Plan your trip · Bandhavgarh
What's on in Bandhavgarh
Upcoming festivals, fairs and events in Bandhavgarh — plan your visit around them, then check the best time to visit.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Bandhavgarh 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 Bandhavgarh
Bandhavgarh's calendar is the park's: safaris run through the dry months and stop for the monsoon, and the weeks that sell out first are the school and festival holidays. Broadly, Oct – Mar and Apr – Jun is the time to come, and safari permits for the holiday weeks go early.
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 Bandhavgarh
Park season
🗓️ October–JuneSafaris run from October to June; the core zones — Tala, Magadhi and Khitauli — shut for the monsoon. Sightings get easier as the forest dries out through April–June.
Planning: Tala is the zone most visitors want; permits are booked online and go early for holiday weeks.
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.
Bandhavgarh's festivals centre on the hill at the heart of the reserve. The fort is closed to tourists for most of the year, but on Krishna Janmashtami, usually in August or early September, devotees walk up through the forest to the Ram-Janaki temple on the fort. In December, the Kabir Mela brings followers of the saint-poet Kabir from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and beyond to Kabir's cave on the same hill. Outside the reserve, Maa Birasini Devi Temple at Birsinghpur Pali holds large fairs during both Navratris.
These are religious events held under strict wildlife rules. In recent years, the park has asked pilgrims to register in advance, set fixed entry and return times and limited who can make the climb. The park also closes for safaris on Holi and Diwali, and the core zones reopen each year on 1 October. Dates change every year, so check with the park management before you plan a trip around an event.
Tips for Attending Events & Festivals in Bandhavgarh
- Check the year's dates and rules with the park management before you travel.
- Register online in advance if the park asks you to.
- Reach the Tala gate early, as entry times are fixed.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes and carry water for the long walk to the fort.
- Stay with the group and on the marked route, as this is tiger country.
- Carry no plastic, and bring back everything you take in.
- Book lodges early for Diwali, Christmas and New Year, the busiest weeks of the year.
Questions
Bandhavgarh — FAQ
What are the main festivals in Bandhavgarh?
The biggest local events are the Janmashtami pilgrimage to the temple on Bandhavgarh Fort and the Kabir Mela at Kabir's cave on the fort hill, usually in December. The Navratri fairs at Maa Birasini Devi Temple in Birsinghpur Pali also draw large crowds.
Can tourists visit Bandhavgarh Fort on Janmashtami?
The fort opens on Janmashtami for devotees, who walk up from the Tala gate on foot. It is a pilgrimage rather than a sightseeing trip, with big crowds, fixed timings and rules such as age limits, so check the year's arrangements with the park first.
When is the Kabir Mela in Bandhavgarh?
The Kabir Mela is usually held in December, on the full moon of the Hindu month of Aghan. In recent years, devotees have had to register online in advance, enter early in the morning and return to the gate by mid-afternoon.
Is Bandhavgarh open on Diwali and Holi?
No. The park closes for safaris on Holi and Diwali. The days around Diwali are also among the busiest of the year, so book permits and rooms early.