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Guwahati’s festival calendar is tied to the Assamese agricultural year and the Shakta worship of Kamakhya Temple. The three Bihu festivals mark the sowing, growing, and harvest seasons, while Ambubachi Mela in June is the city’s biggest single event. Dates for Bihu follow the Assamese calendar and shift slightly each year. See our neighborhoods guide for more.
Guwahati Events in April: Rongali Bihu
Rongali Bihu (Bohag Bihu), around April 14, is the Assamese New Year and the most celebratory of the three Bihus. Expect Bihu dance and dhol performances in venues across the city, new gamosa towels on display, and feasts of pitha rice cakes. The biggest public stage events are at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra and the District Library grounds. It marks the start of sowing, so the mood is festive despite April’s rising heat. Book hotels early, as this is the start of the peak season described in the best time to visit guide. See our travel tips guide for more.
Guwahati Events in June: Ambubachi Mela
Ambubachi Mela, June 22 to 26 each year at Kamakhya Temple, is one of India’s largest religious gatherings, drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, tantric sadhus, and aghoris to Nilachal Hill. The temple sanctum closes for three days (June 23 to 25) while the goddess is believed to undergo her annual cycle, then reopens June 26 with the distribution of red cloth strips called raktavastra. Expect enormous crowds, road closures on the western approaches, and heavy monsoon rain. If you attend, use the VIP darshan pass (₹500) and carry waterproof gear. Details on reaching the temple are in the things to do guide. See our Guwahati travel guide guide for more.
Guwahati Events in January: Bhogali Bihu (Magh Bihu)
Bhogali Bihu, around January 14, is the harvest festival and the coldest, driest time to visit. Communities light huge bonfires called meji on the night before, feast on pitha and laru, and burn the meji at dawn. In Guwahati the main public celebrations are in the riverside neighbourhoods and on the Kalakshetra grounds. It is a far more comfortable time to experience Bihu than the April heat, and it pairs well with the cool, dry weather covered in the weather by month guide.
Guwahati Events in October: Kati Bihu and Durga Puja
Kati Bihu (Kongali Bihu), around mid-October, is the quietest Bihu, a contemplative festival where families light earthen lamps around homes and paddy fields and pray for the coming harvest. It overlaps with Durga Puja, which in Guwahati is celebrated with large pandals across the city, especially in Fancy Bazaar and Ganeshguri. The October festival season marks the return of pleasant post-monsoon weather and the start of the safari season.
Guwahati Events in January and February: Brahmaputra Festival
The Brahmaputra Festival, held in January or February on the riverfront near Uzanbazar, showcases Assamese food, crafts, and Bihu dance with the river as a backdrop. Dates vary by year, so check the Assam Tourism calendar before booking. It coincides with the dry season, the best window for the riverside hotels and the Alfresco Grand cruises.
