Uttar Pradesh Temple Festivals attract thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. Holi and Deepavali being the prominent festivals of this state, the people of Uttar Pradesh follow these festivals according to its traditional rituals. There are other festivals also that the state celebrates like Ganga Dussehra, Makar Sankranti, Janmastami, etc.

Important Temple Festivals of Uttar Pradesh Temple festivals of Uttar Pradesh represent the cultural heritage of the state. More than rituals, these festivals hold a historical significance that is evident from the purpose behind each festival. According to Hindu scriptures, this is the state that traces the birth of mythological Gods like Lord Krishna and Rama. So, the essence of these temple festivals has to be special in Uttar Pradesh.

Holi
Holi heralds the beginning of spring and is probably celebrated in the grandest manner in Uttar Pradesh. Other than color celebrations, Holi actually starts with offerings in the temple, commemorating the legend of Hiranya Kashyapa the demon who ruled over `Sapta Deep` believed himself to be more powerful than God. He contemplated killing his youngest son Prahlad, an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu after he refused to worship him as God Holika, the demon`s sister possessed a divine garment to protect her from fire and agreed to enter the burning pyre with Prahlad in her lap but got diminished into fire. The festival of Holi thus signifies the victory of good over evil and is marked by grand festivities all over India and particularly in the Braj area where it is celebrated with great gaiety and fervour.

Barsana Holi
Barsana Holi is another Uttar Pradesh Temple Festival, dedicated to Lord Krishna and is celebrated at Barsana. This festival is also known as the famous "Latthmaar Holi" of Braj. Tradition states that Krishna use to come to Barsana to play Holi from Nandgaon with Radha along with his Gopi friends. The Gopis after jollity chased away the Gopas of Nandgaon by beating them with "lathis". So it came to be known as the `Latthmar Holi` of Barsana. The main celebrations take place at the Ladliji temple, dedicated to Sri Radha Rani.

Kampil Fair
Kampil Fair is a religious festival in Uttar Pradesh. The Kampil Fair is a Jain fair that is held each year in Farrukhabad district of Uttar Pradesh. This fair derives its name from the place Kampil where it is celebrated. Kampil is an ancient historical town that finds mention in our epics.

Bateshwar Fair
The Bateshwar Fair of Agra has reached a status of religious significance and the temple of Bateshwar is an important spiritual and cultural centre. There are 108 temples dedicated to Bateshwar Mahadeo of the Hindu pantheon. During the months of October and November, a large fair is organized from Shashthi of Kartik month to Panchami of Agrahayan month. Devotees gather here in large numbers to worship Lord Shiva and take holy dips in river Yamuna.

Deva Mela and Kailash Fair
Deva Mela and Kailash Fair are the two religious fairs celebrated within the temple premises of Uttar Pradesh.Srila Sanatana Gosvami established Krishna Balrama Mandir and Madan Mohan Temple of Mathura. These temples of Vrindavana are sacred sites in the state and site for some regular Uttar Pradesh Temple Festivals. These festivals retain the Krishna culture of the state till date.

Buddha Purnima
There are also a number of monasteries dedicated to Buddhism in Uttar Pradesh, celebrating the day of Lord Gautama Buddha"s birth as Buddha Purnima. This day is undoubtedly the most special day, according to the followers of Buddhism.

Ganga Dussehra
The Ganga Dussehra is celebrated as a part of worshipping Goddess Ganga for her blessings, which lasts for nearly ten days and is celebrated in the month of June. The river of Ganga is also worshipped every day on the Ghats of Uttar Pradesh which is present all over the province, and the ritual of Ganga Aarti is held twice every day.

Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti is another important festival dedicated and celebrated mostly by the followers of Hinduism, one of the popular festivals celebrated in Uttar Pradesh. According to their traditions, the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti marks the day of the winter solstice. In Uttar Pradesh it is celebrated quite differently. Here, Makar Sankranti is celebrated during the end of December or at the starting of January in a magnificent manner.

Ayudha Pooja
The day of Ayudha Pooja is another important day in the Hindu calendar which is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shri Ram and one of the popular festivals celebrated in Uttar Pradesh.

Janmashtami
Janmashtami is undoubtedly one of the biggest religious occasions and one of the important festivals in Uttar Pradesh. The day marks the day of Lord Shri Krishna"s birth, who is the ninth incarnation of Lord Vishnu and also one of the most worshipped gods in the religion. Janmashtami is celebrated in a grand manner in the temple of Janmasthan and most of the other cities nearby Mathura.

Navratri
Navratri is another important festival celebrated in Uttar Pradesh during the months of October and November. The festival of Navratri is celebrated to worship the prime goddesses of the Hindu mythology. This nine-day festival is also known as Durgotsav, Dussehra, and Durga Pooja.