Indian Festivals in February

Goa Carnival - 10th - 13th (Maybe next year) 

Khajuraho Dance Festival - 20th to 26th
If classical dance is your thing, this is where the most illustrious names in Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Odissi and other classical dance forms come together. You’ll have the almost mythical Khajuraho for a backdrop - quite the setting to be spellbound. 

Losar Festival 14th - 18th Sangti Valley, Arunachal Pradesh
The Tibetan Buddhist New Year is filled with drums and masked dancing and other elements that make you wonder if perhaps, you’ve stepped into the realm of the fantastic. 

Kambala
Buffaloes, splashing muddy water, high adrenaline, racing and plenty adrenaline. Though this festival has become something of a controversy, it’s still quite the spectacle. You can find the timetable here. 

Mahamastabhiheka 17th - 25th, Shravanabelagola  
This once in 12 years Jain festival is 500 steep steps up and involves bathing a 57 foot statue in petals, sandalwood paste, vermillion, turmeric, saffron, milk. Epic or what? 

Shivarathri - 13th
Find the nearest Shiva Temple and experience this festival in the local way. Some of the most revered temples in the circuit are the Kedarnath Temple (Uttarakhand), Somnath Temple (Gujarat), Mahakaleshwar temple (Madhya Pradesh), Mallikarjuna Swamy (Andhra Pradesh), Omkareshwar temple (Madhya Pradesh), Bhimashankar temple (Maharashtra), Kashi Vishwanath temple (Varanasi)

Chidambaram Temple, Chidambaram. One of the most holy Shiva Temples, they celebrate Mahashivarathri with a dance festival. 

Padanilam Sivaratri - This temple in Aleppey has the *kavadiyattam* for Lord Subramanya. The Kettulsavam, with giant bull effigy chariots, known as Kettukala or kettukazcha, from 13 distinct villages (kara) is a visual spectacle. These  intricately decorated bulls stand stall at up to 70-80 feet and  other idols of Hindu deities and effigies of mythological characters make it very vibrant.  

Theyyam, Kannur
A visual spectacle in every way, the theyyam is a ritualistic dance that will have you transfixed and maybe even change you a little. Find the calendar here
 
  
Dosmochey 13th-14th, Leh and Likir
Yargon Tungshak 19th-20th February 2018 in Yarma (Nubra)
Stok Guru Tsechu 24th-25th February 2018 in Stok
February is clearly a month of celebrations in the Himalayan Buddhist Monasteries. With colourful dance narratives, and larger than life characters, its another memory to add to your adventure in the Himalayas. 

International Paragliding Festival, Vagamon, Kerala -  Till Feb 18th
Take in Vagamon’s beautiful verdant hills like the eagles do. In the recent past, Vagamon has been fashioning itself into a formidable adventure destination in Kerala.