Hyderabad has a reasonably impressive calendar of festivals and events with some being exclusive to the city and others celebrated across the entire country. The Deccan Festival, held in February, is perhaps the event that best exploits the city’s cultural nuances. The Indian New Year celebration known as the Ugadi festival in April is definitely one of the city’s most lively periods and an ideal time at which to schedule a trip.

Annual Music & Dance Festival Hyderabad: musical recitals and dance performances are given by both students and well known professionals of both disciplines. This popular week-long event is scheduled to begin normally in the last week of the month.

Makara Sankranti: for three days in the middle of the month, the Makara Sankranti harvest festival is celebrated by the people of Hyderabad. Day one is known as Bhogi, day two is known as Sankranthi and day three is known as Kanuma. Each day has its own meaning and appropriate religious rites.

Kite Festival of Hyderabad: kite lovers from across the country and from overseas converge at the city of Hyderabad, enjoying four days of kite-related events including flying contests and best model competitions.

Deccan Festival Hyderabad: beginning on 25 February every year, this festival is a five-day-long affair that celebrates the cultural richness of the city. Music, dance, art and cuisine are presented through a combination of stalls and demonstrations.

Sivratri: this nationwide festival is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is celebrated from February through till March with a variety of religious rites that focus on worshipping the deity.

Ugadi: this New Year celebration is enjoyed across Indian and with as much enthusiasm in Hyderabad as anywhere. Locals decorate the doorways of their houses with fresh mango leaves, buy new clothes for the occasion and enjoy get-togethers with family and friends.

Buddha Purnima: among the most important festivals in the Buddhist calendar, Buddha Purnima, also known as Vesak Day, is a celebration of the Buddha’s birth, a tribute to his achieving of enlightenment and homage to his life.

Mrigasira Festival: this somewhat unusual event sees asthma sufferers numbering in tens of thousands descend upon the city to partake of a special fish preparation which is said to cure the disease.

Guru Purnima: celebrated across the country and not just in Hyderabad, Guru Purnima is a festival which honours the birthday of Krishna-dwaipayana Vyasa. Locals worship their gurus who are held to be embodiments of the deity.

Ganesh Chaturthi: also known as Vinayak Chaturthi, this is one of the country’s most important festivals and sees its Hindu population celebrating the birthday of Lord Ganesh. This 10-day event invariably falls towards the end of the month or into September depending on the lunar calendar

Diwali: also known as Deepavali, Diwali is a nationwide festival of great importance to the country’s Hindu population. The ‘Festival of Lights’ as it is referred to in English, runs for three days and can fall in November depending on the lunar calendar.

Lumbini Festival: the cities of Hyderabad and Nagarjunasagar celebrate the Buddhist heritage of the state of Andra Pradesh with this three-day festival that focuses on paying homage to Gautama Buddha.