Touristoo
Sign in

Plan your trip · Sasan Gir

What's on in Sasan Gir

Upcoming festivals, fairs and events in Sasan Gir — plan your visit around them, then check the best time to visit.

Nothing dated is confirmed for Sasan Gir 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 Sasan Gir

Sasan Gir'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 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 Sasan Gir

Park season

🗓️ mid-October to mid-June

Gir's lion safaris run only in these months — the park closes for the monsoon, from mid-June to mid-October.

Planning: Permits are limited, sold online and open about three months ahead; holiday weeks go first.

Across Gujarat

Navratri garba

🗓️ September–October

Nine nights of garba and dandiya, from neighbourhood squares to grounds holding thousands. Gujarat does this more seriously than anywhere else.

Planning: Large venues ticket in advance; the state is dry, so do not expect a bar.

Uttarayan kite festival

🗓️ 14–15 January

Gujarat takes to its rooftops to fly kites for two days straight — most intensely in the old quarters of Ahmedabad and Vadodara.

Planning: Coated kite string injures people on two-wheelers every year — avoid riding on those days.

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.

Sasan Gir's year is shaped less by festivals than by the safari season, which usually runs from 16 October to 15 June. The busiest weeks are the Diwali holidays, Christmas and New Year, when the village fills with visitors hoping to see lions. Navratri is the biggest festival at Kankai Mata Temple, and early summer brings the Kesar mango harvest to the orchards around Gir.

Festival dates follow the Hindu calendar and change each year, so check them and book your safari permits early if you plan your trip around a holiday.

Tips for Attending Events & Festivals in Sasan Gir

  • Book safari permits for Diwali, Christmas and New Year as soon as bookings open, about three months ahead.
  • Arrive early at Devalia Safari Park on holidays, when it gets very busy.
  • Check the forest access rules before planning a Navratri visit to Kankai Mata Temple.
  • Carry the original photo ID used for your safari booking.
  • Keep noise down near the forest, even during celebrations.
  • Remember that Gujarat is a dry state, so celebrations here are alcohol-free.

Questions

Sasan Gir — FAQ

What are the main festivals and events in Sasan Gir?

The key dates are the safari season opening on 16 October, the Diwali holidays, Christmas and New Year, Navratri at Kankai Mata Temple and the Kesar mango season in early summer. Diwali, Holi and Navratri are also celebrated in the villages around Gir.

Is Diwali a good time to visit Sasan Gir?

The weather is pleasant and the park has just reopened, but the Diwali holidays are among the busiest weeks of the year. Book your permits and rooms as early as you can, or visit a week or two later.

When does the Gir safari season start?

The Gir jungle safari season usually starts on 16 October and runs until 15 June, with the park closed through the monsoon in between. The closing date can move by a few days when the monsoon is late.

Is Navratri celebrated at Kankai Mata Temple?

Yes. Navratri is the most important festival at Kankai Mata Temple, when devotees come from across the region. The temple is inside the sanctuary, so check the forest department's access rules before you plan a visit.