Calendar of Events And Festivals

Apart from traditional religious festivals of India, people of Chandigarh enjoy many local festivals. People of Chandigarh celebrate spring festivals, tree plantation festivals, rose and chrysanthemum shows, dog shows and kite flying. Other religious festivals like Diwali and Holi too are celebrated with as much gaiety and zest in Chandigarh.

January
CHANDIGARH BASANT UTSAV
Basant Utsav is celeberated in the month of January to bid farewell to Winter season and welcome the spring when new flowers blossoms and the nature is in its full swings. The festival is traditionally celeberated by flying kites, eating basanti food and displaying basanti flowers.

February
FESTIVAL OF GARDENS
 
It is organized in the last week of February. Earlier it was famous by the name of "Rose Festival". The Rose Garden of Chandigarh is the venue for this three-day Festival of Gardens. It is the biggest Rose Show in the country. Varieties of magnificent roses are on display during this festival. The people of Chandigarh and tourists are encouraged to take a break and take a view at the various kinds of bloomed roses.  The other attractions of the festival are classical dances, folk dances, flower shows, crafts display, performances of music and dance, both classical and folk, flower shows, events for children, exhibitions by local artists, photographers and craftsman and a wide range of other activities. Keeping in view its tourism potential, the ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India has included this festival in t he National Calendar of Fairs and Festivals.

March
CHANDIGARH THEATRE FESTIVAL
This festival is organised to keep the theatre concept alive and to promote this traditional form of art. The theatre groups and celebrities are invited from entire region to showcase there talent in theatre art. This event fulfills the aesthetic appetite of theatre admirers and is an attractive festival for the residents, tourist and visitors.

April
BAISAKHI
Chandigarh celebrates Baisakhi in mid-April every year with great fervour as it marks the first day of the New Year (according to the Hindu Vikrami calender), primarily a harvest festival. This is celebrated with great gusto in Chandigarh where Bhangara dancers, energetic and vigorous country youths enchant everybody with their ebullience. Baisakhi also marks the beginning of the harvesting season.
It is also the main festival for Sikhs as on this day in 1699, the 10th Guru, Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji founded the Khalsa Panth.


May - June
CHANDIGARH SUMMER FESTIVAL
The summer Festival is organized during summer season. By organizing various cultural and recreational activities at various tourism potential locations in Chandigarh, especially in gardens where the evenings are pleasant during summer season. This festival acts as a tool to tap the tourist and visitors proceeding towards hill resorts of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir during summer vacations.

July - August
MANGO FESTIVAL
The Mango Festival is hosted by Chandigarh and celebrated in the month of June at Pinjore Gardens. Different varieties of mangoes are displayed in the festival. As mango is one of the favorite fruits of India, the festival is a big attraction. Mango growers from all over India get together at one place giving a chance to public to taste the varieties of mangoes. At the festival, mango products like juice, squash, jams, pickles and aam papad are also displayed.

TEEJ
It is the festival of monsoon celebrated by women in the month of August every year.. The Rock Garden becomes the centre of activity. Women accessories like bangles, mehndi (a traditional Indian herbal paint for making designs on hands and arms), and other makeup utilities are displayed at the Rock garden during the festival. One can see every female dressed up with full jewelry like newly weds.

September
WORLD TOURISM DAY CELEBRATIONS
The World Tourism Day is celeberated on 27th September World over . It has become a popular event of Chandigarh when Chandigarh Tourism in association with local hotel industry and tourism institutions (like Food Crafts Institute, Institute of Hotel Management and ITFT) extends warm welcome and facilitation to the tourist. Special attractions, discounts and concessions are offered with all the hotels and restaurants. Special programs to boost tourism are organised. A colorful cultural evening is also organised to entertain the tourist, visitors and the residents.

October
CHANDIGARH CLASSICAL MUSIC FESTIVAL
India has got the richest tresure of classical music which is admired worldwide. To deserve and promote this stream of art a classical music festival is organised by inviting classical music maestros and celebrities. The festival fulfills the aesthetic appetite of classical music lovers. It remains a great attraction for the tourist even the foreigners.

November
CHANDIGARH CARNIVAL
The Chandigarh Carnival held in the month of November, is celebrated to provide an ambiance of fun and frolic to the residence and the tourists and the tourists and to provide a platform to the budding and hidden talent of Chandgiarh to come forward to showcase their talent.  Amusement and fun games, eating, shopping, entertainment and more  more awaits the tourists and residents in this mega event. The aim is also to promote tourism, culture and festivity in this region. It also encourages students and children to participate in various types of talent competitions. Keeping in view its tourism potential, the ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India has included this festival in t he National Calendar of Fairs and Festivals.

Desember
  CHRYSANHTEMUM SHOW
A flower show is held every year in the month of December. The venue for this is the Terraces Flower Garden of Sector 33, Chandigarh. Hundreds of varieties of the flower are on display. The Chrysanthemum Show attracts a lot of visitors as well as participants to Chandigarh. Apart from the city gardeners competing for the much desired honors in the competitions held here.

Weekend Cultural Tourism Shows

With a view to promote cultural life of the citizens of Chandigarh and to tourism, weekend cultural shows are organized on every Saturday and Sunday at various locations and gardens in the city . This not only makes the evening life of the city more happening and entertaining but also it gives a platform to the budding artists to showcase their talent. A talent bank is also compiled through these shows to be utilized in the annual tourism and cultural events of  Chandigarh.m Every Saturday  and Sunday evening, people of Chandigarh enjoy the three-hour at the plaza in Sector 17, Sukkna Lake, Fragrance Garden, Terraced Garden, Rose Garden.It  intends to promote local artists from every field. The attractions vary every Saturday and it could be anything from dance, music, and magic show to painting display, sculpture display, acrobatics, or mimicry.