Plan your trip · Aurangabad

What's on in Aurangabad

Aurangabad's calendar mixes a Jyotirlinga temple's festivals, a strong Ambedkarite Buddhist tradition, an old Muslim quarter and winter arts events. Most dates move each year, so confirm them before you book.

Nothing dated is confirmed for Aurangabad 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 Aurangabad

Aurangabad 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 – Feb 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.

Across Maharashtra

Ganesh Chaturthi

🗓️ August–September

Maharashtra's biggest festival: clay Ganesh idols in homes and neighbourhood pandals for up to ten days, then carried in processions to the nearest river, lake or sea.

Planning: Immersion days close roads and fill the ghats and beaches; the largest crowds by far are in Mumbai and Pune.

Nationwide

Diwali

🗓️ October–November

The biggest holiday of the year — lamps, sweets, fireworks and a week of visiting family. Cities are lit up and markets stay open late.

Holi

🗓️ March

Coloured powder and water, thrown at anyone within reach, mostly through the morning.

Navratri and Dussehra

🗓️ September–October

Nine 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 year

The 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-January

The harvest turn, marked with kites in the west and north and four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.

Mahashivratri and Shravan at Grishneshwar

As a Jyotirlinga, Grishneshwar draws its largest crowds at Mahashivratri, in February or March, and on the Mondays of Shravan, the monsoon month around July and August. Queues can run for hours. If you are sightseeing at Ellora on those days, see the temple from outside and come back another morning.

Ellora Ajanta International Festival

A music and dance festival of the same name has been held at Soneri Mahal in the city, including an edition in early February 2024 with evening concerts over three days. It has not been held every year, so check whether it is scheduled before you plan round it.

Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival

A film festival held in the city in late January. The 2026 edition ran from 28 January to 1 February, with screenings at the MGM campus and the multiplex at Prozone Mall.

Ambedkar Jayanti and Buddha Purnima

Aurangabad has a large Buddhist community, and Dr B. R. Ambedkar founded colleges here; the city's university carries his name. Ambedkar Jayanti on 14 April is celebrated with processions and gatherings across the city. Buddha Purnima, in April or May, is also marked.

Ganeshotsav

Ganesh Chaturthi, in August or September, fills neighbourhoods with pandals for ten days. It is smaller than in Mumbai or Pune, but immersion day still slows traffic in the city.

Ramadan and Eid

The old city comes alive after sunset during Ramadan, with food stalls running late. Eid moves about eleven days earlier each year.

Diwali and winter holidays

Diwali, in October or November, is the busiest holiday week at the caves. Christmas and New Year are also crowded. Book hotels and cars well ahead.

Planning notes

Lunar festivals move by weeks from year to year; treat the months above as a guide.
Festival crowds at the caves peak on weekends and public holidays.
The best time to visit page explains the seasons.

Questions

Aurangabad — FAQ

When is the Ellora Ajanta International Festival held?

When it runs, it is usually in the winter, at Soneri Mahal. An edition was held in early February 2024, and it has not been annual, so check before you plan a trip round it.

Is Ganesh Chaturthi big in Aurangabad?

It is celebrated widely, with neighbourhood pandals and a final immersion day, but on a smaller scale than Mumbai or Pune. Hotels are not usually as hard to find as in those cities.

When is Grishneshwar most crowded?

At Mahashivratri and on the Mondays of Shravan, when queues can take hours. Weekends in the winter season are busy too.

Is there a film festival in Aurangabad?

Yes. The Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival is held in the city in late January; the 2026 edition ran from 28 January to 1 February.