The festivals play an important part in promoting the traditional handicrafts and tourism of India. Reflecting the vibrant culture of the country, these events occupy a prime place in the Indian tourism industry, as many people visit the country in order to participate in them.  The rich cultural heritage of India attracts the Western world during the celebration of important festivals. Every region celebrates their festival according to their regional customs and rituals. The commonness in all the celebration is that it celebrates humanity. Some of the common rituals, which are followed in most of the festivals, are processions in the streets, decoration of homes and sacred places such as temples and traditional and folk song and dance performances. Most religious festivals have elaborate prayers, traditions, customs and rituals attached to them. The elaborate celebration and the multitude of festivals in India, each with their own unique legends and significances often awe the foreigners who come for India Torurs.

The fairs and festivals either celebrate the change of seasons or are of a religious nature. For instance, Mewar Festival and Holi are celebrated to mark the coming of the spring season. Teej of Rajasthan marks the onset of the monsoon. On the other hand, Onam in Kerala and Bihu in Assam are celebrated to mark the harvesting season. Other festivals, like the konark Dance Festival, promote the culture of India. Religious festivals are innumerable over here. Durga Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi, Janmastami, Christmas, Eid-ul-Fitr, Rath Yatra, Vasant Panchami, Ram Nabami and others are some of the popular religious festivals of India. Apart from these, the other festivals that are celebrated include Desert Festival, Elephant Festival, Raksha Bandhan, Nouroz, Diwali and Dusssehra amongst others.

A large number of fairs are also held in India from time to time. People from far and wide come to take part in these fairs. In fact, many tourists plan their vacations according to the time of occurrence of these fairs. Pushkar Fair, Urs Ajmer Fair and Surajkund Crafts Fair are some of the famous fairs of India. The Kumbh Mela and the colorful and grand Goa Carnival are extremely popular among the locals as well as the tourists.

The culture of India is aptly reflected through its numerous festivals and fairs. The colorful festivals are an integral part of every Indians. Bringing out the true spirit of the Indian people and their society, the Indian festivals find their roots in the traditions, religious beliefs, myths and the seasons of the country.