Festivals in India in January
India has 10 local festival variants to explore in January, with date signals, places, traditions, foods, symbols, and a 3D map entry.
Open India January festivals on the 3D map- Sankranti and Kanuma · Andhra Pradesh · Pongal and Makar Sankranti
- Uttarayan · Gujarat · Pongal and Makar Sankranti
- Rann Utsav · Gujarat · Cultural Arts Fairs
- Desert Festival · Rajasthan · Cultural Arts Fairs
- Pongal · Tamil Nadu · Pongal and Makar Sankranti
- Thaipusam · Tamil Nadu · Shrine and Temple Festivals
- Prayagraj Kumbh Mela · Uttar Pradesh · Shrine and Temple Festivals
- Haridwar Kumbh Mela · Uttarakhand · Shrine and Temple Festivals
- Port Blair Pongal · Andaman and Nicobar Islands · Pongal and Makar Sankranti
- Ladakh Losar · Ladakh · Monastic Buddhist Festivals
Festival search guide
This page answers searches for festivals in India in January, including traditions, foods, and local variants.
- Festival cores in India in January
- Local variants in India in January
- India festival map entry
What you can explore
Use this guide to compare India festivals in January by tradition, food, local custom, and festival core.
- Festival cores
- Local variants
- Country festival map
Top festivals in India in January: Dates and places
Use this 2026 guide to quickly scan the main festivals, places, date confidence, and map entry for India in January.
| Festival | Place | Date confidence | Source | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sankranti and Kanuma | Guntur · Andhra Pradesh | Around mid-January | Needs verification | Open |
| Uttarayan | Ahmedabad · Gujarat | Around mid-January | Needs verification | Open |
| Rann Utsav | Kutch · Gujarat | Varies by local cultural and tourism calendars | Needs verification | Open |
| Desert Festival | Jaisalmer · Rajasthan | Varies by local cultural and tourism calendars | Needs verification | Open |
| Pongal | Madurai · Tamil Nadu | Around mid-January | Needs verification | Open |
| Thaipusam | Palani · Tamil Nadu | Varies by local shrine, temple, and community calendar | Needs verification | Open |
| Kumbh Mela | Prayagraj · Uttar Pradesh | Varies by local shrine, temple, and community calendar | Needs verification | Open |
| Kumbh Mela | Haridwar · Uttarakhand | Varies by local shrine, temple, and community calendar | Needs verification | Open |
| Pongal | Port Blair · Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Around mid-January | Needs verification | Open |
| Losar | Leh · Ladakh | Varies by local Tibetan and monastic calendars | Needs verification | Open |
Traditions, food and symbols
- first-harvest offerings
- household blessings
- community feasts
- rice dishes
- sweet porridge
- local produce
- cultural performances
- craft markets
- local food tasting
- local snacks
- tea
- sweets
How to explore these festivals on MapDepth
Open the 3D map, start from India, then filter by January, festival theme, and regional variant to compare these traditions.
Related months
Related countries or regional routes
Similar festival themes
Regional highlights
- Guntur · Andhra Pradesh: Sankranti and Kanuma; Pongal and Makar Sankranti; Around mid-January
- Ahmedabad · Gujarat: Uttarayan; Pongal and Makar Sankranti; Around mid-January
- Kutch · Gujarat: Rann Utsav; Cultural Arts Fairs; Varies by local cultural and tourism calendars
- Jaisalmer · Rajasthan: Desert Festival; Cultural Arts Fairs; Varies by local cultural and tourism calendars
- Madurai · Tamil Nadu: Pongal; Pongal and Makar Sankranti; Around mid-January
- Palani · Tamil Nadu: Thaipusam; Shrine and Temple Festivals; Varies by local shrine, temple, and community calendar
- Prayagraj · Uttar Pradesh: Prayagraj Kumbh Mela; Shrine and Temple Festivals; Varies by local shrine, temple, and community calendar
- Haridwar · Uttarakhand: Haridwar Kumbh Mela; Shrine and Temple Festivals; Varies by local shrine, temple, and community calendar
FAQ
What festivals happen in India in January 2026?
India in January features Pongal and Makar Sankranti, Shrine and Temple Festivals, Cultural Arts Fairs, Monastic Buddhist Festivals, with date confidence, places, customs, foods, and map routes on MapDepth.
What events and celebrations happen in India in January?
This guide covers January festivals, events and celebrations in India, including first-harvest offerings, household blessings, community feasts, rice dishes.
Which regions have January festivals in India?
Regional highlights include Guntur · Andhra Pradesh, Ahmedabad · Gujarat, Kutch · Gujarat, Jaisalmer · Rajasthan, each connected to festival cores and local variants.
Seasonal context
In January, India has 4 festival cores and 10 regional variants in season, led by Pongal and Makar Sankranti, Shrine and Temple Festivals, Cultural Arts Fairs, Monastic Buddhist Festivals and grounded in customs and foods such as first-harvest offerings, household blessings, community feasts, rice dishes.
Representative festival cores
Customs and foods
- first-harvest offerings
- household blessings
- community feasts
- rice dishes
- sweet porridge
- local produce
- cultural performances
- craft markets
- local food tasting
- local snacks
- tea
- sweets