May is a month of vibrant festivals and bountiful celebrations. Starting from Ramadan, the festive mood lingers on till many summer festivals. A myriad number of festivals in May in India makes it a joyful month when spirits are high, lots of family and bonding time is on the cards, and food options are nothing short of a feast.
We bring you a list of major festivals commemorated in India in May 2021, so you can spend more quality time with your loved ones! Also, ensure you make note of the dates of these celebrations in 2021!
Note: As some of the following places and events will inevitably draw large crowds, please make sure that you remain safe by wearing your mask and maintaining proper social distancing practices. Also, make sure you check local restraints and guidelines ere travelling.
Moatsu Festival
This festival is exclusively celebrated in Chuchuyimlang village of Nagaland by the Ao tribe. This festival marks the end of planting season. It is time for the locals to rejoice in the harvest and thus, the festival focuses on merrymaking and sharing. You can find many dance and music performances. The main event of the celebration is Sangpagtu. In this, the locals dress up in their best local attire, sit around a fire and enjoy wine and meat.
Location - Mokokchung District of Nagaland
Date - First Week of May
Thrissur Pooram
This is the grandest of all Kerala Festivities. This festival's main attraction is the grand procession with 30 elephants, more than 250 musicians, locals and much more. You can also enjoy many cultural events like ornamental parasol display, drums concerts, dance and music celebrations. Fireworks mark the end of the festival. You can find many special viewing areas for enjoying the fireworks.
Location - Vadakkumnathan Temple of Thrissur In Kerala
Date - 23 April 2021
Mount Abu Summer Festival
Mount Abu hill station is quite famous in the state of the desert. This festival marks the end of the tourism season in the mountain. The summer festival starts with ballad singing and folk dances. Other common events in the celebration are boat race, roller skating, firework display and the iconic Sham-e-Qawwali music show.
Location - Mount Abu of Rajasthan
Date - 17 - 18 May 2020
Rabindranath Tagore Jayanthi or Rabindra Jayanti
This is the birth anniversary of the poet and freedom fighter, Rabindranath Tagore. He has written numerous poetries including the National Anthem of the country. This festival is celebrated with numerous cultural and entertainment events, which include dance, drama, and poetry revolving around the works and life of Rabindranath Tagore. The best of all celebrations can be found in Santiniketan of West Bengal, where many cultural programs will be conducted by the students. Each university and institution uniquely celebrates this festival.
Location - West Bengal
Date - 9 May 2021
Yercaud Summer Festival
This is a weeklong festival, which is conducted to promote tourism in this hill station. This festival includes boat races, flower shows, cultural programs, village trips, dog contests, and others. The flower show at this festival has many large displays made of flowers. In 2019, more than one lakh flowers were used for creating many large displays. The detailed agenda of the 2020 summer festival is yet to be released. You can enjoy many activities during this festival like boat riding, horse riding, watching dance competitions and so on.
Location - Yercaud, Tamil Nadu
Date - Second week of May
Ramadan
If you were a foodie, you would find this festival, very interesting. Muslims around the world, fast throughout this month. They dine only before sunrise and after sunset. Thus, during their dining time, the streets will be filled with street food shops. Traditional Muslim community regions will be celebrating with food by throwing feast, creating food festivals and much more. These festivals focus more on meat. Muslims find it very religious to donate or share food with people. Thus, you can have a great time with food. The festival of Ramadan ends with Eid-ul-Fitr. This is the day of feasting, merrymaking and shopping.
Location - Throughout India
Date - Monday, 12 April - Wednesday, 12 May
Maharana Pratap Jayanti
Maharana Pratap is a ruler of Rajput and a freedom fighter. His birthday is celebrated with valour in these destinations. Many dance, music, drama and other cultural events will be conducted to explain the bravery of the king. The king's memorial statue in Udaipur will be decorated well and it is worth a visit. Many cities conduct parades to honour the legacy of the king.
Location - Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana
Date - Sunday, 13 June 2021
Ooty Summer Festival
Ooty is an important summer destination in the state of Tamil Nadu. May marks the end of tourism season in the region. Thus, the locals create extravaganza in every element to attract tourists or as a way of saying goodbye. Top events include a vegetable show in Nehru Park of Kotagiri, a Rose show in the Government rose garden of Ooty, a Fruit show in Sim's Park of Coonoor, Flower show at Ooty Botanical Garden and the Commercial Road will be filled with bazaars for shopping. The actual date of the summer festival varies within May, every year.
Location - Ooty, Tamil Nadu
Date - Dates are Not Confirmed Yet