Situated in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh state, Gorakhpur is home to several religious sites of Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim. The city of Gorakhpur which lies near the border of Nepal is one of the very few places in India where one get to see the confluence of different religious faiths. The place is rich in its culture and tradition. Several festivals celebrated in Uttar Pradesh are celebrated in Gorakhpur too.

Khichadi Mela is a major religious fair of Gorakhpur. The fair is held during the festival of Makar Sakranti. It is organized at the shrine of Gorakhnath, a prominent place of worship in Gorakhpur. The city has also has derived its name from this saint Gorakhnath. The temple premise is spread over an area of about 52 acres. Khichadi Mela starts from the 14th January and last for a month. Thousands of devotees throng there from different parts of the Uttar Pradesh state.

Apart from the major festivals like Deepawali, Dussera and Holi, the city of Gorakhpur celebrates many other festivals with great religious fervor. Shivratri, Janmashtami and Chhath Puja other prominent festivals celebrated in Gorakhpur with great zeal and zest. Besides, Gorakhpur also celebrates several Muslim and Buddhist festivals. On the occasion of Buddha Purnima, a number of religious and cultural programs are organized at several Buddhist sites in Gorakhpur.

Events in Varanasi revolve around the rituals concerned with the deities revered there. The city celebrates almost all Indian festivals. Almost every month there would be a festival. Some of them are:

Bharat Milap: This is a festival marking the reunion of Rama and Bharata after 14 years of exile. This falls in the months of October and November, coinciding with the Dassara festival. Kashi Naresh attends the festivities connected with this festival.

Buddha Purnima: It is an important festival for the Buddhists. It marks the birth of Gautam Buddha. The full moon day of the Vaisakh (April/May) would be celebrated as Buddha Purnima. Saranath near Varanasi would be crowded that day.

Dev Deepawali: The full moon day in the month of Kartik is celebrated as Kartik Purnima and the same festival is known as Dev Deepawali in Varanasi. Even Jains celebrate this festival. The Ghats would be lit with clay lamps, and aarati would be done at the Ghats. Government of Uttar Pradesh holds three day cultural festival on this occasion which is known as Ganga Festival.

Hanuman Jayanti, and Maha Shivratri are the two other festivals to be celebrated in Varanasi with great fervor. Naga Nathaiya is another unique festival of Varanasi meant to celebrate the day when Krishna did Kalinga Mardan.

Nakkatayya and Ram Lila are the two events related to the story of the Ramayana. People of Varanasi rejoice these two celebrations. The episode of Shurpanakha would be enacted during the Nakkatayya celebration in October/November. Ram Lila is uniquely celebrated in Varanasi. It was started by Kashi Naresh Udit Narayan Singh based on Ramacharitamanas of Tulasidas. Different stages would be built up at different spots of Varanasi and for 15 nights there would be performances on these different stages.

Like in other places all the festivals are celebrated in Chandigarh. The cultures of the city being lively and enthusiastic people wait for each festival with eagerness and celebrate all to enjoy. The festivals allow people to know each other and learn about other cultures. The chief festivals and fairs celebrated in Chandigarh are discussed here.


                                                   
Baisakhi: 
Baisakhi is the harvest festival of Punjab when people finished with their winter crop production try to pray relax and enjoy food, dance and music on 13Th April every year. 





                                                     
Lohri:
Extremely  popular agricultural winter festival celebrated by the Punjabis. This is celebrated throughout Punjab and it's a thanks giving festival for abundant crops held on 13Th January every year. Fire is worshipped on this day. People enjoy by dancing and singing songs. 





                                                      
Holla Mohalla:
It is the festival of Arsenal celebrated in March when people dance and celebrate. Mock battles of sword and spear are fought, Competitions of poetry, music and wrestling are held.



                                                    
Teeyan :
is the women's dance festival of the Punjab region clebrates in the month of Sawan means in summer.
Dancing usually takes place on the bank of river or under big trees.The festival continues from the 3rd lunar day in the month of Sawan to the full moon day.




Other festivals are Gurpurab, Bhaiya Dooj (Tikka),  Karwa Chauth, Dusshera & Diwali.

Kota is a princely city of the state of Rajasthan. Rajasthan is known for its rich culture and colorful tradition. Kota offers no exception to it. Fairs and festival forms an integral part of the culture and hence the fairs and festivals celebrated in Kota serves a platform for the tourists to witness the rich and colorful culture and traditions of the people of Kota. Kota celebrates all major festival like Deepawali, Dussera, holi etc with much enthusiasm. Along with these festivals Kota hosts many other fairs and festivals with much pomp and show.

Gangaur festival is a major festival of the state of Rajasthan. The city of Kota also celebrates the festival with much fanfare. The festival is celebrated in honor of goddess Gauri the consort of lord Shiva. It is the festival of maiden and married women and starts from the following day of holi and continues for eighteen days. It is the uniqueness of the festival in different places. For example in Bikaner married women and maidens fast and prepare sweet dishes for the festival. In Jaipur 'ghewar' a sweet dish is made specially during this festival and people buy this to eat and distribute it amoung their relatives. The festival of Dussera is celebrated in Kota with great enthusiasm. On the occasion of the festival a large effigy of demon king of Ravana is set alight in the public place. The event is witnessed by thousands of people gathered on the occasion.

Chambal Adventure sport festival in Kota is annual event organized in the month of February. The festival is participated by many professional sportsmen and army men. The festival includes the sports activities like water skiing, rafting, wind surfing, etc. Thrilling performances of sportsmen leave the audience spellbound. Chambal River on the bank of which the city of Kota is situated serves as the venue of the festival.  Kota also hosts the Handicraft Mela (fair) every year in the month of December.  Beautiful tribal artifacts, handmade articles, fabrics, paintings, etc can be seen on display and for sale in the fair.

Akkalkot is yet another major place of interest located near the city of Solapur. Situated about 38 km away from Solapur, the town of Akkalkot is famous for its shrine of Akkalkot Swami. It is home to the Vatvriksha temple of Swami Samarth and Akkalkot Swami Math which are frequented by a large number of devotees from all over Maharashtra and other parts of the country as well.

Visakhapatnam is a coastal city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Also known as Vizag, the city of Visakhapatnam serves to be a major tourist destination in the state. Home to several prominent places of interest, Visakhapatnam is visited by a number of tourists throughout the year.

                                           Kailasgiri Park :

Kailasgiri Park located on the top of a small hill is a major tourist attraction in Visakhapatnam. Situated near the cost of Bay of Bengal, Kailasgiri hill offers panoramic views of the city and its beaches. The hill is known as Kailasgiri due to the presence of sacred statues of Lord Shiva and his wife Parvati. During night entire area is beautifully illuminated offering amazing spectacle when viewed from any part of the city. Rope-way facility has been provided there to reach the top of the hill. One can also enjoy the activity of paragliding which gives a thrilling  experience. 

                                           Borra Caves :

Famous for stalactite and stalagmite formation, Borra Caves situated at Anantgiri in Visakhapatnam is prominent historical site. Discovered in 1807, Borra Caves is an important archeological place in Andhra Pradesh state. Paleolithic implements found there are several thousand years old. The place also assumes religious significance as a Shivlinga and an idol of holy cow Kamdhenu have been placed deep in the caves. This historical and religious significance places is visited by a number of tourist and devotees throughout the year.

                                           Ramakrishna Beach :

Ramakrishna Beach is much frequented place in Visakhapatnam which lies just about 120 south of Srikakulam city, another major coastal city of Andhra Pradesh. It happens to be one of the most beautiful beaches located of the east coast of India.   Ramakrishna Beach serves to be a perfect place for the people of Visakhapatnam to relax and unwind. The beach derives its name from Ramakrishna Mission and is popularly called as R K Beach.

                                           Submarine Museum :

Many places of interest like Visakha Museum, war memorial and aquarium are located along this beach. Apart from the above mentioned places, Visakhapatnam houses many other places of interest in and around it.

How to reach Visakhapatnam :

 

By air:-  

 Visakhapatnam airport is the nearest and easiest airport to reach Visakhapatnam. It is located at 7 km away from the city. This airport is well link with other many Indian cities airport. Traveler can hire a taxi online prior to their arrival through recommended car rental services.

By train:-  

By road:-

Visakhapatnam, the port city of Andhra Pradesh state, is known for hosting several cultural events and festivals. Also known as Vizag, the city of Visakhapatnam is famous for its Visakha Utsav (festival). Visakha Utsav is a three day long festival organized by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department. The festival starts every year from third Friday of January and last for the next three days. To promote tourism in and around Visakhapatnam is the main purpose of hosting this cultural event. Folk dance, music, arts, crafts and cuisines are the main highlights of this festival. Rama Krishna beach serves to be the main venue of Visakha Utsav. A number of artists from different parts of Andhra Pradesh take part in the festival and display their arts and skills. Exhibition, fashion show and food fairs are other noteworthy features of Visakha festival
Chandana Yatra, also known as Chandanostavam, is major religious festival celebrated at Sri Varaha Laxminarasimha temple situated at Simachalam near Visakhapatnam. Held every year in the month of March-April, Chandanostavam witnesses a large number of devotees thronging there from all over Andhra Pradesh and some parts of neighboring states. On the occasion of the festival the idol of the main deity which is kept covered with sandal paste all the time is removed ceremoniously and is covered with new and fresh layer of sandalwood.
Rishikonda Beach Festival is another major cultural event of Visakhapatnam organized every year in the month of December. Exhibition stores, craft Bazaar and food shows are the key attractions of the festival. Another interesting festival of Visakhapatnam is Lumbini festival associated with Buddhism. Organized every year in the month of December, Lumbini festival is marked with various religious and cultural activities.

 

Known for its rich culture and tradition, Rajkot is the third largest city of Indian state of Gujarat.  The city is famous for hosting several cultural events and festivals. Rajkot is often referred as Rangilu Rajkot meaning colorful Rajkot and that could be seen in its colorful celebration of its festivals. Though Rajkot is rapidly growing into a multicultural city, it still continues to preserve its traditional customs and rituals. Festivals celebrated in Rajkot offers us insights of its rich cultures and tradition.

Navratri, the festival of nine nights, is the most charming festival of Gujarat. Being a part of Gujarat state, the city of Rajkot also celebrates Navratri with great fanfare. The festival is celebrated for nine days which witnesses daily prayers and other religious activities. The main attraction of Navratri festival is colorful Garba dance. Garba dance serves to be the main folk dance form of Gujarat state. It is mainly performed on the occasion of Navratri festival. People of all ages and different strata of society take part in this beautiful and charming Garba dance.

Kite festival is another prominent cultural event celebrated on the occasion of Makar Sankranti which usually falls on 14th January. On the occasion of festival people of Rajkot are seen flying there kites high in the sky. The blue sky of the city fills with thousand of colorful kites competing with each other.  Similar kind of festival are celebrated on large scale in Ahmedabad and other major cities of Gujarat. There are many other major festivals like holi, Dussera, and Deepawali which are celebrated in Rajkot with great religious fervor.