North India

The Hindu festival calendar of North India follows the Vikram Samvat lunar tradition with Chaitra as the first month. Major festivals are observed with grand public celebrations: Diwali in Ayodhya, Mathura, and Varanasi attracts millions of pilgrims; Holi in the Braj region of Mathura, Vrindavan, and Barsana extends for over a week with the unique Lathmar Holi at Barsana and Phoolwali Holi at the Banke Bihari Temple. Karva Chauth is most widely observed in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. Ramlila theatrical reenactments of the Ramayana run across Northern Indian towns for the ten days leading to Dussehra. The Maha Kumbh Mela, held every twelve years at Prayagraj at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna, is the largest religious gathering in human history, drawing crowds of over 100 million pilgrims. Sunni Muslim communities of Lucknow, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Old Delhi observe the full Islamic calendar with major Eid prayers at the Jama Masjid, the Bara Imambara, and other historic mosques. The Mawlid al-Nabi is celebrated as Eid Milad-un-Nabi with city-wide processions in Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Bhopal. The annual Urs Mela at the Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Dargah in Ajmer, Rajasthan, is among the largest Sufi gatherings in the world.