Presenting the culture in a celebrative manner is not something new to India. June is one of the hottest months in India and it does not stop people from having fun. Some of the spiritual celebrations take place during June, to welcome the upcoming rainfall.
Here are the top festivals to enjoy in June in India.
1. Shimla Summer Festival
Location: Shimla
Date: Early June or Late May (2020 dates are not yet to be announced)
Just like most of the important hill stations around the country, Shimla also celebrates a colorful summer Festival to mark the end of the prime tourism season, the summer season. The main attractions of this festival are folk dance, music, carnival rides, shows, and others. Shimla summer festival is an important event of Himachal Pradesh since the 1960’s. This celebration takes place for 5 days.
2. Uttar Pradesh Mango Festival
Location: Mid of June (dates not yet announced)
Date: Orchard Malihabad, near Lucknow
This is the peak of Mango season and this regional festival started in 2013 to promote and support small farmers. The festival includes orchard visit, farmer’s market, seminar, cultural events, mango exhibition, mango eating contest, contests for children, folk dance and music, and so on.
3. Saga Dawa
Location: North-East Indis (common in Darjeeling and Sikkim)
Date: June 5th, 2020
The full moon night of this month is considered as the day of birth, death, and enlightenment of Lord Buddha. To remember the life and teachings of Gawtham Buddha, the Tibetan and Mahayana Buddhist communities of Sikkim celebrate Saga Dawa. The main event of this festival takes place in Tsuklakhang Monastery of Sikkim. The grand procession of monks from this monastery attracts numerous tourists. The locals light butter-lamps in front of their houses as a part of the celebration.
4. PuriRatha Yatra
Location: PuriJagannath Temple, Odisha
Date: 23rd June to 4th July, 2020
This festival is the annual car festival of the famous Puri Jagannath Temple. The festival includes transporting the idols of Lord Jagannath and other deities to Gundicha Mata Temple. Grand rituals and celebrations take place at the Puri Jagannath temple during the beginning of the chariot and the rituals continue at the Gundicha Mata Temple, until the idols are brought back to Puri Jagannath Temple with a festive procession.
This procession recreates the event of Lord Krishna’s voyage to Mathura from Gokul. Rituals, carnival rides, shopping stalls, exhibitions, folk dance and music, shows, and other activities are quite common during this festival.
5. Sindhu Darshan Festival
Location: Ladakh
Date: June 12th to 14th (Full moon day of June)
This three day festival starts on the full moon day that falls in June. This festival is celebrated on the Sindhu Riverbank (also called Indus River). This festival celebrates the cultural harmony of the region and to remember the importance of the river in the civilization history of the land. During this festival, you can enjoy numerous styles of folk, dance, music, and other shows. The best part of the festival is the ritual in which, people bring water from different rivers around the country and pour it into Sindhu River.
6. Ambubachi Mela
Location: Kamakhya Temple of Assam
Date: 22nd to 26th June 2020
This is a unique festival, which is celebrated by the tantric communities. This festival celebrates the menstruation cycle of the goddess of the temple. The temple is shut for the three days and on the fourth day, special rituals take place. The spring water is considered as a holy source of water during this festival. Locals take part in farming activities during this celebration as the festival is said to increase the fertility and prosperity of the land.
7. Sao Joao Feast of St. John
Location: Siolim, Goa
Date: June 24th, every year
The Sao Joao Feast of St. John the Baptist is celebrated with community dance shows, feni fetching activities, carnival rides, and others. This festival includes a lot of feni (local liquor) into the celebration. The boats of the region are decorated for this festival. Tourists visit Goa during this festival to take part in the unique games and celebrations.
8. Feast of St. Peter and Paul
Location: Bardez, Goa
Date: 29th June, every year
This festival’s origin starts in Rome. Today, the festival is one of the aboriginal celebrations of the fishermen communities of Goa. The festival is also called the Solemnity Festival of St. Peter and Paul. The festival is also seen as a celebration to welcome the monsoon season. Special masses and celebrations take place at the St. Andrew’s Church.
9. Ganga Dussehra
Location: Cities with River Ganges, like Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Allahabad
Date: 1st June, 2020
This festival is celebrated on the tenth day of the Jayestha month. This is the day on which, Ganges came from the heaven to flourish the land, upon the request of Lord Shiva. This festival is celebrated from ten days starting from Ganga Dussehra. The tenth day is called Shukla Dashami. This festival is also called the Ganga Dussehra or Gangavataram. During this festival, people worship the river, take bath in it, and chant mantras. Many rituals take place during this celebration.
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10. Kottiyoor Utsavam
Location: Kannur, Kerala
Date: 3rd to 30th June, 2020
This is a 28-days festival that takes place in two temples, which are facing each other, on opposite sides of River Bavali. The Akkare and Ikkare Kottiyoor temples celebrate this festival with numerous rituals, traditional dance and music, and more. The last day holds the Thriukalasattu ritual, which is quite famous among tourists and pilgrims. The procession of this festival is quite a spectacular event to watch.
If you are visiting in June, remember that the place will still be hot and humid with occasional mild to moderate rainfall. However, India is a vast country and each region would have a different type of monsoon. Thus, check regarding the climate before you pack and prepare for the journey.
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Most Famous Festivals of India
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