Plan your trip · Vijayawada
What's on in Vijayawada
Vijayawada's calendar is built around the goddess on Indrakeeladri. Dasara is the peak, but Bhavani Deeksha, Sankranti and the Gunadala feast also change what a visit feels like.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Vijayawada 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 Vijayawada
Vijayawada 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.
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.
Dasara at Kanaka Durga
For ten days in the autumn, the Kanaka Durga Temple dresses the goddess in a different form each day, from Bala Tripura Sundari at the start to Mahishasura Mardini and Raja Rajeshwari at the end. In 2026 the festival runs from 11 to 20 October. The day of the Moola nakshatram, when she appears as Saraswati, is usually the busiest single day. On Vijayadashami evening the deities are taken out on the Krishna on a swan-shaped float, the Hamsa Vahana Teppotsavam, watched from the ghats and the barrage. The ghat road is closed to private vehicles, and queues can take many hours.
Bhavani Deeksha
Devotees of the goddess take a vow, the Bhavani Deeksha, wear red and keep strict rules for several weeks. They end the vow on Indrakeeladri, usually in December, and hundreds of thousands arrive over a few days. The hill turns red. Ordinary darshan is slow at this time.
Sankranti
In mid-January, Sankranti is the biggest family festival in Andhra. Homes put out rangoli, called muggulu, and many set up the bommala koluvu, a stepped display of dolls that often includes Kondapalli wooden toys. Many people travel home, so trains and buses are full around the festival.
Gunadala Matha feast
On 9, 10 and 11 February each year, the Catholic shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes at Gunadala holds its feast. Very large crowds of all faiths climb the hill to the grotto and the cross.
Sakambhari festival
In the month of Ashadha, usually July, the temple holds a three-day festival in which the goddess is decorated with vegetables, fruit and greens, as a prayer for good harvests.
Krishna Pushkaralu
Once every twelve years, the Krishna Pushkaralu brings millions to bathe at the city's ghats. The last one was in 2016, so the next should fall in 2028; check official announcements for dates.
Ugadi and Vinayaka Chavithi
Ugadi, the Telugu new year, falls in March or April, with a special bitter-sweet chutney called Ugadi pachadi. Vinayaka Chavithi in August or September fills the streets with Ganesha pandals.
Questions
Vijayawada — FAQ
When is Dasara 2026 in Vijayawada?
The Navaratri festival at Kanaka Durga runs from 11 to 20 October 2026, ending with Vijayadashami and the river float on the Krishna.
What is Bhavani Deeksha?
A vow taken by devotees of Goddess Durga, who wear red and follow strict rules for several weeks. They end it at Indrakeeladri, usually in December, and the crowds are huge.
What is the Teppotsavam at Vijayawada?
On Vijayadashami evening, the temple deities are taken out on a swan-shaped float on the Krishna. People watch from the ghats and the riverbank.
When is the next Krishna Pushkaralu?
The festival comes every twelve years. The last was in 2016, so the next is expected in 2028. Official dates are announced closer to the time.