April 2025 Issue: What's Happening in India in April

Travel Viewpoint, Issue 72 · April 2025 · Theme: What’s Happening in India in April

Welcome to the April 2025 issue of Travel Viewpoint. This month we follow India through its season of new beginnings. In the space of a few days in mid-April, Punjab celebrates Baisakhi, Assam dances through Rongali Bihu, Kerala wakes to Vishu, Tamil Nadu marks Puthandu and Bengal greets Pohela Boishakh. Around them, wheat harvests roll in across the plains, rhododendrons bloom in the Himalayan foothills, and the wildlife parks of central India enter their best weeks for sightings. It is a month full of colour, gratitude and movement, and a month that rewards travellers who plan around its heat and its calendar.

Here is everything inside this issue, with a short note on each piece so you can choose where to begin.

From the editor

Editor’s Letter: April, the Month India Starts Again

Khushi Anand introduces the issue with a reflection on India’s many April new years, how they differ, what unites them, and how to travel through them as a respectful, curious guest. She also shares three April moments worth building a trip around, from Baisakhi dawn at a gurdwara to a Bihu night in Guwahati.

Festivals and celebrations

How to Experience India’s Harvest Festivals as a Tourist

Harvest festivals are among the most joyful events in the Indian calendar, and they are best experienced as a participant rather than a spectator. This guide explains how to find celebrations, how to behave as a guest, and how to make the most of these community occasions without intruding.

Celebrate Baisakhi in Punjab

Our complete travel guide to Baisakhi, the festival of joy, faith and fields. Discover what the day means for Sikhs and farmers, how it is celebrated in gurdwaras and villages, and how to plan a visit to Punjab around it.

Ramadan Celebration in India: Spiritual Journeys in April

A look at the spiritual side of Indian travel during and around Ramadan, from historic mosques to evening food streets, with notes on how visitors can experience the season thoughtfully.

Local Fairs and Cultural Festivals You Can Attend in April

Beyond the headline festivals, April is full of local fairs, temple festivals and cultural events across India. This round-up helps you find the smaller celebrations that often leave the deepest impression.

Features

Amritsar to Varanasi: The One Route That Explains April in India

One journey, from Baisakhi at the Golden Temple to dawn on the Ganga, that shows how April turns harvest into festival and faith. We follow the Grand Trunk country through Punjab’s wheat fields, Kurukshetra, Delhi’s gardens, the temple towns of Braj or Ayodhya, Lucknow’s kitchens and finally Varanasi’s ghats, with a suggested pace and practical tips for travelling in the heat.

Three Days in Guwahati for Rongali Bihu, Not a Checklist

A slower way to celebrate the Assamese New Year. Spend mornings at Kamakhya, Sualkuchi’s silk looms and Pobitora’s rhino grasslands, afternoons over Assamese thalis, and evenings at neighbourhood Bihutolis where the dhol and pepa play late into the night.

What to Skip on Your First April Trip in India

An honest guide for first-timers. Skip the desert at noon, the three-day Golden Triangle, late-season Goa party plans and snowbound high passes, and discover the smarter swaps that make April one of India’s most rewarding months.

Food, Stay and Getting Around: India in April

How to eat, sleep and move well in the heat. From aam panna and festival dishes to choosing rooms with reliable cooling, booking hill stations early, and using trains, flights and metros wisely, this is our practical companion to the month.

Less travelled · Guest slot

Talwandi Sabo: A Quieter Baisakhi Beside Amritsar

Our guest slot this month heads to the Malwa heartland of Punjab and Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, one of Sikhism’s five Takhts. Here Baisakhi brings a vast rural mela, langar, gatka and gratitude for the harvest, in a setting that feels intimate and rooted. Includes practical advice on getting there from Bathinda and gurdwara etiquette.

News and planning

Permits, Dates and Closures: India in April 2025

Our planning page gathers April 2025 festival dates, Char Dham and Amarnath registration notes, mountain road and pass openings, Inner Line and Protected Area Permits, wildlife park seasons and Srinagar’s tulip season, with a quick checklist. Always confirm details with official sources before travel.

A note on April weather

April is a month of contrasts across India. The northern plains and Rajasthan grow steadily hotter as the month goes on, while the Northeast often sees its first pre-monsoon showers, and the southern coasts turn humid. The Himalayan hill stations, by contrast, are pleasant and busy, and higher roads open gradually as snow clears. Pack light cotton, a hat, a refillable water bottle and a light layer for evenings in the hills. Weather varies from year to year, so check local forecasts close to your travel dates.

How to use this issue

If you are planning a festival trip, start with the editor’s letter and the Baisakhi and Bihu pieces, then check the news page for dates. If you are a first-time visitor, read what to skip and the food, stay and transport guide before you book. If you love slow travel, the Amritsar to Varanasi route and the Talwandi Sabo story will give you ideas for a deeper journey.

Wherever April takes you, travel early in the day, rest in the afternoon heat, and step out in the evening when India’s festivals come alive. Happy new year, and happy travels.