Festival Journeys: Experiencing India’s Faith Through Travel
India celebrates more festivals than there are days in a year! Each festival is not just a ritual but a journey – of communities coming together, of colors, of chants, of devotion. Traveling during festivals in India is like entering a live storybook of gods and traditions.
Kumbh Mela
Held every 12 years, it is the largest gathering of humans on earth. Millions take a holy dip at the Sangam (confluence) believing it purifies lifetimes of karma. As a traveler, being in Kumbh is overwhelming – the energy, the colors, the sea of humanity moving with faith.
Rath Yatra (Puri, Odisha)
Lord Jagannath’s massive chariot procession is so grand that even foreigners are left awestruck. Devotees pull the gigantic chariots with ropes, singing and dancing – it feels like divinity itself is on the streets.
Navratri (Vaishno Devi & Across India)
Nine nights of devotion to the Goddess. In Vaishno Devi, special prayers fill the caves. In Gujarat, the whole state dances Garba all night in vibrant dresses. Faith and festivity walk hand in hand.
Mahashivratri (Ujjain & Kashi)
Temples of Shiva remain alive all night with chants of “Om Namah Shivaya.” In Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar temple, the Bhasma Aarti at dawn is an unforgettable sight.
To travel in India during festivals is to see devotion turn into celebration. It shows that spirituality here is not confined to temples – it flows in the streets, in songs, in dances, in prayers.
