Karnataka

Festivals

January

Pattadakal dance Festival : Pattadakal, ancient capital of the Chalukya's celebrates dance festival against the backdrop of the temples.

April
Karaga Festival : Celebrated in the Dharmaraya temple in Nagarathapet in April. Karaga is an earthen pot covered with flowers which is carried on the head by a priest dressed like a woman. The priest is followed in a procession by sword brandishing devotees known as Veerakumars on a moonlit night . The festival celebrates the incarnation of primordial power.

October-November

Dasara Festival : This 10 day festival in the first and second weeks of October is a wonderful time to visit Mysore. The palace is illuminated every night and on the last day the former maharaja leads one of India's most colorful processions. Richly caparisoned elephants, liveried retainers, cavalry, and the gaudy and flower bedecked image of deities make their way through the streets to the sound of jazz and brass bands, and through the inevitable clouds of incense.

November
Hampi Dance & Music Festivals : The magnificent ruined city of Hampi, once the capital of Vijaynagar Empire, comes alive once again during this lively festival of dance and music, held in the first week of November.