The festivals of North India are a vibrant celebration and portrayal of the country"s rich and resplendent culture.

Festivals of Jammu and Kashmir, North India
The fairs and festivals in Jammu and Kashmir are strikingly colourful with the backdrop of snow-capped peaks and evergreen forests. The celebrations of Lohri, Baisakhi, Navaratri, Maha Shivaratri and Basant Panchami are highlights of the state. Hemis Festival, specific to the state, is celebrated in the courtyard of Hemis Gompa, the biggest Buddhist monastery in Ladakh. It commemorates the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava, falling on the 10th day of Tibetan lunar month. It is a colourful 2-day pageant involving dance and plays to musical accompaniment, alongside colourful display of handicrafts. Sindhu Darshan Festival is held every year on full moon day in June in Leh, Ladakh. Stretching for 3 days, it celebrates and endorses River Sindhu, also known as Indus, as an icon of communal harmony in India and symbolic salutation to courageous soldiers of the country.

Festivals of Punjab, North India
The prominent festivals of Punjab include Lohri, Baisakhi, Guruparv and Maghi. Lohri in Punjab is celebrated with much engagement and fervour, just before the day of Makara Sankranti. People gather around bonfires and throw sweets and puffed rice. Maghi festival falls the day after Lohri. The locals go for a holy dip and give away a lot in charity. Special delicacies of the occasion include Kheer cooked in sugarcane juice. Guruparvs are celebrated by the Sikhs to commemorate their gurus.

Festivals of Haryana, North India
The highlight festivities of Haryana include Pinjore Heritage Festival, organized by the government to showcase the heritage town of Pinjore and its exotic gardens. It"s a cultural flux with attractions of Garba, folk dances, rock concerts, classical music, shopping and food bazaar. International Mango Festival encourages farmers to adopt technology to increase their mango produce and quality, thereby gaining maximum return from their limited holdings by tapping domestic and international market. Mango Mela provides a forum to mango growers to sell their mangoes and mango products.

Festivals of Rajasthan, North India
The multihued culture of Rajasthan exhibits some most vibrant festivals of India, with community-specific occasions like Teej and Gangaur, to state-specific Desert Festival, Elephant Festival, Mewar Festival and Camel Festival. The Jaipur Kite Festival gives the most colourful view of the skies, celebrated generally on Makara Sankranti by city residents with traditional sweets. Jodhpur Flamenco and Gypsy Festival is celebrated to connect the Rajasthani folk artistes with Flamenco and Gypsy artists to share their exquisite culture.

Festivals of Delhi, North India
The capital"s attractions include Garden Tourism Festival organised by Delhi Tourism annually, showcasing horticultural demonstrations with varied beautiful flowers, alongside rockeries, fountains, lily pools etc.