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April Festival 2024

In India, the month of April heralds the onset of spring, bearing a festive spirit and cultural vivacity coloured by diverse regional festivals across the country. From vibrant harvest celebrations to rituals bidding farewell to the winter season, April boasts an array of festivities that highlight India's ethnic diversity.  Festivals in April in India mark the advent of the new year as per the traditional Hindu calendar. Villages and towns are decked with lights to commemorate the occasion. Community gatherings, puja rituals, colourful floor decorations, and preparations for Neem tree plantations ensue amidst many festivals of April fervour. This symbolises new beginnings in South Indian states; the month sees the famous Fire Walking festivals, where devotees walk on burning coal to prove spiritual purity. Temple festivals also occur, attracting scores of devotees.

The onset of the auspicious Baisakhi festival in April ushers the harvest season for rabi crops in North India. Festivals like Baisakhi signify prosperity as winter's gloom dissipates into spring's exuberance through music, bone fire, folk dance, and regional art forms. People dress up in their ethnic finery to mark the festivals in April. Communities celebrate with great joy, preparing various festivals delicacies and thronging local bazaars with April fervour. Eastern parts observe numerous festivals of April celebrating nature's splendid beauty as yellow mustard flowers adorn the landscape with dazzling brilliance. Songs, theatre, and poetry recitals glorifying nature form the main attractions of the April month. People fly colourful kites as part of April celebrations in many areas.

Southern states showcase rich mythological history through landmark temple festivals in April with much fanfare. Elaborate rituals, magnificent processions of temple deities, competitive cultural programs, feasting, and community bonding become hallmarks of these April month festivals. From rain festivals in tribal pockets to those invoking divine blessings upon newlyweds, those honouring local deities and village goddesses, festivals in April in India beautifully capture the country's composite heritage and regional diversity. These signify India's pluralistic cultural fabric commemorating communal harmony and oneness.

List of 14 Festivals in April 2024 in India

1 Gudi Padwa
Date: 09 Apr 2024

Gudi Padwa marks the beginning of the New Year as per the Hindu calendar. Celebrated in Maharashtra, this April Festival is enthusiastically and positively welcomed. Families wake up early, take ceremonial baths, decorate their homes with intricate rangoli designs, and prepare sweets like shrikhand to offer to the Gods. Women dress up in their finery to perform rituals for a prosperous year ahead. The festival's main symbol is the 'gudi' - a victory flag adorned with garlands of flowers and topped with an upturned silver or copper vessel. People gather in large numbers to fly the gudi, symbolizing victory and new beginnings. Gudi Padwa epitomises the vibrant spirit of Maharashtrian culture.

Gudi Padwa
2 Chaitra Navratri
Date: 09 Apr - to - 17 Apr 2024

Chaitra Navratri is one of Hinduism's most visually stunning festivals, worshipping the all-powerful feminine divine. Devotees observe strict fasts, abstain from specific food items, and establish beautiful, temporary podiums called pandals housing ornate idols of Goddess Durga in her manifestation as Shakti. In Gujarat, the dandiya dance performed during Navratri involves synchronised, high-energy movements with wooden sticks by colourfully dressed men and women, rejoicing in the triumph of good over evil. Grand processions, chanting of mantras, and immersion ceremonies in rivers and oceans celebrating the Goddess's victory make for an iconic April festival in India's visuals. From exquisite sarees to hyperlocal vegetarian fare, Chaitra Navratri bears the unique stamp of India's composite cultural heritage and the salvation promise of the April festival season.

Chaitra Navratri
3 Cheti Chand
Date: 09 Apr 2024

The Sindhi community's signature festival, Cheti Chand, commemorates the birth anniversary of Ishtadeva Uderolal, locally revered as Jhulelal, the community's patron saint and guardian of the Sindhu river's waters. Sindhis wake before sunrise, clean their abodes and set up decorative floral altars bearing fruits, sweets, and the sacred Jhulelal Sufi saint's idol for ritualistic worship through hymns and offerings. Chand means 'half-moon,' and Cheti signifies the month of Chaitra as per the Hindu calendar, both converging in April. The high point is a ceremonial procession where the ornately decorated Jhulelal idol is carried to nearby water bodies for ritual immersion.

Cheti Chand
4 Navreh
Date: 09 Apr 2024

An exuberant festival announcing the New Year as per Kashmiri Pandit traditions, Navreh represents April's rejuvenating charm after winter's barrenness through colourful customs, symbolising optimism for brighter days ahead. Typical elements include viewing and eating an April month festival thali. It bears items denoting aspirations like coins, bread, pens, and flowers. The recitation of Navreh Panchali songs glorifying nature. Consumption of signature rice delicacies. Praying at temples. And embarking on new projects. Gifting embroidered scarves and receiving platters bearing fruits, coins, and knots from married daughters are other Navreh customs. With saffron flowers suffusing the crystalline April air and snow-capped Himalayan peaks acting as backdrops, Navreh encapsulates the pristine beauty and cultural richness associated with Kashmir since mediaeval times.

Navreh
5 Gangaur
Date: 25 Mar 2024

Gangaur celebrates love, matrimony, and the spring season in all its vibrant glory in Rajasthan.It honours the deep, steadfast loyalty of wives like Goddess Parvati towards their husbands and is celebrated for up to 18 days in April. Magnificently decorated clay idols of Parvati are installed in homes that women worship through offerings of sweets and flowers coupled with fasting and folk songs glorifying fidelity within marriages. The festivities culminate in a public procession where ornamented idols are transported in palanquins to a collectively prepared waterbody for symbolic farewell immersions. The pomp and gaiety of Gangaur revelries, with women sporting matrimonial fineries, mehendi, glass bangles, and associated rituals, promote virtues like sacrifice and service among wives.

Gangaur
6 Baisakhi
Date: 13 Apr 2024

Marking the first day of the traditional solar year, Baisakhi holds special significance across North India as the harvest season for golden yellow rabi crops like wheat. Farmers rejoice in the fruits of their labour with infectious celebrations where bhangra dancers in vibrant costumes perform energetic routines to loud drums. Sikhs commemorate Baisakhi as the founding day of the revered Khalsa tradition, with processions and initiation ceremonies at prominent Gurudwaras. Community fairs with handicrafts, local cuisines, and street performances perfectly capture Punjab’s vibrant spirit for this festival.

Baisakhi
7 Vishu
Date: 14 Apr 2024

Vishu festivities in Kerala usher in the Malayali Hindu New Year, signifying new hopes, dreams, and auspicious beginnings. The festival of April bears a striking visual spectacle – vibrant gold-hued flowers adorn households alongside immense displays of fruits, gold, coins, new clothes, and more for prosperity rituals. Families wake before dawn, and the first sight upon opening eyes, the “Vishukkani,” is believed to be an omen predicting the year. Fireworks, feasts of hearty Sadya meals, handing out money to children from elders, and worship of Lord Krishna form Vishu’s core that bonds communities in April’s optimistic spirit.

Vishu
8 Bohag Bihu
Date: 14 Apr - to - 20 Apr 2024

Ushering in the New Year as per the Assamese calendar and the spring season, Bohag Bihu galvanises the spirit of an entire state through its unbridled merrymaking. The signature festival element is the Bihu folk dance performance by young men and women clad in traditional Mekhela Chadors and Dhotis, singing and swaying with their arms around each other’s waists to the vibrant rhythm of dhols. Magnificent floral decorators called Bohag Bihu rangolis, games of egg fights, feasting on pitha rice cakes, and seeking the blessings of elders embody the cheer and warmth of this annual festival of India in April that cuts across communities.

Bohag Bihu
9 Tamil New Year
Date: 14 Apr 2024

Puthandu, as Tamil New Year is referred to, heralds the first day of the auspicious Chithirai month to mark new beginnings. Households wake up before dawn to view the ‘kanni’ auspicious sight containing items portending a prosperous year like fruits, gold, betel leaves, coins, etc. The unique celebration is ‘Pana Sankalpa,’ where people prepare a sweet extract made from neem flowers mixed with spices to symbolise facing both joy and sorrow in life courageously. Family visits, exchanging gifts, feasting on Avial-Sadham, and watching the Tamil New Year special “Chithirai Thiruvizha” on television unite communities in the April spirit of hope and harmony as in years of yore.

Tamil New Year
10 Poila Baisakh
Date: 15 Apr 2024

Marking the first day of the Bangla Calendar year, Poila Boishakh ushers in new hopes and dreams. Bengalis wake up before sunrise to bathe, wear new ethics, and offer prayers and delicacies to Goddess Lakshmi for prosperity. Houses are embellished artistically with Alpana designs as ladies sway in white sarees to welcome the new year through song, dance, and recitation of Rabindranath Tagore verses. Selling auspicious items like neem leaves/twigs representing the victory of good over evil and community feasting on signature dishes like Ilish maach become Poila Boishakh hallmarks. The carnival spirit bonding communities make Poila Boishakh the most loved Bengali festival.

Poila Baisakh
11 Mahavir Jayanti
Date: 15 Apr 2024

Mahavir Jayanti solemnly marks the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira, founder of the Jain philosophy emphasizing non-violence, truth, and detachment from material possessions. Clay statues of the meditating saint are ornately sculpted for temple rituals. The jewelled statue housed in palanquins form processions called Rath Yatras, where devotees paint/clean the path ahead with milk and water, seeking blessings. Hymns and offerings of rice, fruit, and flowers are made by white-clad devotees, signifying purity. Many opt for partial fasting, avoid root vegetables, and refrain from eating after sunset on Mahavir Jayanti, observed primarily by Jains to uphold moral virtues propounded by Lord Mahavira in the 6th century BC.

Mahavir Jayanti
12 Ram Navami
Date: 17 Apr 2024

Ram Navami honours Lord Rama’s birth, upholding him as an ideal human displaying courage and morality. Tableaus decorated with scenes from the Ramayana, Rama’s life events, and carrying the infant Rama idol are critical attractions of this Indian festival in April. From chanting prayers to staging dance dramas narrating stories from Rama’s life to conducting spiritual discourses by religious leaders, the day encapsulates devotion. Temple lawns come alive with stalls selling toys denoting Lord Rama’s memories that children collect enthusiastically. With rituals like fasting and mass feasts, the divine ambiance bonds communities in respecting the ‘Maryaada Purshotam’s exalted life story. 

Ram Navami
13 Hanuman Jayanti
Date: 23 Apr 2024

Hanuman Jayanti commemorates Lord Hanuman’s birth, exemplifying ideals like strength, courage, and selfless service as embodied by him. Devotees throng temples, which are elaborately festooned with marigold flowers as the entire Hanuman Chalisa verse is chanted 11 times collectively. Many mark their attendance for the 40-day phase of particular spiritual discourses by learned scholars on Hanuman’s devotion to Lord Rama. They seek blessings by offering oil lamps and Vadas made of Urad Dal and rice flour. In parts, iconic processions shoulder over 25 feet structures of Hanuman carrying a mace, walking over houses as actors dressed as Ram and Sita meet crowds. Such grandeur translates into communities reaffirming faith in courage and humanity.

Hanuman Jayanti
14 Chithirai Festival
Date: 14 Apr 2024

Madurai’s world-renowned Chithirai Festival is a 10-day April extravaganza celebrating the coronation of Goddess Meenakshi (Parvati) and her marriage to Lord Sundareswarar (Shiva). The festivities center around elaborately decorated temple chariots carrying the deities’ ornate idols to the Vaigai River for induction ceremonies. Captivating processions see thousands gathered on streets, crackers lighting the skies, musicians playing traditional instruments, dancers like the “Kavadi Attam” enthralling crowds, and more. Facets like street plays based on historical events, temple sports tournaments, and famed “Kallazhagar” festival rituals perfectly capture Tamil culture. On the day marking their wedding, these towering chariots majestically make their way to the banks of River Vaigai, accompanied by traditional music and thousands of devotees on the streets showering flowers. 

Chithirai Festival

Festivals by Months

Discover vibrant festivals celebrated around the world each month, from colorful local traditions to grand international events.

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May May
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June June
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July July
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August August

FAQs About Fastivals In April

Some of the most popular national festivals in April spanning different faiths and regions include Baisakhi, Ram Navami, Mahavir Jayanti, Hanuman Jayanti, Tamil New Year, and Bihu. Common April Indian festivals like Baisakhi mark the Solar New Year and harvest season in North India with much fervor. Ram Navami glorifies Lord Rama’s righteous path for Hindus, while Mahavir Jayanti honors the revered Jain Tirthankara. Bihu dances, feasts, and processions celebrate the Assamese New Year enthusiastically.

Myriad exciting rituals and customs define celebrations in India in April. Temple processions carrying ornately decorated deities in chariots, paramount in Tamil Nadu’s Chithirai and Maharashtra’s Gudi Padwa, display local craftsmanship. Bengal’s Poila Boishakh involves buying ‘nabo patrika’ trees to symbolize new beginnings. Bihu sees enthusiastic spring dancing while devout Jains fast and perform austerities on Mahavir Jayanti. Irrespective of religion, delicacies like sweets and local temple cuisine hold prominence during April festivities. 

The communal dimensions of merrymaking, harmony, and solidarity are integral to April’s festive spirit. People gather in brightly decorated community pandals, temples, and village squares to collectively participate in ritual traditions passed down through generations. Friends and families exchange ethnic gifts, sweets, and goodwill wishes. Reunions, matchmaking, and mass feasting further unify communities. In Nepal, which shares cultural ties with India, the chariot processions and fairs around festivals like Bisket Jatra resonate with the fanfare of Indian April celebrations. 

Alongside seasonal transitions, some April Indian festivals memorialize landmark historical events. Baisakhi honors the 1699 foundation of the Sikh warrior Khalsa tradition. Mahavir Jayanti marks the 599 BC birth of revered ascetic Mahavira, who founded Jain dharma. As per Tamil texts, Chithirai pays tribute to the 9th century CE wedding of deities Sundareswarar and Meenakshi. Odisha’s Pana Sankranti epitomizes the Oriya New Year and agricultural cycles from medieval times when the earth goddess’s progeny taught farming.

Festivals in April in India allow tourists to glimpse her magnificent heritage and people. Many attend the iconic Garba-Dandiya dances of Navratri in Baroda or capture Kodungallur’s vibrant, elephant-led Thrissur Pooram processions on camera. Heritage hotels in Jaisalmer offer grand views of the colour-splashed Gangaur celebrations. Tourists enjoy Bihu performances, buy ethnic handicrafts, relish temple prasadams, and photo-document rituals around festivals like Puthandu. With incredible visual richness, warm hospitality, and dazzling rituals, India’s star-studded April celebrations leave tourists spellbound!