The Great Indian Festival Calendar

From cultural extravaganzas that showcase the diverse heritage and traditions of this vast country, to religious celebrations that are a feast for the senses, this is the ultimate guide to all things festive and fun in India.

- Adila Matra & Rashima Nagpal

GURPURAB Amritsar, Punjab

November 12,2019

GURU NANAK JAYANTI, or Gurpurab, celebrates the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev— the first of the Sikh gurus and the founder of Sikhism. A day of great significance, especially in the state of Punjab, this sacred festival is beautifully observed in every gurdwara in the country—the most prominent being the revered Golden Temple in Amritsar. Home to the world’s largest community kitchen, the Golden Temple features a central structure decked in gold.

While it’s always teeming with tourists, it brews with a different energy altogether on the day of Gurpurab. But even as the cheer and festivities on the premises heighten, the tranquillity of the place somehow manages to deepen. Daily rituals of kirtan (sacred hymns), worshipping the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy scripture of Sikhs), and sewa (community services) are carried out as usual, only with greater zeal and enthusiasm. Huge processions take place during the course of the day, where devotees perform gatka, a traditional martial art with swords.

DETAILS

GETTING THERE

Amritsar has an airport with domestic as well as international connections.

STAY

Choose from one of the elegant rooms at Hyatt Regency Amritsar (starts from ₹6,500/US$91; hyatt.com).

DURGA PUJA

Kolkata, West Bengal

October 4-8,2019