Himachal Pradesh is prominent for its picturesque valleys, adventure sports, snowcapped mountains, and abundant natural beauty that attracts travelers from around the world. Besides everything else, if you are planning to visit Himachal, then don’t forget to enjoy some fantastic festivals celebrated in this state.
Himachal Pradesh’s people embrace the natural beauty and the culture of the state with great excitement and gratitude. They seek the blessings of the almighty with a range of festivals. You must visit Himachal Pradesh and celebrate the unity in diversity here.
In Himachal Pradesh, here are some of the most famous festivals and celebrations:
1. Losar Festival
the new year of Tibetans is the Losar festival, prominently celebrated in the Lahul valley of Himachal Pradesh. The festival is about celebrating the uniqueness of the Tibetan ethnicity in the state. This celebration is to mark the beginning of the winter season in the valley, and it is celebrated during the first month of the Tibetan calendar.
The festival has great significance for the locals, despite being misunderstood as the devil’s dance. It is carried out with the belief that it brings a lot of prosperity and happiness.
2. Kasol Music Festival
The music festival sets the tone for the entire night of celebration amid the beautiful skies and the Evergreen forests. The two-day music festival is a pop culture event that celebrates the new year, which marks new beginnings.
The festival showcases the best DJs for highly pitched live musical performances specially designed to get you in the right mood for a great time. You would be able to listen to both emerging performers when you change the festival in December.
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3. Himachal Hills Festival
Himachal hills festival is a great pride event for the people of Kasol. The festival focuses only on music; you can witness live performances from young and talented singers. The noteworthy DJs are indeed not to be missed, as they offer an exceptional experience.
4. Pori Festival
Several tourists are excited and delighted to celebrate the Pori festival in Himachal Pradesh every year. A beautiful prayer ceremony is held in Triloka temple, during which the worshippers honor the local deity and seek his blessings. After the celebration, they go for a parikrama, where they complete a clockwise circulation of the gallery.
Several stalls and shops selling huge items are set up during the festival in Lahaul. Every year this festival is celebrated during the third week of August, which adds to the charm of the fantastic vistas in the scenic aboard.
5. Summer Festival
The Summer festival of Shimla is one of the most vibrant festivals in the state. It is celebrated for two weeks and is held in June every year. Live performances of prominent artists and a beautiful Flower show are some of the major attractions of this festival a plethora of tourists visit this festival every year, and the vibrance is heightened by kids from schools across the city who perform cultural shows on different topics.
The festival is also a party for your taste buds as you can get your hands on all the cuisines from Himachali Tibetan to Chinese and north Indian food.
6. Ice Skating Carnival
Every year, Shimla holds an ice-skating carnival from the first to the last week of December. This is a time for complete quill and excitement. The majestic ice-skating rink is managed by the Shimla ice skating club, and they also host this carnival.
You can witness the thrilling event, which is held twice a day in the morning and the evening. The sole-pleasing dance performances and visually pampering fancy dress competitions are some of the activities that you can enjoy at this carnival.
7. Markand Fair
This fair is celebrated in November on the first night of Baisakhi in the Bilaspur district. The pilgrimage is believed to fulfill the wishes of several people considering themselves by bathing in the merchant place in Brahma Murata.
8. Kullu Dusshera
Kulu Dusshera is widely celebrated in Himachal Pradesh, and it is unique from all other states. It is celebrated in October every year, and it starts with a procession of Lord Raghunath Ji. Lord Raghunath is worshipped with the March on roads across the town, and it is a seven-day festival.
During the festival, you can see people singing, dancing, and feasting. If you are in Himachal Pradesh, then you must take part in this festival and enjoy several cultural events.
9. Sair Festival
the festival is celebrated every year in different parts of mandi, Shimla, Kullu, and solan. The festival is celebrated during mid-September, and it is to observe the return of the gods from heaven. This festival marks the end of harvest.
It is one of the unique festivals of Himachal Pradesh, and people across the country visit the state during this time to witness the fantastic cultural performances taking place. A big fair is also organized at this time, and you can come across different stalls put up by the local artisans.
10. International Himalayan Festival
The international Himalayan festival is an exciting festival that celebrates Dalai Lama’s Nobel Peace Prize. The festival is all about celebrating harmonious relations across various communities.
Some of the major highlights of the three-day festival include the Tibetan institute of performing arts students taking part in different cultural events and performances.
11. Baisakhi
Baisakhi is prominently known as Bissowa in the Kangra region of Himachal Pradesh, and it is celebrated on the 13th of April every year. During the festival, people whitewash their houses and enjoy a holy dip at Haridwar or Markanda near Bilaspur.
During the daytime, the Baisakhi fair is organized at different places in a typical way. If you are visiting Himachal Pradesh during April, then you must take part in the Baisakhi festival, where you can see the artistic side of the state.
12. Mandi Shivratri Fair
Mandi Shivratri fair is an internationally renowned festival celebrated in Mandi town of Himachal Pradesh. It starts on the 13th night of Krishna paksha Of February or Marchand is celebrated for at least six days.
During that week, the Township looks completely extravagant as there are more than 200 deities embroidered and adorned, and several shrines are bought across the district to the town to pay homage to Lord Vishnu. The vast procession is undoubtedly not to miss.
13. Phulaich Festival
The festival typically means the festival of flowers, and the seven-day extravaganza is associated with the blooming of flowers in the Kinnaur Valley. Villagers visit the mountains to collect different types of Ladra flowers for the procession on the first day. While playing drums and blowing the bugles, all the inhabitants dance and celebrate the 18th night with great music.
The festival is all about remembering the deceased and relatives who offer wine, rice, and food to the departed. It is all distributed to people experiencing poverty later, and then people just head to the Dhangsapa family and show their respect by putting the garlands to the family members. The festival is celebrated on the 16th day of the Hindu month Bhadrapada.
These are some fantastic festivals that are celebrated in Himachal Pradesh. If you are planning to visit Himachal Pradesh anytime, you should consider setting your itinerary in a way that you can celebrate some of the festivals mentioned above.
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