Quick answer: Navratri (11–20 October) and Dussehra (20 October) are over. The big events still to come in Chandigarh in 2026 are Valmiki Jayanti on Monday, 26 October, the CII Chandigarh Fair at Parade Ground (30 October – 2 November), Diwali on Sunday, 8 November and Gurpurab on Tuesday, 24 November. This page lists what is on in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula by date, and links to a full guide for each.
Chandigarh’s calendar is busiest from late September to the end of November, when the festival season, the Ramlila grounds and the pre-Diwali trade fairs all overlap. Dates below are checked against the Chandigarh Administration’s holiday notification for 2026; for every festival date with its holiday status, see our Chandigarh festival calendar.
What’s On in Chandigarh: October to December 2026
| When | What | Guides |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 11 October – Tuesday, 20 October | Navratri (held): temple melas, Ramlila, dandiya and garba nights | Navratri guide · Ramlila venues · Dandiya nights · Mansa Devi mela |
| Monday, 19 October – Tuesday, 20 October | Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami (held); Durga Puja at Kalibari and Banga Bhawan | Durga Puja guide · Kalibari Mandir |
| Tuesday, 20 October | Dussehra (held): a 106-ft Ravan at Sector 46 and a 221-ft Ravan in Panchkula | Dussehra guide · Panchkula’s giant effigy |
| Friday, 23 October – Sunday, 25 October | Khushwant Singh Literary Festival, Kasauli (a day trip from Chandigarh) | KSLF guide |
| Monday, 26 October | Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti, a gazetted holiday in Chandigarh | Valmiki Jayanti guide |
| Thursday, 29 October | Karwa Chauth; moonrise in Chandigarh at 8:12 PM | Karwa Chauth guide |
| Friday, 30 October – Monday, 2 November | 29th CII Chandigarh Fair, Parade Ground, Sector 17 | CII Chandigarh Fair · pre-Diwali fairs |
| Friday, 6 November – Wednesday, 11 November | Diwali week: Dhanteras on the 6th, Diwali on Sunday the 8th, Bhai Dooj on the 11th | Diwali guide · Dhanteras · Govardhan Puja · Bhai Dooj |
| Friday, 13 November – Monday, 16 November | Chhath Puja; evening arghya on Sunday the 15th | Chhath Puja ghats |
| Tuesday, 24 November | Guru Nanak Jayanti (Gurpurab) | Gurpurab guide |
| Friday, 25 December | Christmas | Christmas in Chandigarh |
| Thursday, 31 December | New Year’s Eve | New Year events |
Organisers often confirm venue-level details only two to four weeks ahead. Where a date is not yet announced, such as the Mohali Diwali Mela, we say so on the guide instead of guessing.
Annual Events in Chandigarh
These return every year. Each guide has the latest confirmed dates, venue and entry details.
- Rose Festival
- Chandigarh Carnival
- Chrysanthemum Show
- Military Literature Festival
- National Crafts Mela
- Saras Mela
- Hunar Haat
- Mohali Diwali Mela
- Chandigarh Air Show
- Chandigarh Marathon
- Upcoming concerts in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula
- TiECON Chandigarh
- India’s biggest car meet
- Chandigarh International Film Festival
- Chandigarh Music and Film Festival
- Lohri
- Basant Panchami
- Maha Shivratri
- Holi events
- Halloween
- Cultural events round-up
Festival guides for 2026
These guides cover the festivals on our festival calendar, in date order.
- Ganesh Chaturthi in Chandigarh: Monday, 14 September, with visarjan on Friday, 25 September.
- Maharashtra Bhawan, Chandigarh: the Ganeshotsav home of the Marathi community.
- Navratri in Chandigarh: temples, pandals and garba; Navratri 2027 begins on Thursday, 30 September.
- Dandiya and garba nights: the 2026 nights, as a guide to next year.
- Mansa Devi Temple, Panchkula: the Navratri melas.
- Chandi Mata Mandir, Panchkula: the temple behind Chandigarh’s name.
- Kalibari Mandir, Chandigarh: history and Durga Puja.
- Durga Puja in Chandigarh: how the 2026 pujas went, and the 2027 dates.
- Agrasen Jayanti in Chandigarh: Sunday, 11 October.
- Ram Leela in Chandigarh: the committees and venues.
- Dussehra in Chandigarh: how 2026 went, with the Ramleela grounds by sector.
- Dussehra in Panchkula: Ravan Dahan at the Dusshera Ground, Sector 5.
- Karwa Chauth in Chandigarh: Thursday, 29 October, with moonrise and puja times.
- Dhanteras in Chandigarh: Friday, 6 November, and the shopping.
- Diwali in Chandigarh: Sunday, 8 November.
- Diwali events in Chandigarh: fairs, exhibitions and melas.
- Mohali Diwali Mela: the mela at Sector 79.
- Govardhan Puja in Chandigarh: Monday, 9 November by the government list, Tuesday, 10 November by the panchang.
- Bhai Dooj in Chandigarh: Wednesday, 11 November.
- Chhath Puja in Chandigarh: 13 to 16 November, and the ghats.
- Gurpurab in Chandigarh: Guru Nanak Jayanti on Tuesday, 24 November.
- Best gurudwaras in Chandigarh: a visit guide.
- More gurudwaras in the tricity: Sohana, Koohni Sahib and others.
Concerts, Shows and This Week
For ticketed shows, see upcoming concerts in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. For what is on over the next two weeks, with dates and listing links, see This Week in Chandigarh, which we update every week.