{"id":115137,"date":"2026-07-25T16:33:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T11:03:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=115137"},"modified":"2026-07-25T16:33:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T11:03:17","slug":"festivals-of-jammu-and-kashmir","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/festivals-of-jammu-and-kashmir\/","title":{"rendered":"Festivals of Jammu and Kashmir 2026, Famous Fairs and Festival List"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <strong>Festivals of Jammu and Kashmir<\/strong> reflect the region&#8217;s cultural diversity, religious harmony, agricultural traditions and local heritage. These celebrations include ancient religious fairs, Buddhist traditions, local cultural festivals and harvest events. Folk dances, music, rituals, fairs, traditional food and community participation make these festivals an important part of the region&#8217;s social and cultural identity.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Festivals of Jammu and Kashmir 2026<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jammu and Kashmir celebrates Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Buddhist festivals with equal enthusiasm, while several regional festivals are unique to the Union Territory. Traditional fairs held at temples, monasteries, rivers and historical sites attract thousands of devotees and visitors every year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seasonal celebrations such as spring, saffron harvesting and local cultural festivals also promote regional art, handicrafts, folk traditions, agriculture and tourism.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Top 10 Main Festivals of Jammu and Kashmir 2026 List<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along with regional festivals, Jammu and Kashmir also celebrates major national festivals such as Eid, Holi and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/diwali\/\" target=\"_blank\">Diwali<\/a><\/strong> with great enthusiasm. The Top 10 List of Main Festivals of Jammu and Kashmir 2026 has been provided below:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Lohri\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is celebrated every year on 13 January across the Jammu region.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lohri marks the arrival of spring and is also associated with Makar Sankranti.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thousands of devotees take holy dips in rivers, while homes and temples perform Havan Yagnas.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rural traditions include boys visiting newly married couples and new parents to receive gifts, while the colourful Chajja dance accompanied by drumbeats remains the festival&#8217;s main attraction.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>2. Baisakhi\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Observed on the first day of the Vikram calendar month of Vaishakh.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Baisakhi is the principal harvest festival of Jammu.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Devotees take ritual baths in rivers, canals and ponds and visit Nagbani Temple for New Year celebrations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Numerous fairs, Punjabi Bhangra performances, traditional food and cultural programmes are organised.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the Sikh community, the festival commemorates the formation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, with Gurudwaras hosting Kirtans, prayers, Langar and community gatherings.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>3. Bahu Mela<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bahu Mela is organised twice every year during March-April and September-October at the Kali Temple inside the historic Bahu Fort in Jammu.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The festival attracts large numbers of devotees who visit the temple to offer prayers and participate in religious celebrations, making it one of Jammu&#8217;s major temple fairs.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>4. Chaitre Chaudash\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This religious festival is celebrated at Uttar Behni during March-April.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The place derives its name from the Devak River, locally known as <\/span><b>Gupta Ganga<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which flows northwards at this location.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Devotees gather here for religious observances and rituals during the annual celebration.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>5. Purmandal Mela\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organised during Shivratri at Purmandal, about 39 kilometres from Jammu city.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This three day fair celebrates the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Large numbers of devotees also visit Peer Khoh, Ranbireshwar Temple and Panjbhaktar Temple, while Shivratri celebrations continue across the Jammu region.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>6. Jhiri Mela\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is observed during October-November.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jhiri Mela honours Baba Jitu, an honest and deeply religious farmer who sacrificed his life rather than surrender his harvest to the unjust demands of a landlord.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The annual fair is held at Jhiri village, around 14 kilometres from Jammu, where devotees gather to remember his courage, honesty and compassion.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>7. Tulip Festival<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Celebrated during spring in Srinagar, the Tulip Festival marks the blooming season of tulips.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is organised at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, which houses more than 65 varieties of tulips and is recognised as the largest tulip garden in Kashmir.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The colourful display symbolises the arrival of spring and attracts visitors from across the country.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>8. Shikara Festival<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Introduced in 2016, the Shikara Festival is celebrated on <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/dal-lake\/\" target=\"_blank\">Dal Lake<\/a><\/strong> to showcase Kashmir&#8217;s traditional wooden boats known as Shikaras.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The highlight is the annual Shikara race, while Canoe Polo and Dragon Boat races are also organised.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The festival promotes Kashmir&#8217;s lake culture, water transport traditions and tourism.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>9. Saffron Festival<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Celebrated annually around the beginning of November in Pampore, the Saffron Festival marks the saffron harvesting season.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jammu and Kashmir is India&#8217;s only producer of premium quality saffron and Pampore is its principal cultivation centre.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Revived by the Government of India to encourage tourism, the eight day festival features cultural performances, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/folk-dances-of-india\/\" target=\"_blank\">folk dances<\/a><\/strong>, saffron exhibitions, local handicrafts and stalls selling different saffron varieties.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traditional Kahva prepared with saffron remains an important part of the celebrations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>10. Gurez Festival<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organised by the Department of Tourism, the two day Gurez Festival promotes the culture and tourism of the scenic Gurez Valley in northern Kashmir.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The festival highlights local cuisine, handicrafts, folk traditions and cultural performances by artists and students.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adventure activities including rafting on the Kishanganga River, trekking, cycling and zorbing are organised, while the traditional folk dance of Gurez remains one of its major attractions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Festivals of Jammu and Kashmir 2026 showcase the region\u2019s cultural diversity through Lohri, Baisakhi, Tulip, Shikara, Saffron and Gurez festivals, fairs, rituals and traditional celebrations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":114443,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[6753,7016,8784,8947,8742],"class_list":["post-115137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-general-studies","tag-fairs-and-festivals-of-india","tag-festival","tag-festivals","tag-festivals-of-jammu-and-kashmir","tag-festivals-of-states","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115137"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115202,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115137\/revisions\/115202"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}