Plan your trip · Indore
What's on in Indore
Upcoming festivals, fairs and events in Indore — plan your visit around them, then check the best time to visit.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Indore 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 Indore
Indore 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 Indore
Rangpanchami gair
🗓️ MarchFive days after Holi the city holds a second, larger colour procession — tankers spraying colour over a moving crowd.
Planning: Wear what you will discard; the old-city streets are the centre of it.
Across Madhya Pradesh
Simhastha Kumbh, Ujjain
🗓️ every 12 yearsThe Ujjain Kumbh on the Shipra.
Planning: In a Kumbh year the city's capacity is the constraint on everything.
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.
Indore's biggest celebrations happen in the old city around Rajwada. Five days after Holi, on Rangpanchami, the gair processions move through the streets with music, dancing and tankers spraying coloured water over the crowd, a tradition that goes back to Holkar times. In August or September, Ganesh Chaturthi fills Khajrana Ganesh Temple with devotees, and on Anant Chaturdashi, its last day, the city's old textile mills and other groups send large tableaux (jhankis) in a procession through the old city to Rajwada.
Navratri and Dussehra, Diwali and Holi are also celebrated across the city, and the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in nearby Ujjain, next due in 2028, brings huge numbers of pilgrims through Indore. Most festival dates follow the lunar calendar and change each year, so check the dates before you plan your trip.
Tips for Attending Events & Festivals in Indore
- Check the year's dates, as most festivals follow the lunar calendar.
- For Rangpanchami, wear old clothes and keep your phone in a waterproof pouch.
- Arrive early near Rajwada to find a spot along the procession route.
- Expect road closures and heavy traffic in the old city on procession days.
- Keep your belongings secure in the crowds.
- Book hotels early for Diwali and for the Simhastha year.
- Carry water, as March and September days can still be warm.
Questions
Indore — FAQ
What are the main festivals in Indore?
The biggest local events are the Rangpanchami gair in March and the Anant Chaturdashi procession at the end of Ganesh Chaturthi, usually in September. Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali and Holi are also celebrated across the city.
What is the Rangpanchami gair in Indore?
Rangpanchami falls five days after Holi. In Indore, gair processions move through the old city with music and dancing while tankers spray coloured water over the crowd. The tradition dates back to Holkar times, and the streets around Rajwada are the centre of it.
What happens on Anant Chaturdashi in Indore?
Anant Chaturdashi is the last day of Ganesh Chaturthi. Groups linked to the city's old textile mills and other organisations build large tableaux, called jhankis, which move in a procession through the old city and finish at Rajwada.
Will the Simhastha in Ujjain affect a trip to Indore?
Yes, if you travel in 2028. The Simhastha Kumbh Mela is held in Ujjain, about 55 km away, once every 12 years, and the next one is due in 2028. Indore has the nearest airport, so hotels and flights fill up fast. Check the dates and book early.