With so many temples dedicated to just about every god and goddess in the Hindu pantheon there is a festival being celebrated somewhere all the time. Below we are giving details of some of the important festivals of Varanasi.
Please remember that the dates of each festival will change from year to year as the Hindu calendar is a lunar one. Do check in an almanac like the panchang or on line at the temple website for the exact date.

For a detailed description and latest dates of these Hindu festivals you can also check the website and the Facebook page of Daiwik Hotels.

JANUARY TO MARCH

• Makar Sankranti – According to the solar calendar the sun moves from the Dhanu rashi to the Makar rashi on this day. The period of Uttarayan starts from this day when the sun begins its journey to the northern hemisphere.
• Basant Panchami – Celebrates the arrival of spring and also Saraswati the goddess of knowledge is worshipped on this day
• Maha Shivaratri – This is the great night of Shiva and the most important festival in Varanasi. Here they celebrate this as the night when Shiva married Parvati. A huge wedding procession called Shiva Baraat is taken out in the lanes to the beating of drums and shouts of “Jai Bhole Shankar!” People fast and pray for the day and night. It is also said that on this night Shiva takes the form of Nataraja, the Lord of Dance and dances the tandava,
• Rangbhari Ekadashi – Lord Vishwanath at the Kashi Vishwanath temple is given a special shringar or decoration.
• Holi – The festival of colours. This is a bacchanalia with people drinking intoxicants and throwing colours. Visitors are recommended to stay indoors.

APRIL TO JUNE

• Ganga Saptami – The Ganga River is worshipped on the day that the river descended to earth from heaven.
• Ganga Dussehra – The Ganga is garlanded on the day the river entered the plains. Giant marigold garlands are taken out in boats and strung across the waters and at night the river is full of lamps floating in leaf cups.
• Navaratri – the nine nights of the goddess when people fast and pray to the Devi and visit the temples of the goddess.
• Ramnavami – the birth of Lord Ram is celebrated with day and night recitals from Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas.

JULY TO SEPTEMBER

• Prayaschitta – Devotees perform this rite of atonement at the ghats.
• Ganesh Chaturthi – Ganesh, the elephant headed god of good fortune and wisdom is worshipped.
• Janamashtami – Celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna, the ninth avatar of Lord Vishnu with all night prayers.

OCTOBER TO DECEMBER

• Pitripaksha – Pilgrims arrive from across the country to worship their ancestors at the ghats with the ritual of shraadh.
• Durga Puja – The Bengalis of the city worship goddess Durga with beautiful earthen images that are later taken out by boat and immersed in the river.
• Dussehra – a unique celebration at Ramnagar across the river. The folk theatre of the Ram Leela is performed at specially designed sets and stages all across the fort. The play is based on the Ramcharitmanas. The Ram Leela goes on for nine nights ending on Dusssehra.
• Diwali – The festival of light when the city and the ghats glitter in the light of earthen lamps.
• Annakuta – a harvest festival celebrated at the Annapurna Bhavani temple near Kashi Vishwanath temple. Huge piles of cereals, grains, vegetables, fruits and sweets are collected in the courtyard and then given away as prasad.
• Kartik Purnima – the full moon night when a tall pillar, the deepajara sthambha is lit on Panchganga ghat. The pillar holds one thousand lamps.
• Dev Diwali – A diwali for the gods celebrated at the ghats with lamps.
• Nag Nathaiya – A 20 day celebration of the life of Lord Krishna at Tulsi Ghat with pageants and theatre