Religious celebrations are a large part of Delhi's multicultural social life, and it’s worth trying to take time out to enjoy the city's fanfare traditional dances and vibrant costumes. The city is a host to several secular festivals, when performers gather for music, dance and drama events.

The most important Mahrashtrian festival is Ganesh Chaturthi, in honour of Lord Ganesh. It is the birthday of Ganesh - the elephant headed son of Shiva and Parvathi. Ganesh is believed to be the harbinger of good luck who removes all obstacles to success. He brings prosperity and keeps natural calamities at bay in the lives of those who worship him. This ten day festival begins with the installation of the deity, who is then worshipped daily till the immersion on the final day. Small Ganesh idols are installed in homes.

Gudhi Padwa is the new year for the Maharashtrians. On this day people offer rituals, prayers, prasad of neem leaves, gram pulse and jagerry and they buy new clothes. Families erect a gudhi or bamboo staff, with a coloured silk cloth and a bright garlanded goblet is hung on top of it.

Lohri
On 13th January, a rural festival, Lohri, invades the streets of Delhi and is celebrated with bonfires in parks and open spaces. Traditionally, Lohri marks the end of winter.

Basant Panchami
The biting winter winds during the end of January-early February, brings along the Hindu festival of Basant Panchami as welcome to the spring. This is the season when the prestigious Mughal gardens behind Rashtrapati Bhavan are opened to public for a month.

Holi
On the day of the full moon is in the month of Phalguna, Delhi braces itself for a day of uninhibited reverly as Holi is celebrated with great vigour and joy. All morning people smear Gulal (coloured powder) often mixed with water on one another and dance to the beat of drums. There is a tradition in north India of consuming bhang (a derivative of cannabis) on Holi.

Maha Shivratri (March)
Maha Shivratri is celebrated on the 'Amavasya' night of 'Phalguna'. It is said , that on this dark night Lord Shiva danced the 'Tandava Nritya',( cosmic dance). He is worshipped at temples with all night vigils and prayers and unmarried women keep day-long fasts so that Shiva may grant them good husbands.

Dussehra
Dussehra or Vijay Dashmi is celebrated with great joy and festivity for 10 continuous days during the month of September or October. Dussehra celebrates Lord Ram's victory over ten-headed Ravana, the evil king of Lanka who abducted Rama's wife, Sita, and was subsequently vanquished in battle. It is also considered to be a symbol of the victory of Good over Evil.

Durga Puja
Durga Puja is celebrated by Bengalis on the last four days of Navaratrey. Images of the mother goddess, Durga, all fiery power and exquisite beauty, are worshipped with flowers, incense of the beating of drums.

Baisakhi
At the onset of summer, when the sun gets fierce in the mid of April, north India, celebrates the Hindu New Year as Baisakhi... This is also the beginning of the harvesting season.

Rakshabandhan
On Sravana purnima Rakshabandhan is celebrated. Sisters tie rakhis on their brother's wrists as a ledge of love and receive their promise of protection and normally a gift or money.

Buddha Jayanti
The first full moon night in May i.e the month of Vaisakha is celebrated as Buddha Purnima, not just to commemorates Lord Buddha's birth, but also his 'Enlightenment' and gaining 'Nirvana'. . Prayer meetings are held at Buddha Vihar, Ring Road and Buddha Vihar, Mandir Marg.

Mahavir Jayanti
The birth of Lord Mahavira, who founded Jainism, is celebrated around this time of the year with prayers and processions.

Ramnavami
Ram, the Hindu religion's most popular god, is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the preserver in the Hindu pantheon. Ram Navmi celebrates the birth of Ram on this day in March - April and the event is traditionally celebrated in temples. People observe this day by fasting.

Diwali
Diwali, or Deepavali, perhaps the best-known Hindu festival, marks the end of the season that opens with Dussehra. Diwali is celebrated throughout India, as well as in Indian communities throughout the diaspora. It usually takes place eighteen days after Dusshera in October/November. Diwali is called the "festival of lights", and the name itself means an array of lamps (Deep = Lamp, Vali =Array). Indeed, illumination is characteristic of Diwali. The array of lamps are symbolic of welcoming Lord Rama back to Ayodhya after his 14 years of exile, and the common practice is to light small oil lamps, diyas, and place them around the house.

Christmas (25th December)
On 25th of December all major hotels and restaurants in the capital host special Christmas eve entertainments, while the midnight mass and other services are organized by the churches.

New Year's Eve (31st December)
The culmination of the Indian festive spirit is celebrated on the 31st of December, with most hotels and restaurants offering special food and entertainment packages.