, which is performed by young men armed with swords and spears. Music performances with drums and pipes are afterwards held.

7.    Gurupurab

Gurupurab or Guru nanak Jayanti is Guru Nanak's birthday and is honoured across India, particularly in Punjab, where Sikhism is extensively practised. Guru Nanak's birthday is generally celebrated on Kartik Puranmashi, the full moon day of the month Kartik. Guru Nanak, the first of the ten Sikh Gurus, was the founder of Sikhism and taught that God existed beyond religious orthodoxy and exterior definition.

The reading of the Guru Granth Sahib, known as Nagarkirtan, begins at least two days before Gurpurab. People commemorate Guru Nanak Ji's life and times and encourage more and more people to follow in his footsteps. People go to the gurdwara to sing hymns in the morning. The festivities are not complete without a communal feast known as langar.

8.    Hampi

This yearly Hampi (Karnataka) ceremony is also known as the Vijaya Utsav. This traditional festivity dates back to the Vijayanagar period. Dance, theatre, puppet shows, traditional music, processions, rituals, and pyrotechnics are all part of the festivities.

This is a three-day celebration that draws travellers from all around the world. Throughout the festival, there are various kiosks where you can purchase traditional souvenirs, musical goods, fashion items, and much more. The Jumbo Savari is the greatest portion of all (the elephant march). The light and sound spectacle is completed by the end of the day.

9.    Bundi

Bundi Utsav, or Bundi Festival, is held in Rajasthan's Bundi town as a window into the land's culture and customs. The key attractions of this culture are traditional folk dance and music performances. You may also do some souvenir buying at the festival's stalls.

This three-day festival includes competitions, cultural events, and other activities in addition to art performances. On the night of the event, fireworks are lighted. The entire festival is colourful and exciting, from the Kabaddi competition to the camel racing. The principal rite of this celebration is the lighting of an earthen lamp by men and its release into the river by women.

10.    Rann Utsav

Rann Utsav is one of Gujarat's most prominent festivals. The celebration comes alive during the cool winter months of November to February, when the dessert is at its most appealing. The festival highlights Gujarat's distinct culture with music and dance performances, storytelling sessions, desert excursions, spectacular artisan exhibits, and, of course, real, mouth-watering food local to the Rann of Kutch. The dazzling setting that provides the beautiful moments of this Fest, which feels like Heaven on Earth during Festival Time, is Kutch Rann Utsav.

11.    Dev Deepawali

Dev Deepawali, celebrated in Varanasi after 15 days of Diwali, happens on the full moon day in the holy month of Kartika. On this auspicious occasion, the steps of all the ghats along the Ganges River's riverside, from the Ravidas Ghat at the southern end to Rajghat, are entirely lighted with over a million diyas (earthen lamps). On the last day of Ganga Mahotsav, residents and devotees celebrate it with tremendous zeal.

12.    Tulsi Vivah Puja

Tulsi Vivah refers to the marriage (Vivah) of the Tulsi plant to Shaligram (a black stone manifestation of Lord Vishnu). Tulsi Vivah is observed on the 12th day of the Hindu lunar cycle, or Dwadashi, in the month of Karthik during the Shukla Paksha. It signals the conclusion of Diwali and the start of the Hindu wedding season.

13. Majuli Festival

In Assam, the Majuli Festival is held along the river Luit. It is one of India's most colorful festivals in November, with carnivals, seminars, performances, and exhibitions highlighting Assam handicrafts, tradition, folk culture, and cultural heritage.