May 2013 India Festivals and Events Essential Guide

Celebrated by the Ao tribes of Nagaland, the Moatsu Festival is a time of great rejoying as the planting season comes to an end. All activities are associated with the harvest. You can expect a lot of singing, dancing, and merry making at this festival. The highlight of the occasion is Sangpangtu. Men and women dress up in their best attire and sit around a fire, eating meat and wine.

• When: First week of May each year.
• Where: Mokokchung district villages (particularly Chuchuyimlang village), Nagaland.

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This eclectic music, arts, and dance festival showcases a huge range of genres from across India, and also internationally. In addition to performances, there will be unique workshops for aspiring dancers, musicians, artisans. The festival has a different destination every two years. Plenty of interesting (mad) people are guaranteed to attend!

• When: This festival is no longer being held in May. New dates to be announced.
• Where: Fernhills Palace, Ooty, Tamil Nadu.

Ooty is a popular hill station in Tamil Nadu. Every May it comes alive with the Summer Festival. The flower show at the Botanical Gardens is particularly stunning. Other festival activities include cultural events, boat racing, and trekking.

• When: May 4-26, 2013.
• Where: Botanical Gardens, Ooty, Tamil Nadu.

The Mt. Abu Summer Festival kicks off with ballad singing, followed by regional folk dancing. The festival also offers sports such as boat racing on Nakki Lake, and a roller skating race. It concludes with a fireworks display. The highlight of the festival is the Sham-e-Qawwali musical show, which features some of the most renowned qawwals from various parts of India.

• When: May 23-25, 2013.
• Where: Mt. Abu, Rajasthan.

Buddha Jayanti, also known as Buddha Purnima, celebrates the birthday of Lord Buddha. It's the most sacred Buddhist festival. Activities include prayer meets, sermons and religious discourses, recitation of Buddhist scriptures, group meditation, processions, and worship of the statue of Buddha. Indian Railways runs a special Mahaparinirvan Express Buddhist Tourist Train that visits all Buddhist pilgrimage places in India.

• When: May 25, 2013.
• Where: Various Buddhist sites across India, particularly at Bodhgaya. The festival is also celebrated in Buddha Jayanti Park, Delhi.

This holy Hindu festival pays homage to Lord Krishna and his wife Radha. Devotees gather to bathe at the ghats of the Banganga River and be cleansed of their sins on the full moon. The festival is also a huge trading occasion. Merchants come from far and wide to sell their wares including rural ornaments, toys and household items. There are joy rides, such as merry-go-rounds and Ferris wheels, to entertain the kids as well.

• When: May 25, 2013.
• Where: Radha-Krishnaji Temple, on the banks of the Banganga River near Bairath, around an hour from Jaipur, Rajasthan.