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Table of Contents
Andaman Islands: Introduction
Festivals & Events Celebrated in Andamans
- Island Tourism Festival
- Holi
- Island Food Festival
- Beach Festival
- Panguni Utthiram
- Monsoon Music Festival
- Shubash Mela
- Diwali
- Christmas
Andaman Islands: Introduction
Andaman & Nicobar Island is a magnificent archipelago located to the southeast of mainland India. There are about 861 Islands clustered in this archipelago, with a human population inhabiting around 31 islands. There are two water bodies around the islands: the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the west of Andaman Islands.
The main economic activities in Andaman Islands are around farming, fishing, and tourism. Out of the three, tourism in Andaman brings in the most money and provides a stable livelihood to thousands of people. In order to improve tourist footfall and spread the frequency of tourists arriving on the island throughout the year, the island hosts various festivals and events.
Organised by the Department of Tourism and local authorities, these festivals showcase the fun, exciting, and memorable sides of this island. These festivals along with Holi and Diwali showcase a unique sight to tourists which goes beyond beaches and sea.
Festivals & Events Celebrated in Andamans
From the start of the year till its wrap, Andaman celebrates numerous festivals. This blog presents a list of the popular festivals tourists can look forward to on their trip.
1. Island Tourism Festival
The most significant and exciting carnival on Andaman Islands is the Island Tourism Festival which is celebrated for 15 days. The festival usually takes place around December to January annually. People from different strata of the society participate in this festival to make it a huge success. The festival becomes a reflection of the cosmopolitan culture of Andaman along with its unique indigenous traditions.
A diverse range of exhibitions, crafts, musical performances, dance presentations, handicraft exhibitions are a part of the Island Tourism Festival. Besides, one also gets to relish food from different stalls, and get to participate in competitions like water sports and fishing.
2. Holi
Celebrated in either February or March, the southern part of Andaman Islands come alive and get painted in the vibrant colours of Holi.The gulal and abeer in the air ushers in a euphoric feeling. The best spots in Andaman is Corbyn’s Cove beach, and designated areas in Havelock Island and Neil island. Cultural events like Holi Ke Phaag are celebrated which includes folk music, cultural performances and distribution of traditional sweets like gujiya.
3. Island Food Festival
The Island Food Festival is an exhilarating carnival for all the foodies who visit Andaman Island. Taking place typically in April, this food festival is a 3 day event taking place in Andaman’s capital Port Blair. The venue is ITF ground with timings from 5 PM to 9 PM. One can find a variety of dishes including regional Indian food, fresh sea food, and Andamanese cuisine. The event also hosts competitions of live-cooking and theme-based cake decorations.
4. Beach Festival
For beach lovers and party enthusiasts, nothing brings the best of both worlds like the Beach festival in Andaman. This festival usually takes place in the month of November – December on the breathing beaches of Havelock Island like Radhanagar Beach, the beautiful Elephant Beach and the stunning Kalapathar Beach. Music, food, and dance performances are a big part of this festival.
5. Panguni Utthiram
The Tamil community eagerly waits for the Panguni Utthiram festival which is dedicated to Lord Murugun, a deity widely worshipped in Tamil culture. People and devotees of Lord Murugun come together on the streets dressed in beautiful traditional attire and carry out a colourful procession. The air gets filled with rhythmic beats, mantras, and elation.
6. Monsoon Music Festival
The monsoon is the low season in Andaman, but thanks to the efforts of local authorities, the island hosts a Monsoon Music Festival. The festival takes place in mid-July in Corbyn’s Cove beach. Though smaller in scale, the monsoon music festival still holds a special place for visitors because it offers fun and excitement as people get to see live music performances and participate in rain dance.
7. Shubash Mela
Celebrated on Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep), Shubash Mela is an annual seven-day festival. It is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Subhash Chandra Bose. The festival hosts cultural events, sports, exhibitions, and shows to strengthen national pride and community engagement.
8. Diwali
Diwali is known as the festival of lights and is celebrated with great fervour in Andaman. The shimmering fairy lights on trees, illuminated beaches, firecrackers, rangolis, and sweets elevates the celebration of Diwali on the island to the next level. Many resorts and hotels also host Diwali Parties for their guests. Tourists enjoy eco-friendly practices and low-noise celebrations
9. Christmas
Celebrate Christmas in Andaman with a tropical twist. The island has the most pleasant weather ranging between 22 to 30 degrees. The resorts and hotels organise Christmas eve parties and Christmas brunch. The bonfires, music, and decorations are a huge part of the Christmas celebrations. The end of the year also brings in massive tourist crowds to the island.
If you too are looking forward to being a part of island festivities and want to enjoy a seamless vacation, contact https://www.andamantourism.org/, a local Andaman travel partner known for their amazing trips for Andamans.
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