Plan your trip · Agra
What's on in Agra
Agra's calendar mixes Mughal-era rituals at the Taj with Braj Hindu festivals and a big craft fair. Some dates are fixed; most follow the lunar or Islamic calendar, so check the year's dates before you book.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Agra right now, so here is the year instead — the fixtures that come round annually, and what each one means for a visit.
The year in Agra
Agra packs most of its outdoor calendar into the cooler months; the pre-monsoon peak is hot enough that daytime processions are genuinely hard going. Broadly, Oct – Mar is when visiting is most comfortable here, and that is when the calendar is busiest — which also means accommodation is most expensive and books furthest ahead.
Most of these follow lunar calendars and move by weeks from year to year, so treat the windows below as the season rather than the date, and confirm the year’s dates before you book around one.
Signature to Agra
Taj Mahotsav
🗓️ FebruaryTen days of crafts, food and performance at Shilpgram, beside the Taj.
Planning: February is the best month for the monument too — cool, and clearer than the winter smog weeks.
Across Uttar Pradesh
Braj Holi
🗓️ February–MarchHoli in Mathura and Vrindavan starts a week early and includes the flower and stick variants found nowhere else.
Planning: Vastly crowded; the temple courtyards are the target, and they are small.
Nationwide
Diwali
🗓️ October–NovemberThe biggest holiday of the year — lamps, sweets, fireworks and a week of visiting family. Cities are lit up and markets stay open late.
Holi
🗓️ MarchColoured powder and water, thrown at anyone within reach, mostly through the morning.
Navratri and Dussehra
🗓️ September–OctoberNine nights of fasting, music and dance, ending with Dussehra. What it looks like changes completely by region — garba in Gujarat, pandals in Bengal, processions in the south.
Eid al-Fitr
🗓️ shifts ~11 days earlier each yearThe end of Ramadan. The old quarters of Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Bhopal are at their best in the evenings through the preceding month, when food streets run past midnight.
Makar Sankranti and Pongal
🗓️ mid-JanuaryThe harvest turn, marked with kites in the west and north and four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Taj Mahotsav — February
A ten-day fair of crafts, food, music and dance, held each year in late February at Shilpgram, near the Taj's east gate. Artisans from across India sell directly, and there are folk and classical performances in the evenings. It is organised by Uttar Pradesh Tourism and is a good place to buy marble inlay, textiles and pottery.
Shah Jahan's Urs — Rajab (January in recent years)
The anniversary of Shah Jahan's death is marked at the Taj Mahal over three days in the Islamic month of Rajab. Entry is free during the Urs, and it is the only time the lower chamber with the real graves of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal is opened. Devotees carry a very long chadar in procession to the tomb. In 2026 it fell in mid-January. Rajab moves about 11 days earlier each year, so confirm the dates with the ASI. Expect very large crowds.
Full-moon nights — every month
The Taj opens at night on the full-moon night and the two nights on either side, in groups of up to 50 people for 30 minutes each. Visitors view the tomb from a platform near the main gate, not up close. There is no night viewing on Fridays or during Ramzan. Book in advance on the ASI booking site, and arrive at Shilpgram early for the security check.
Holi — March
Holi in Agra is a street festival of colour. The bigger draw is the Braj Holi in and around Mathura, about 55 km away, where Barsana's Lathmar Holi and Vrindavan's flower Holi start a week or more before the main day.
Kailash fair — August or September
Devotees gather at the Kailash Shiva temple, on the Yamuna near Sikandra, during this annual fair. The month of Sawan also brings crowds to Mankameshwar Temple.
Ram Barat — September
Agra's biggest local event is the wedding procession of Ram, held in the days before Dussehra. Decorated floats, bands and lights travel through the old city to Janakpuri, a temporary wedding venue built each year in a different neighbourhood. In 2025 the Janakpuri celebrations ran from 17 to 20 September in Kamla Nagar. The procession runs late at night and brings traffic to a halt.
Bateshwar fair — October or November
About 70 km from Agra, this month-long fair on the Yamuna honours Shiva with river dips and temple visits, and it is also known for its big livestock market.
Diwali — October or November
Markets stay open late, sweet shops are packed, and petha and dalmoth sell in gift boxes. Book hotels early.
Questions
Agra — FAQ
Is the Taj Mahal free on any day?
Yes, during the three days of Shah Jahan's Urs, held each year in the Islamic month of Rajab. It was in mid-January in 2026 and moves about 11 days earlier each year.
When is Taj Mahotsav held?
Every February, usually for ten days in the second half of the month, at Shilpgram near the Taj Mahal's east gate.
What is Ram Barat in Agra?
A night procession celebrating the wedding of Ram and Sita, held in the days before Dussehra. It ends at Janakpuri, a wedding venue built each year in a different part of the city.
Can I see the Taj Mahal by moonlight?
Yes, on five nights around each full moon, except Fridays and during Ramzan. Numbers are limited, you view from near the main gate, and tickets must be booked in advance.