Festivals in Feb. / March

Hallo there,

only three more weeks left and I'll be finally back in India.
As I love Indian festivals I would like to be at one or another, but although I've checked the Tourist Department's webside I couldn't find any information about dates and places.

So does anyone know if there are some festivals in February or March?
There should be Holi (but which date exactly?) and also Shivaratri (great in Varanasi!), but maybe anything else?

Thanks for any information.

Shivratri falls on Feb. 18 and Holi on March 6.

The following link will give you a fair idea of the Indian festivals :

http://www.westernrailwayindia.com/festivals.htm

Shimla, thanks for the information and the link!
Some of the festivals sound really nice, so I think I will try to be at some like Goa carnival and Khajuraho Dance Festival (I just did my "first steps" in Odissi) and I really wish I could be in Delhi for the Mango Festival - yummie (I'm kind of addivtive to these orange Indian mangos).

viva la vida!

Hi feanel,

look also this link: http://www.india-tourism.com/de_actualfestivals.0.html

My quetion is, has anyone some more info about the elephant festival in Jaipur?
Is it only one day or longer? somethging special to mention?
And hotels fully booked?

thanx

phacops




there is no way to happiness - happiness is the way

The Elephant Festival is celebrated during Holi and seems to last a single day.

Here's a link which may help :


http://www.rajasthantourism.gov.in/a...phant-Fair.htm

Oh thanx Shimla for the link! Some really interesting issues there!

Have you or has someone else been there at the Elephant festival and is it worth visiting?

I will probably be in India not before the 15th of feb and then the desert festival in Jaisalmer is finished, sadly!

Another question: what/where are interesting camel safari tours?
Less touristic, nearly like trekking?

phacops

I just read in my LP that the Taj Mahal festival is Feb 18-27 but that's all it said. What do they do during this festival? At this point it looks like I'll miss it by a couple of days unless I make radical changes to our itinerary.

---
I think I found the answer to my own question:

Taj Mahotsava

Come February and it's springtime! The time of the year when nature dawns all it's colorful splendour and Agra bursts into colorful celebrations. For 10 days there is a sheer celebration of Uttar Pradesh's rich heritage of arts, crafts, culture, cuisine, dance and music. Yes, it is Taj Mahotsava time again. There are festivities all around and Agra truly puts on the colors of joy and gets transformed into one non stop carnival. Organised by Uttar Pradesh Tourism, and held as an annual event at Shilpgram, literally next door to the Taj Mahal, the Taj Mahotsav is indeed a fitting tribute to the legendary skills of matercraftsmen and exponents of art, music and cuisine. Not only this, it is also a gentle peep into the rich heritage and extraordinary legacies of this wonderful land.

The festivities commence with a spectacular procession inspired by Mughal splendour. Bedecked elephants and camels, drum beaters, folk artists and mastercraftsmen.... all help to recreate a visual delight reminiscent of the golden era of the Mughal Darbars.

Taj Mahotsav is where the legendary artisans and mastercraftsmen breathe life into their exquisite works of art. Marble inlay apart, the Festival brings forth an array of other fine crafts as well- wood carvings from Saharanpur, brass and other metalwasre from Moradabad, handmade carpets of Badohi, the blue pottery of Khurja, the Chikan work of Lucknow, the silk of Banares... to name a few. Agra with its legendry tradition of exquisite craftmenship is thus the ideal venue for holding a crafts fair like the Taj Mahotsav.

At the Mahotsav, be sure to be a part of the Food Festival. Relish the exotic cuisine's and delicacies prepared by some of the oldest exponents and the typical preparations from the interiors of Uttar Pradesh.

Throughout the Mahotsav, one can experience a profusion of folk music and dances of Dundelkhand, 'Nautanki' (Drama), 'Sapera' dance of Rajasthan, Lavani of Maharashtra.... performed just the way they used to be centuries ago.