Jaipur Festivals and Events in October

October is a very high-spirited time in Jaipur, in fact in all over India. It is full of festivals that are celebrated with great enthusiasm. The number of holidays at schools and a few in offices as well add to the overall charm of the festive season. Here we bring you a list of important days, events and festivals that you can look forward to this month!

Gandhi Jayanti – Sunday, October 2, 2016

The nation celebrates the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. Several cultural programs are held in schools all over the country to remember Mahatma Gandhi. Kids dress up as him in fancy dress competitions.

Navratri – October 1-10, 2016

Navratri is a nine day festival that is celebrated by worshipping Goddess Durga in all her nine manifestations. People keep fasts for all nine days, perform various rituals and enjoy dancing and playing Dandiya and Garba wearing those colourful attires every evening. The festival concludes with Dussehra on the tenth day that marks the victory of good over evil.

During these nine days, several Garba and Dandiya Nights events are organised in the Jaipur city, which are all fun to be a part of. Take your friends and family along and enjoy dancing all evening dressed in traditional attires.

Dusshera – Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Dusshera, also known as Vijaydashmi, celebrates the victory of good over evil as Lord Rama successfully killed the demon king Ravana on this day as per the famous epic of Ramayana. At the same time this day also marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the evil Mahishasur.

On this day, huge effigies of Ravana are burnt at various places in the city post dramatization of Ram-Leela. Thousands of people gather in various grounds of Jaipur to watch Ram Leela acts and then watch the Ravana, Kumbhakarana and Meghnad effigies burn. Some popular grounds to enjoy Dusshera celebration in Jaipur are:

1. Dusshera Maidan, Adarsh Nagar

2. Vidhyadhar Nagar Stadium

3. Aarawali Marg, Mansarovar

Moharram – Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Moharram is observed by Muslims all across India to commemorate the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed. Thousands of people gather in old Jaipur for the Muharram celebration, mourning. The city observes processions of more than 350 impressively decorated Tazias, which are glittering replicas of the martyr’s tomb.

Karva Chauth – Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Karva Chauth, a festival to be celebrated by married women in India, warms up the festive time that leads towards Diwali. All married ladies fast for an entire day for the safety and long lives of their husbands. Meanwhile, the ladies pamper themselves by applying mehandi patterns to their palms and dressing up for the evening. These days even husbands are performing fasts for their wives.

Both of them wait together for the moon to come out. They perform rituals worshipping the moon and their husbands. After this the husbands make their wives have a sip of water and eat from their hands. Later they feast together and spend quality time with each other.

Diwali – October 28-November 1, 2016

Diwali is one of the biggest and the most lavishly celebrated festivals of the Hindus. , celebrated with great enthusiasm and happiness in India. The festival is celebrated for five continuous days with great enthusiasm and happiness. People light up their houses with shimmering diyas and candles and beautiful colourful fireworks of different varieties fill up the sky. Diwali is thus also known as the Festival of Lights.

All five days are special in their particular way.

Dhanteras, the first day of Diwali is considered an auspicious day to buy gold and silver jewelry or utensils.

The second day of Diwali celebration is Chhoti Diwali as lighting and celebration is done on a smaller scale as compared to the actual Diwali day. This day is also known as Naraka Chaturdashi because it is believed that Satyabhama killed ‘Narakasura’ with the help of Lord Krishna on this day.

The third day is the main Diwali when celebrations are at its peak. On this day people perform Laxmi Puja at their houses and offices to seek the divine blessings of Goddess Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. As per the legend, it was on this day that Lord Ram returned to his kingdom Ayodhya after spending 14 years of exile. The entire Ayodhya lit up lamps to welcome him. This day also marks the Nirvana of Jain Tirthankar Lord Mahaveer.

Govardhan Puja is celebrated on the fourth day where north Indians worship the Govardhan hill near Mathura, which saved lives of several villagers from heavy rains as Lord Krishna lifted the hill on his little finger. This day is also known as Rama-Shyam day and people use it for socialising, visiting each other, exchanging sweets and gifts and wishing everyone a prosperous and happy future.

The fifth and the last day of Diwali celebrations is observed as Bhai Dooj. Sisters put tilak on their brothers’ forehead and pray for their long life. Brothers gift them sweet presents in return.

The entire city of Jaipur gets beautifully lit up during Diwali.