Plan your trip · Bodh Gaya

What's on in Bodh Gaya

Bodh Gaya's calendar is set by the Buddhist world rather than by the town. The big gatherings come in winter, when monasteries from across Asia hold ceremonies under the Bodhi Tree.

Nothing dated is confirmed for Bodh Gaya 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 Bodh Gaya

Bodh Gaya 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 Bodh Gaya

Winter teachings and Kagyu Monlam

🗓️ December–January

The Mahabodhi temple fills with monastic communities from across the Himalayas and beyond for the teaching season under the Bodhi tree.

Planning: Gaya’s coldest, busiest weeks — accommodation is scarce and booked far ahead.

Across Bihar

Chhath Puja

🗓️ October–November

Four days of riverbank ritual at sunrise and sunset, the most important festival in the state.

Planning: Trains into Bihar are booked out weeks ahead — this is the largest annual migration in the region.

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.

Winter chanting ceremonies

From late autumn to January, one monastic group after another holds a prayer festival at the Mahabodhi Temple. The International Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony, in early December, brings monks from Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and elsewhere to chant the Pali scriptures under the Bodhi Tree. The Nyingma Monlam, a Tibetan prayer festival, comes before it.

Kagyu Monlam

The Kagyu Monlam is a Tibetan Buddhist prayer gathering held around the turn of the year. The 2025–26 edition ran from 23 December to 3 January. Thousands of monks and nuns fill the temple grounds, and the chanting carries across town.

The Dalai Lama's teachings

The Dalai Lama has given winter teachings in Bodh Gaya in many years, most recently around the new year. When he comes, the town is packed. His visits are announced by his office, so check before you plan around one.

Buddha Purnima

The full moon in April or May marks the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death. Bodh Gaya holds prayers and processions, and the temple is decorated. It falls in the hot season, so go early in the day. In 2027 it is expected on 20 May.

Chhath Puja

Chhath is Bihar's most important festival, held in October or November. Families make offerings to the setting and rising sun at riverbanks and ponds, and thekua is made in every home. It is a family festival, so watch from a respectful distance.

Pitru Paksha in Gaya

In September or October, Hindu pilgrims come to Gaya to perform rites for their ancestors at the Falgu river and the Vishnupad Temple. The fair lasts about two weeks and crowds the roads and trains around Gaya. The Vishnupad Temple is open to Hindus only.

Planning

Rooms in December and January should be booked early.
Most dates follow lunar calendars and shift each year. Check the dates before you book.

Questions

Bodh Gaya — FAQ

What is the Kagyu Monlam in Bodh Gaya?

A Tibetan Buddhist prayer festival held at the Mahabodhi Temple around the turn of the year, attended by thousands of monks and nuns.

Can visitors attend the chanting ceremonies?

Yes. The ceremonies take place in the temple grounds, and visitors can watch quietly. The phone rule still applies inside.

Is the Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya every winter?

Not every year. He has taught here in many winters, but his plans are announced by his office each year.