Plan your trip · Cherrapunji
What's on in Cherrapunji
Sohra is a small, mostly Christian town, so its biggest days are church days. The major Khasi dance festivals take place near Shillong, a couple of hours away, and are easy to add to a trip.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Cherrapunji 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 Cherrapunji
Cherrapunji's calendar runs through most of the year, with the busiest weeks in the clear, comfortable months and a quieter stretch in the heaviest rain. Broadly, Oct – Mar and Apr – Jun 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 Meghalaya
Wangala and Nongkrem
🗓️ October–NovemberHarvest and thanksgiving dances of the Garo and Khasi communities, in villages rather than stadiums.
Planning: Ask locally for the year's village dates; these are not ticketed tourist shows.
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.
Christmas and New Year
Christmas is the biggest celebration in Sohra. Churches are decorated, choirs practise for weeks, and families gather for services and feasts. It is a lovely time to visit, but expect many shops and eateries to close on Christmas Day and on Sundays around it. Book rooms early, because Shillong and Sohra fill up over the holidays.
Shad Suk Mynsiem
Shad Suk Mynsiem, the Khasi dance of the peaceful heart, is a spring thanksgiving festival held in Shillong, usually in April. Women dance in rich silk and gold, men in turbans and jymphong jackets, to drums and pipes. Check the year's dates before you plan around it.
The Nongkrem dance
The Nongkrem dance is held at Smit, near Shillong, usually in October or November. It is a religious festival of the Khyrim Syiemship, with ritual offerings and dances that last several days. It is not a show, so follow the organisers' rules on where to stand and when to take photos.
Wangala is far away
Wangala, the hundred drums festival, belongs to the Garo people of the Garo Hills in western Meghalaya, around Tura. It is not held in Sohra, and reaching it means a long journey across the state.
National holidays
Diwali, Holi and other national festivals are not public events in Sohra. Shillong's Hindu and other communities mark them, but in Sohra you will hardly notice them.
The monsoon as an event
The monsoon, from about June to September, is Sohra's own spectacle. Many visitors come simply to stand in the rain at the cliff edge and watch the falls. See the best time to visit for what that season is really like.
Questions
Cherrapunji — FAQ
What is the biggest festival in Sohra?
Christmas. Most people are Christian, and the churches, choirs and family feasts make it the town's busiest time.
Can I see the Nongkrem dance on a trip to Sohra?
Yes, if your dates match. It is held at Smit, near Shillong, usually in October or November, so combine it with a night in Shillong.
When is Shad Suk Mynsiem?
Usually in April, in Shillong. Dates change each year, so check before you book.
Is the Wangala festival held near Sohra?
No. Wangala is a Garo festival held in the Garo Hills in western Meghalaya, a long way from Sohra.