October is a month of vibrant celebrations in India! From the colourful revelry of Navratri to the illuminating Diwali, India comes alive with festivity. Dance to the rhythmic Garba beats or light up homes with twinkling Diya lamps. In India, every month has its own set of festivals and other major events. However, the most essential festivals start in October, making it the month of joy, happiness, and celebrations. October also marks the end of the monsoon season, and throughout the country, everybody gets excited about the upcoming festivals. The farmers also consider it an essential month as it is the last month of crop season before harvesting.
In this article, we have compiled a list of some of the most important festivals in October 2023. The report also highlights the important dates, the reason for the celebration of these festivals, and the significant places associated with these festivals, along with other details. This year, most of the festivals will be two days as we are having 2 months Sawan in 2023. Due to this, many festivals are delayed and falls in November as well. Worry Not, and we have listed all of them here.
List of famous festivals in October 2023
- Gandhi Jayanti
- Dussehra
- Navratri
- Durga Puja
Festivals in November 2023, due to double sawan this year.
Let’s discuss each of the festivals in detail:
Gandhi Jayanti
| Date | 2nd October |
| Reason for celebration | To commemorate the birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi |
| Best places to visit | Delhi, Porbandar, Ahmedabad, etc. |
| Rare fact | 2nd October is commemorated worldwide as the International Day of Nonviolence |
| Activities to do | Read about Gandhi, visit some historical places, spread the message of non-violence and love, etc. |
Each year, the first festival in October is observed as the birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as India’s father. On this particular day, schools, colleges, and government institutions remain closed as this day is celebrated as a national holiday throughout the country.
The day is celebrated by offering prayers and tributes for the services of Mahatma Gandhi to India. People also organize prayer meets, cultural events, and other ceremonies to celebrate this day. In schools, painting and essay competitions are organized, and Mahatma Gandhi‘s best teachings, like nonviolence and walking on the path of truth, are spread widely.
Dussehra
| Date | 24rth October |
| Reason for celebration | In many parts of India and Sri Lanka, Ravana is also worshipped as he was a great scholar. |
| Best places to visit | Kolkata, Delhi, Varanasi, Hyderabad, etc. |
| Rare fact | In many parts of India and Sri Lanka, Ravana is also worshipped as a great scholar. |
| Activities to do | Worship the idols of Lord Rama, Saraswati Pujan, Make an Effigy of Ravana and Shooting It, Story Telling, Making Rangoli, make sweets, give gifts, visit fairs, wear traditional clothes, etc. |
Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, is one of the major festivals in October, celebrated by Hindus across the country with great zeal and enthusiasm. It falls on the 10th day of the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin, and according to the Gregorian calendar, it is generally celebrated in September or October.
In the Southern and eastern parts of India, this day marks the end of Durga Puja. However, in the central, northern, and western states, it is celebrated as Dussehra, where people organize Ramleela, fairs, burn the effigies of Ravana, light diyas, and worship Lord Rama.
Navratri
| Date | 15 – 23 October |
| Reason for celebration | Goddess Durga killed the demon, Mahishasur and this day is a celebration of the victory of good |
| Best places to visit | Kolkata, Delhi, Varanasi, Hyderabad, etc. |
| Rare fact | Navratri occurs five times a year |
| Activities to do | Observe Fasts, Decorate Goddess Durga, Perform keertan, wear traditional dresses, etc. |
As the name suggests, Navratri is one of the festivals in October celebrated for nine nights and one of the most important festivals in India. This festival is celebrated differently in different parts of India. In the state of Gujarat, Dandiya and Garba events are performed, and in Bengal, people worship the idols of Goddess Durga. This festival is celebrated in the month of Ashwin, which falls in the Gregorian month of September and October. In many places, people stage pandals, and folk dances and dramas are organized.
Diwali 2023
| Date | November 12 |
| Reason for celebration | After defeating Ravana, it was on this day that Lord Rama returned back home to Ayodhya. People celebrated his homecoming by lighting dias |
| Best places to visit | Varanasi, Amritsar, Jaipur, Kolkata, Gujarat, Ayodhya, etc. |
| Rare fact | Diwali occurs on a no-moon night |
| Activities to do | Burst crackers, pray to Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati, decorate your house, make rangoli, etc. |
Diwali is one of the festivals in October celebrated as a festival of lights and is the most widely celebrated festival in India. This festival is celebrated to mark the return of Lord Ram after his 14 years of exile. People decorate their houses and streets with lights, burst crackers, and distribute sweets amongst each other. Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists also celebrate the festival. It falls in the month of Karthik, which is observed in October and November according to the Gregorian calendar. It is the victory of light over darkness; people forget their old enmity and spread the message of brotherhood.
Karva Chauth
| Date | November 1, 2023 |
| Reason for celebration | Women pray for the well-being and longevity of their husbands |
| Best places to visit | Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan |
| Rare fact | Karva means a small earthen pot of water, and Chauth means the fourth day of the dark fortnight. |
| Activities to do | Women keep fasts, apply Mehendi, wear beautiful dresses, perform pooja, etc. |
Karva Chauth is one of the festivals in October celebrated widely in northern India, and it is one of the most important festivals in the country. The festival celebrates love, sacrifice, and happiness between a husband and wife. It is a one-day festival where married women keep fast for the excellent health and safety of their husbands.
In the evening, women perform puja with their husbands when the moon is visible. Seeing the husband’s face through a sieve is believed to eradicate all negative emotions by filtering evil through it. After the puja, women eat and break their fast, as seen in various Bollywood movies and TV shows.
Govardhan Puja
| Date | Nov 13, 2023 |
| Reason for celebration | It was on this day that Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan mountain to provide shelter from rain to the villagers of Vrindavan. Pray to Lord Krishna, keep fast, make Govardhan hill using cow dung, wear new clothes, Light a lamp and incense sticks, etc. |
| Best places to visit | Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, etc. |
| Rare fact | Govardhan also means the blessings of a cow |
| Activities to do | Pray to Lord Krishna, keep fasts, make Govardhan hill using cow dung, wear new clothes, Light a lamp and incense sticks, etc. |
Govardhan Puja is one of the festivals in November that is celebrated after Diwali, and it is one of the most important festivals in the Hindu religion. People on this day worship Govardhan Hill and offer many kinds of dishes to Lord Krishna as a symbol of gratitude.
Bhai Duj
| Date | November 15, 2023 |
| Reason for celebration | To mark the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister |
| Best places to visit | Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa |
| Rare fact | Bhai dooj means brother’s second day after the new moon. |
| Activities to do | Sisters pray for the long and healthy life of their brothers, special dishes are prepared, gifts exchanged, etc. |
Bhai Dooj is one of the November festivals celebrated on the second day of Sukla Paksha in the Hindu calendar month of Karthika. The celebration of this day is quite similar to that of Raksha Bandhan as on this day, brothers give gifts to their sisters, and sisters pray for the long and peaceful life of their brothers.
Chhath Puja
| Date | Nov 17 – 20, 2023 |
| Reason for celebration | Usha who is considered the wife of Sun God, is known as Chhath. To be grateful to god for supporting life on earth and to seek the blessing of the Sun god |
| Best places to visit | Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, etc. |
| Rare fact | Usha, who is considered the wife of Sun God, is known as Chhath. |
| Activities to do | Cook special dishes such as thekua, puri, etc., wear new clothes, keep fast, visit near Chhath ghat, offer prayers, etc. |
Chhath Puja is one of the winter festivals widely celebrated in northern India, especially in Bihar and the eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh. It is a four-day festival dedicated to Sun God and his wife, Usha. This festival is celebrated six days after Diwali to thank Sun God for sustaining life on Earth.
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