10 Temple Festivals to Explore in India

Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple is a Hindu Temple believed to be built around the 15th-17th century in the typical Kerala Architectural Style. The idol at the temple is of Parthasarathy with a whip in the right hand and a sacred conch in the left. Parthasarathy is a form of Lord Krishna as the charioteer of Arjuna during the Kurukshetra war mentioned in the ancient Hindu epic Mahabharata.

This temple is situated right in the heart of the district of Cooch Behar which is devoted to Lord Krishna and Balaram. Rass Mela is an important festival and there are thousands of people who throng to the Mela.

An ancient temple in the middle of the forest.

An ancient temple and a Hindu pilgrimage site. The temple is home to Oachirakkali- a famous ritual performed here during June wherein traditional martial arts experts conduct mock-fighting in muddy water. The temple also hosts the festival of cattle, 28 days after Onam- the harvest festival of Kerala. The festival of cattle consists of gigantic idols of bull made of cloth & hay which are then pulled on giant wheels to the Oachira Temple from the sites where they are made.

This is a ghat located in the Godavari district where the Godavari pushkaram festival is conducted. Godavari Pushkaram is a festival of River Godavari which occurs once in 12 years. The pushkaram festival last held in the year 2003.

Sri ram mandir Gaht is considered as one of the oldest bathing ghats in India and holds the relevance with the Kumbhmela celebrations. It is of immense importance to the Hindus because it is one of the four locations where Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years.

The ancient temple with its billions of dollars of wealth, impeccable architecture and legends.

This is the point of the confluence of Three rivers (Ganga, Yamuna & Saraswati). The point of confluence is a sacred place for Hindus, with a bath here said to flush away all of one's sins and free one from the cycle of rebirth. A place of religious importance and the site for historic Kumbh Mela held every 12 years, over the years it has also been the site of immersion of ashes of several national leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.

Vadakkunnathan Temple is an ancient Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Shiva here is popularly known as Vadakkunnathan, meaning "lord of the north" as he is believed to live in Kailas which is on the northern side of India. The temple is located in Thrissur City in Thrissur District of Kerala State in Southern India. The name Thrissur is derived from its old name ‘Thiru-Shiva-Peroor’ which translates to ‘the city of sacred Shiva’.

Valliyoorkavu Bhagavathy Temple, the 14th-century temple dedicated to goddess Durga is located at the high hills of Valliyoorkavu, 3 KM’s from Mananthavady town in Wayanad district of Kerala. It is believed that the idol of the goddess is self-manifested. The temple is a prominent place of worship for tribal communities. The goddess manifests in three forms, ‘Vana Durga’ (forest goddess), ‘Jala Durga’(Water goddess) and ‘Bhadrakaali’ (The auspicious form of goddess Kali who protects the good).