Indian Festivals
- January 1 — New Year's day. Not an official holiday, but thin attendance because of partying the previous night. Also Id ul Zuha, Islamic festival, might be an optional holiday.
- January 20 — Muharram, Islamic new year. Might be an optional holiday.
- January 26 — Republic Day. Celebrates the adoption of the constitution and the day India became a republic. Big military parades in major cities.
- February 15 — Maha Shivaratri. Optional holiday, no disruptions.
- March 3 — Holi, the festival of color. On the first day, people go to temples and light bonfires, but on the second, it's a nationwide waterfight combined with showers of colored powder. This is not a spectator sport: as a visible foreigner, you're a magnet for attention, so you'll either have to barricade yourself inside, or put on your most disposable clothes and join the fray. Alcohol and Bhang are often involved and crowds can get rowdy as the evening wears on.
- March 19 — Ugadi/Gudi Padwa. New year according to the Hindu lunar calendar. Some religious observances, no major disruptions.
- March 27 — Ram Navami. Birthday of Lord Rama. Some religious observances, no major disruptions.
- April 6 — Good Friday. Christian festival, may be an optional holiday.
- April 14 — New Year per Hindu Solar calendar. Some religious observances, no major disruptions.
- May 1 — Martyr's Day / Labour Day. Holiday in most offices.
- May 2 — Buddha Purnima, birthday of Buddha. Some religious observances, an optional holiday.
- August 15 — Independence Day - Celebrates the birth of independent India
- August 28 — Raksha Bandhan. Sisters tie the rakhi or the sacred thread of love on their brothers' wrists and the brothers give gifts and promises of protection in return. Holiday in North India.
- September 3 — Krishna Janmashtami/Gokulashtami - Celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna
- September 15 — Vinayaka (Ganesha) Chathurthi - Celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha. The most important festival in Maharashtra. Festivities go on for 10 days during which the idol of Ganesha (or Ganpati) is worshipped at homes and every street corner. On the tenth day (or earlier in some cases) it is ceremonially immersed in the sea or a lake after being taken out in a lavish procession. A sight to watch, but traffic is disrupted for those days in cities like Mumbai and Pune.
- October 2 — Gandhi Jayanti - birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. National holiday.
- October 14 — Ramzan-Id/Id-ul-Fitr. Muslim religious observances. Holiday in many places.
- October 21 — Dussera/Ayudha pooja - locals worship the deity Durga and perform pooja for their objects of daily use. Workers are given sweets, cash bonuses, gifts, new clothes etc. It is also new year for businessmen, when they are supposed to start new account books. The nine nights of Navratri before this comprise the second most important festival in India. In some places like West Bengal, it is the most important festival. There Goddess Durga gets the same treatment that Ganesha gets in Maharashtra (see above). In the north Ram Lila celebrations take place and the slaying of Ravana by Lord Rama is ceremonially reenacted
