India and the subcontinent is one region, where a range of festivals form the thrum of festivities almost through the year. For travellers it is a great way to immerse in the local-ness of a place and see life at close quarters. Whole towns, cities and villages are saturated in bright colours, spirituality or just plain boisterous merry making. Whatever the case might be, one can be assured of joyous times and a great insight into the local flavour of a place.

One can expect a long roster of festivals in India, largely tuned to spiritual, religious and seasonal changes. The span of the nation gives one a wide array to choose from – desert festivals, tribal festivals, harvest festivals, birthdays of Gods and much more. Whatever the theme might be, one can see profusion of dancing, singing and great food spreads and feasts.

The festivals reflect the most authentic vibe of the place, and almost all the festivals in the subcontinent are similar in nature. In Bhutan, a large part of the festivals are themed around monasteries and birthdays of Buddhist leaders, Nepal is a lot like India with zealous celebrations for Gods and the harvest season. Sri Lanka, Tibet and Bangladesh too, fill the festival days with exuberant dancing, singing and excellent food.