​​In pictures: India’s most beautiful festivals​

While the festival was always celebrated with much love and gaiety in Western India, especially Mumbai, it's also found love in North India. Spread across days, it's a celebration of joy and culminates in Ganesh Visarjan. A number of places also organise dahi-handi and Ganesha pandals.

Durga Puja is truly celebrated with utmost grandeur by the Bengali community, all across the country and deserves the top spot in the list of most beautiful festivals in India. The festival is marked with worship of Goddess Durga, accompanied by cultural programmes. The best thing to do during this festival if you are in West Bengal are pandal hopping and gorging on scrumptious Bengali snacks.

Also known as the festival of colours, it’s celebrated with much fervour across the country. On the day of Holi, people gather in open areas to apply colours of multiple hues to each other, and it is celebrated in the month of March. The night before the colour playing, people gather together to burn a bonfire to commemorate the sacrifice of Holika. Best places to celebrate Holi in India are Mathura, Vrindavan, and Dwarka.

Pushkar hosts this festival every year, and is marked as one of the most intriguing festivals in India. It’s one of those festivals that one should try to experience at least once in his lifetime, as you will get to witness some ancient and old traditional-style Indian celebrations taking place during this time. During this time, more than 10,000 camels, and other cattle are put on display for sale, and traders, villagers, and farmers visit Pushkar in huge numbers to buy cattle and other animals.

Also known as the festival of lights, this festival is celebrated with much pomp and show across the country. During this time, people decorate their houses with candles, clay lamps, wear new clothes, share and gift sweets with each other, and perform puja at home.

Easter is also celebrated with much fervour, just like other festivals in India. Kolkata, Bengaluru, Goa and many parts of Northeast India see a riot of celebrations on Easter. The highlights of this festival are plum cakes, colourful decorations, dance and plays, and bright lanterns adorning the streets.

Onam is also among the major national festivals of India, especially Kerala, and people decorate their houses with flowers, wear traditional clothes, and prepare Onasadya (elaborate meal of around 13 dishes). During this time, events like snake boat race, Kathakali dance, and much more are held to celebrate the homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali.

It’s also one of the biggest festivals in India, and the month long fasting prior to that, which is known as Ramzan is joyously celebrated by the Muslim community all across the country. To enjoy the best part of this festival, you can visit places such as Delhi, Lucknow, and Hyderabad, and witness how this festival also symbolises cultural uniqueness and brotherhood in India.

This is also one of the biggest festivals celebrated in India. Known as the festival of chariots, Rath Yatra is an event that is dedicated to Lord Jagannath. People from far and near gather at the famous Puri Jagannath Temple in Odisha to be a part of the celebrations. During this time, the idols of Lord Jagannath, Goddess Subhadra, and Lord Balabhadra are taken out for a procession on a chariot.

It’s perhaps the most widely celebrated festival across the world, and one can also witness people celebrating Christmas with the same zeal in India. The very vibe of the winter and this festival, combined together, is a feeling that you keep longing throughout the year. In India, the best places to be a part of this festival are Meghalaya, Goa, and Cochin.

Losar Festival is celebrated by Tibetan Buddhists to welcome the New Year. It is one of the most significant celebrations in the Tibetan calendar, and features ceremonies that signify the struggle between good and the bad. The best places to witness this vibrant festival are Ladakh, Spiti Valley, and Arunachal Pradesh.