Udaipur festival calendar
Idols carried down to the ghats, a royal bonfire at the palace, thousands of diyas on the water. Udaipur celebrates loudly and often, and timing your trip right changes everything.
Visit Udaipur on an ordinary Tuesday and it is beautiful. Visit during Gangaur and the old city is a river of colour, with women in their best odhnis, drums at every corner and boats lit up on Lake Pichola. Festivals here are not staged for tourists; they are the city's own calendar, and you are welcome to join in.
Most dates follow the Hindu lunar calendar, so they move every year, sometimes by a few weeks. Treat the seasons below as a guide, then check the exact dates before you book anything.
Festival guides, what-to-expect notes and photo stories from the processions, fairs and music nights we cover through the year.
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Idols of Gauri carried through the old city, women in their brightest odhnis, boats on Lake Pichola and fireworks over Gangaur Ghat. Here's how to see Udaipur's spring festival properly.
FestivalsLake Pichola & Old City Best: Festive Season
Diyas on every ghat, havelis outlined in light and the City Palace glowing over Lake Pichola. Where to see Diwali in Udaipur, which markets to hit beforehand and how to handle the crowds.
FairsShilpgram (west of the city) Best: Festive Season
Ten days of artisans, folk music and food stalls at Shilpgram every December. What to see, what to buy, what to eat and how to get there without losing an evening to traffic.
FestivalsCity Palace & Old City Best: Festive Season
A royal bonfire at the City Palace one night, a city covered in gulal the next morning. Here's how to enjoy Holi in Udaipur, play colours responsibly and keep yourself (and your phone) safe.
SeasonalFateh Sagar & Saheliyon ki Bari Best: Monsoon
Green Aravalli hills, full lakes, swings for Teej and the Hariyali Amavasya fair around Fateh Sagar. Why the monsoon might be Udaipur's most underrated season, and how to enjoy it.
CalendarCitywide Best: Anytime
Kites in January, colours in March, swings in the monsoon and lamps on the lakes in autumn. Our month-by-month Udaipur festival calendar helps you pick the perfect time to visit.
From royal rituals to village fairs, these are the occasions locals mark on their calendars months ahead.
March / AprilWomen honour the goddess Gauri with mehendi, new clothes and songs, then carry her idols through the old city to Gangaur Ghat. The Mewar Festival runs alongside, with decorated boats on Lake Pichola and fireworks over the water.
From around 21 DecemberEvery December, the rural arts village west of the city hosts a ten-day fair of artisans, folk performers and food stalls from across the region. Go in the late afternoon and stay for the evening performances.
February / MarchThe royal family lights the Holika Dahan bonfire at the City Palace on the eve of Holi, a ceremony with music and plenty of pageantry. The next morning the colour comes out across the old city lanes.
October / NovemberHavelis, temples and the ghats around Lake Pichola glow with diyas and fairy lights, and the markets stay busy late into the night. Seeing the palace lit up and reflected on the lake is the moment people come back for.
July / AugustWhen the monsoon has turned the hills green, families crowd Fateh Sagar and Saheliyon ki Bari for a lively fair of swings, sweets and stalls. It is one of the most local, least touristy days of the year.
June / JulyLord Jagannath leaves Jagdish Temple on a decorated chariot and is pulled through the old city by devotees. Expect chanting, drums, prasad and narrow streets packed shoulder to shoulder.
Some people want drums and crowds, others want a quiet craft fair and a cup of chai. Here is how to match the calendar to your style.
Gangaur processions at the ghat and Diwali reflections on Pichola give you colour and light like nowhere else.
Shilpgram Utsav is open, walkable and full of puppets, rides and snacks that keep children happy.
Diwali on the lake and festival boat evenings make the old city feel like a set from a film.
Rath Yatra from Jagdish Temple, Navratri garba and temple aartis show the city's devotional side.
For days before Gangaur, women and girls worship clay idols of Gauri at home, singing in the evenings and painting mehendi on each other's hands. On the main days, the idols are dressed in fresh finery and carried through the lanes towards the water, and the city follows behind.
The procession ends at Gangaur Ghat, named for this very ritual, while the Mewar Festival adds boats, music and fireworks over Lake Pichola. Find a spot along the ghats or on a nearby rooftop well before evening, because by sunset there is barely room to turn around.
Every date below moves with the Hindu calendar and changes every year, so check before you plan. Use this to choose your season.
Feb – Apr
The busiest festival stretch. Holika Dahan at the City Palace, a day of colour, then Gangaur processions and Mewar Festival evenings on Lake Pichola.
May – Jun
Heat keeps things slow, but the Jagannath Rath Yatra from Jagdish Temple can fall in late June or July and draws huge crowds.
Jul – Sep
Green hills, full lakes and fairs at Fateh Sagar and Saheliyon ki Bari. Women in leheriya celebrate Teej, and the sweet shops stack up ghevar.
Sep – Nov
Nine nights of garba and dandiya, then Diwali, when ghats, havelis and markets are lit up and the lake doubles every light.
Dec – Jan
Cool evenings, the ten-day crafts fair at Shilpgram from late December, and a city full of travellers for the holidays.
Festival dates follow the Hindu calendar and shift every year. Confirm them before booking flights, and ask us if you are unsure.
Gangaur, Diwali and the late-December holidays push up demand for lake-view rooms. Book your stay as early as you can.
Processions close old-city lanes to traffic. Park or get dropped well away from Gangaur Ghat and walk the last stretch.
For Holi, use skin-friendly colours, oil your hair beforehand and keep phones in a zip pouch. Ask before throwing colour on anyone.
Photographing processions is welcome, but ask before close-up portraits of women during rituals, and never block the path of the idols.
Arrive early for any evening event. The best ghat steps and rooftop corners are usually claimed an hour or more before things start.
New places, festival dates, food finds and the odd local secret. One friendly email when there's something worth telling you, never spam.
The biggest are Gangaur with the Mewar Festival in March or April, Holi, Diwali, and the Shilpgram Utsav crafts fair in December. The Hariyali Amavasya fair, Teej, Navratri and the Jagannath Rath Yatra are also widely celebrated by locals.
The Mewar Festival is celebrated alongside Gangaur, usually in March or April. The exact dates follow the Hindu calendar and change every year, so check the current year's dates before you plan your trip.
Women worship clay idols of the goddess Gauri for several days, dressing up, applying mehendi and singing folk songs. On the main days the idols are carried in processions through the old city to Gangaur Ghat on Lake Pichola, with music, boats and fireworks in the evening.
Shilpgram Utsav runs for about ten days every December, typically starting around 21 December. It takes place at Shilpgram, the rural arts and crafts village a few kilometres west of the city run by the West Zone Cultural Centre.
Yes, it is one of the most memorable times to visit. The royal Holika Dahan at the City Palace happens on the eve of Holi, and the old city plays with colour the next morning. Stay near the lakes, dress in clothes you can throw away and keep valuables waterproofed.
The ghats, havelis and temples around Lake Pichola are lit with diyas and lights, and the markets stay open late with sweets and decorations. A boat ride or a rooftop seat facing the lake gives you the best view of the reflections.
Follow @udaipurvisit on Instagram, where we share what is happening around the city, and keep an eye on this page as new guides are added. You can also message us on WhatsApp with your dates and we will tell you what is on.
Most do, because they follow the Hindu lunar calendar rather than fixed calendar dates. Shilpgram Utsav is the main exception, as it usually begins around the same time each December.
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