By Raajwrita Dutta 2 July 2025
Monsoon months awaken India’s villages with unique festivals celebrating nature, culture, and community spirit amid the rains.
1. Pola festival (August) In Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh villages, Pola honours bulls and oxen with colourful decorations and festivities during the monsoon.
This festival recognises the important role of cattle in farming, strengthening community bonds and respect for nature.
These animals, essential to traditional farming, are paraded through villages with music and drumming. Homes prepare festive meals. It’s a day when no plough touches the soil.
2. Chikhal Kalo (July) Held in Marcel village, Goa, Chikhal Kalo sees locals play traditional games and dance in the mud to mark the early monsoon.
This festival celebrates the bond between people and soil, turning farming life into joyful play through mud sports and music.
Locals say the festival highlights a playful spirit, reconnecting them to the land and each other.
3. Dree festival (July) Celebrated by the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, Dree involves sports, songs, and feasting across villages during peak monsoon.
The Dree festival is a cultural event that is celebrated to bring a bountiful harvest season and to honour agriculture.
Rituals are performed to ensure protection from pests, good weather, and a healthy harvest. Villagers wear traditional bamboo and cane-woven attire, and the community shares apong (rice beer) and local dishes.
4. Saputara monsoon festival (July - August) Tribal communities near Saputara, Gujarat, host this event with dance, crafts, and monsoon treks in August’s green splendour.
It promotes tribal art and culture while encouraging tourism and unity through shared performances and exhibitions.
Visitors can enjoy bamboo jewellery workshops, Warli art demos, and forest food stalls—all against the backdrop of lush green hills and waterfalls.