Chithirai festival is a well-known, prominent festival of the ancient temple town of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. The festival is the celebration of the wedding of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswar (Lord Siva). The wedding ceremony involves all the rituals of a Hindu marriage and 10 days prior to the wedding there is a massive procession with the bride and the groom. Lord Vishnu (known here as Azhagar), brother to the goddess, comes to the wedding ceremony in a grand procession and while crossing the Vaigai river is held back by devotees and thus misses the ceremony. Lord Subrahmanya turns up for the wedding as well. This festival of grandeur and pageantry is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Chithirai in the Tamil calendar. Thousands of devotees gather to attend the wedding and see the majestic procession of Lord Vishnu. Come to this divine wedding with Indian Festival Tours.

During the summer the hill stations in Tamil Nadu including the picturesque Ooty, Exquisite Kodaikanal and Salubrious Yercaud host splendid festivals collectively known as the Summer Festival. The highlights of the festival include boat races, flower and fruit shows, cultural programs and adventure sports. The tourists also get opportunities of trekking in the majestic Nilgiri mountain ranges. This summer visit these heavenly hill stations with Indian Festival Tours.

The Saral Festival is celebrated at Courtallam in Tamil Nadu in the month of July. Courtallam is famous for its exquisite waterfalls and Ayurvedic treatment centres where one can get soothing massages done. ‘Saral’ is an enchanting drizzle of rain that hits Courtallam in July, and it’s a pleasant experience to walk in the ‘Saral’ getting neither wet nor dry. The Saral festival makes a celebration out of a simple bathing! And indeed, a bath at the picturesque Courtallam waterfalls which is famous for its medicinal properties is no ordinary event. Cultural programs, competitions, fun and frolic make this festival remarkable. Rejuvenate your body, mind and soul at Courtallam with Indian Festival Tours.

Karthigai Deepam Festival is an exuberant festival of lights celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Karthika in the Tamil calendar. It is celebrated with fervor across the state of Tamil Nadu. On the festival day people clean houses and draw Kolams (drawings with flour) in the courtyards in the evening. Households are decorated with hundreds of lamps with some lamps placed on the kolams as well. Door, windows, courtyards and even streets are adorned with brightly lit lamps. The festival has a joyous ambience to it and the innumerable bright lamps are extremely eye-candy. Enjoy this extravaganza with Indian festival Tours.

Mamallapuram Dance festival is a dance extravaganza held in January every year for four weeks. Mamallapuram, a city just 58 kilometers from Chennai, was the ancient port of Pallavas. The place is world-renowned for its wonderful beaches and 7th and 8th century carvings and temples. Exponents of various folk dances and classical dances like Bharata Natyam,, Mohiniyattam, Kuchi pudi, Kathak and Kathakali perform against the magnificent backdrop of Pallava rock carvings during the festival. Behold the beauty of the sublime art forms and supreme rock carvings with Indian Festival Tours.

Karaga Festival is a spectacular fiesta closely associated with the great Indian epic Mahabharata; the festival is celebrated in arch every year by the Tigala community who worship Droupati, the central female character of Mahabharata. Main rituals and celebrations are on the 7th day of the 7 day long festival when hundreds of Veerakumaras (brave youth) brandishing swords strike their chests with those sharp swords and fire-walk. A pyramidical floral structure called Karaga (from which the festival gets its name) is carried by a chosen person from the Tigala community on his head. Veerakumaras accompany the Karaga carrier at his sides during the spectacular nightlong procession and according to custom if he loses balance the veerakumaras should stab him with the swords. Fortunately in the long history of the festival this has never happened. The atmosphere during the festival is electrifying with thunderous drum beats and has a pulsating , indefinable power. Experience the thump of Karaga with Indian Festival Tours.

International Kite Festival featuring exquisite kites of large variety and talented kite flyers from across the country is organized every year in Bangalore. Kite enthusiasts participate in the fest with alacrity and many even engage in duels where each kite flyer tries to cut down the other’s kite. The grassy banks of the lake on the outskirts of the city provide a wonderful setting for the festival. Partake in this marvelous festival and jubilate with Indian Festival Tours.

Paryaya festival is a festival of enormous importance celebrated at the Srikrishna Math in Uduppi. 5 months prior to the festival the priest at the Math leaves for a 5-month pilgrimage to all the important pilgrim centers. While on pilgrimage the swamiji or the priest invites all religious scholars and priests he meets to the Paryaya festival. His re-entry to the city is celebrated with much fervor by the devotees. He is garlanded and taken in an enormous chariot in a spectacular and colorful procession to the Math. The procession involves the swamiji’s chariot, a colorfully decorated palanquin carrying all the Math icons and effigies of the former priests apart from the chanting of Mantras and Vedas by scholars and devotees. Mandaps and decorated arches are erected along the way to the Math. The swamiji is garlanded profusely at the public function held after the swamiji reaches the Math and offers prayers to Lord Krishna. Devotees offer rice, vegetables and other provisions to the Swamiji. The provisions being taken in carts, trucks or as head load is a queer sight to behold. Experience the spirit of Paryaya with Indian Festival Tours.

Bangalore Habba is an enormous cultural fest held in the first week of December every year in Bangalore. The festival fatures around 3000 artistes from across the state of Karnataka and hundreds more from other parts of the country. These talented artistes perform ethnic art forms at different public places like parks, halls, temples, Cubbon Park, Plance Grounds and Art Espresso. Events include music, dance, film panorama, street theatre, adventure sports, a golf tournament, tennis ball cricket tournament, pulling race, vintage car rally. A youth festival called ‘Resonance’ stretching three days and is also organized as part of the event. This is a three day inter-collegiate festival with a combination of dance, music and theatre with participation of over 100 colleges from Bangalore. The festival has an impressive patronage with almost all cultural organizations and associations joining hands in organizing the ‘Habba’. Witness this cultural extravaganza with Indian Festival Tours.

Chalukya Utsav is a cultural extravaganza held at Pattadakkal in Banglakot district in Karnataka. The festival is a colorful celebration of the rich cultural heritage of the erstwhile Chalukya Kingdom. The festival celebrated towards the end of January involves enchanting performances by thousands of artistes skilled in various art forms in the genre of music, dance and drama. Come to this fantabulous fiesta with Indian Festival Tours.