5 of the Best Indian Festivals

5 of the Best Indian Festivals

LONDON, March 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --



Last month saw the end of the 55-day Kumbh Mela festival in India, when an estimated
80 million Hindu pilgrims descended on Allahabad for the largest religious gathering on
Earth. With the next epic Kumbh Mela 12 years away, Cox & Kings, experts at arranging
luxury India tours [http://www.coxandkings.co.uk/indian-subcontinent/india-tours ], have
suggested some other lesser-known festivals across the Subcontinent.



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Kutch Utsav festival



In the state of Gujarat, the region of Kutch has a rich and diverse tribal culture
that is celebrated annually during the Kutch Utsav festival. From the detailed embroidery
of the Ahir women to colourful dancers, Sindhi Bhajan performances and Langa desert music,
the festival is a colourful celebration of all the traditional arts, music and dance of
the Gujarati.



Khajuraho dance festival



This one-week festival, held in February against the backdrop of the Khajuraho,
showcases both classical Indian dances such as Kathak, Bharathanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi,
Manipuri and Kathakali along with new, more contemporary modern dances. The open-air
auditorium is usually built in front of the beautiful Chitragupta Temple, which is
dedicated to the sun god Surya, and features a stunning backdrop to an exhibition of
Indian dance performed by some of the world's leading exponents.



The Jaipur elephant festival



Held to coincide with Holi celebrations, the elephant festival is a colourful event
that begins with a spectacular parade of decorated elephants, before an afternoon of music
and folk dancing, culminating in an enormous game of elephant polo. The day-long festival
is a celebration of the elephant, the traditional bearers of royalty throughout the ages
and a symbol of power.



The Sankat Mochan music festival, Varanasi



The Sankat Mochan music festival, held at the Sankat Mochan Temple in Varanasi, one of
the most ancient in India, is dedicated to the Hindu god Hanuman. Sankat Mocham aptly
means 'reliever from troubles' and attracts artists from all over India for the
festivities that last through the night. Top performers of Indian classical music will
often play for free, which provides a rare chance for those who might not otherwise be
able to hear them play.



Hemis Tsechu and Phyand Tsedup at Leh



Hemis Tse Chu, a two-day festival and one of the biggest and most famous held in
Ladakh, is dedicated to Padmasambhava, the patron saint of Tibetan Buddhism who brought
Buddhism from India to Tibet. The celebrations take the form of traditional dance-dramas
called chhams performed by the monks that depict the magical feats of Padmasmbhava in his
eight different manifestations as he crushes the enemies of Buddhism. Another festival in
Leh is the Phyand Tsedup. Monks perform chhams and every three years a giant 10-metre
brocaded silk Thangka is displayed for the culmination of the festival. Situated in the
Himalaya with stunning views dominated by the Leh Palace, the colourful summer monastic
festivals show life in the most northern Indian state of Ladakh.



Cox & Kings arranges escorted and private luxury holidays
[http://www.coxandkings.co.uk ] to more than 100 countries around the world.



NOTE TO EDITORS



Cox & Kings is the world's longest established travel company. Its history stretches
back more than 250 years to 1758 when Richard Cox was appointed regimental agent to the
Footguards (later the Grenadier Guards). The company's fortunes grew hand in hand with the
British empire and by the early 20th century the company was acting as agent and banker
throughout the armed forces and as a shipping agent. In 1922 Cox & Co merged with the
Henry S King bank, which had strong connections with India. The bank became part of Lloyds
and the shipping agency grew separately, evolving into the modern travel company.



Today, built on the high quality service and attention to detail established by
Richard Cox in the 18th century, the company continues to flourish as an independent tour
operator, with operations in London, the US, Japan, Australia and throughout India. Cox &
Kings organises escorted small-group tours and private tailor-made travel in the Indian
Subcontinent, Latin America, the Middle East, the Far East, Africa, Europe, Australia, New
Zealand and the South Pacific, Canada and the Caribbean.



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