Temple MarvelsWhere Every Temple Tells a Story
South India

Festival Calendar

Every major temple festival across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala — with dates, celebrating temples, and special arrangements.

11

Upcoming

12

Total

Jul2026

July 2026

1 festival· past

10Jul
2 temples

Guru Purnima

Sacred full moon day honouring the Guru lineage — observed across all temple traditions.

Arunachaleswarar Temple· TiruvannamalaiVirupaksha Temple· Hampi
Arunachaleswarar Temple — Special abhishekam to the Guru Lingam; overnight lamp-lighting on Arunachala hill.
Virupaksha Temple — Pada puja (foot worship) ceremony for the presiding Guru deity.
Aug2026

August 2026

3 festivals

03Aug
Upcoming2 temples

Aadi Perukku

Tamil water festival on the 18th day of Aadi, celebrated with offerings at rivers, tanks, and seaside temples.

Ramanathaswamy Temple· RameshwaramJambukeswarar Temple· Thiruvanaikaval
Ramanathaswamy Temple — Grand abhishekam with Rama Sethu sea water; special darshan at all 22 theerthams.
Jambukeswarar Temple — Apas (water) lingam festival — the sanctum spring overflows; special procession by the sacred tank.
07Aug
Upcoming2 temples

Varalakshmi Vratam

Auspicious Friday puja for Goddess Lakshmi, observed primarily at Devi temples across South India.

Kanaka Durga Temple· VijayawadaMeenakshi Amman Temple· Madurai
Kanaka Durga Temple — The deity is dressed in special gold-and-diamond alankara; lakhs of devotees pour onto Indrakeeladri hill.
Meenakshi Amman Temple — Goddess Meenakshi adorned in golden jewels and silk; special kunkumarchana; free prasad distribution.
17Aug
UpcomingKerala

Gokulashtami

Birth anniversary of Lord Krishna — one of the grandest celebrations at Vaishnava temples, especially Guruvayur.

Guruvayur Temple· Guruvayur
Guruvayur Temple — Ulsavam begins at midnight with abhishekam and pushpabhishekam; elephant procession at dawn; thousands of devotees offer cradles.
Sep2026

September 2026

2 festivals

06Sept
Upcoming2 temples

Onam

Kerala's harvest festival celebrated over 10 days — associated with King Mahabali's return; includes grand puja at Padmanabhaswamy.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple· ThiruvananthapuramGuruvayur Temple· Guruvayur
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple — Aarattu (ceremonial bathing of the deity) procession to the sea — the grandest Onam celebration in Kerala.
Guruvayur Temple — Onam puja, elephant procession, and elaborate flower carpets (pookalam) in the temple courtyard.
19Sept
UpcomingAndhra Pradesh

Tirupati Brahmotsavam

The grand 9-day annual car festival of Tirumala Venkateswara — the largest temple festival in the world by attendance.

Tirumala Tirupati Temple· Tirupati
Tirumala Tirupati Temple — 9-day car festival with the deity on different vahanams (vehicles) each day; Chakra Snanam on final day. Over 5 lakh pilgrims expected.
Oct2026

October 2026

2 festivals

13Oct
Upcoming2 temples

Navratri

Nine nights of worship of Goddess Durga — celebrated with special alankara (decorations) at Devi temples.

Chamundeshwari Temple· MysuruMeenakshi Amman Temple· Madurai
Chamundeshwari Temple — Chamundeshwari adorned in 9 different divine forms across 9 nights; nightly processions on Chamundi Hill.
Meenakshi Amman Temple — 9 special alankara (costume changes) for the Goddess across 9 nights — one of the most photographed Navratri in South India.
22Oct
UpcomingKarnataka

Mysuru Dasara

The royal Dasara of Mysuru centred on Chamundeshwari Temple — Vijayadasami procession with caparisoned elephants is world-famous.

Chamundeshwari Temple· Mysuru
Chamundeshwari Temple — The iconic Mysuru Dasara Jumbo Savari — caparisoned elephants carry the golden howdah in a royal procession; draws 1 million visitors.
Nov2026

November 2026

3 festivals

02Nov
Upcoming2 temples

Karthika Somavar

Mondays in the sacred Karthika month (Oct–Nov) dedicated to Lord Shiva — lakhs of devotees pour milk abhishekam at Shiva temples.

Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple· SrisailamVirupaksha Temple· Hampi
Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple — First Karthika Monday at Srisailam — overnight abhishekam; lakhs of devotees arrive from Telangana and AP.
Virupaksha Temple — Karthika Somavar special darshan at Hampi — the riverside setting is spectacular with lamps floating on the Tungabhadra.
10Nov
Upcoming2 temples

Skanda Sashti

Six-day festival celebrating Lord Murugan's victory over the demon Surapadman — observed with Soorasamharam at Murugan shrines.

Murudeshwara Temple· MurudeshwarKukke Subramanya Temple· Subramanya
Murudeshwara Temple — Special puja and lamp lighting at the base of the world's tallest Shiva statue overlooking the Arabian Sea.
Kukke Subramanya Temple — Soorasamharam re-enactment of Murugan's victory over Sura; serpent deity procession; largest festival at Kukke Subramanya.
14Nov
Upcoming2 temples

Karthigai Deepam

Festival of lights in the Tamil month of Karthigai — the Mahadeepam beacon lit atop Arunachala hill at Tiruvannamalai is visible for 30 km.

Nataraja Temple· ChidambaramArunachaleswarar Temple· Tiruvannamalai
Nataraja Temple — Thillai Karthigai — thousands of lamps illuminate the Nataraja temple in a stunning spectacle.
Arunachaleswarar Temple — The Mahadeepam — a massive beacon lit atop Arunachala hill at midnight, visible 30 km away. 3–5 lakh devotees circumambulate the hill on this night.
Dec2026

December 2026

1 festival

31Dec
Upcoming2 temples

Vaikunta Ekadashi

The most sacred Ekadashi for Vaishnavas — the 'Swarga Vaasal' (gate of heaven) opens at Vishnu temples; Tirupati sees over 1 lakh pilgrims.

Ranganathaswamy Temple· SrirangamTirumala Tirupati Temple· Tirupati
Ranganathaswamy Temple — The grandest Vaikunta Ekadashi in South India — the Paramapada Vasal (heaven's door) of Srirangam sees 5–7 lakh devotees in a single day.
Tirumala Tirupati Temple — The Vaikunta Dwaram (heaven's gate) opens at Tirumala — over 1 lakh pilgrims enter through the sacred northern gate; wait times up to 24 hours.

Planning a festival visit?

Our AI trip planner builds a day-by-day route with hotels and nearby temples.

Plan my trip