• The Bonalu festival 2025 commenced at the Golconda Fort in Hyderabad with devotees congregating at Sri Jagadamba Mahankali temple to engage in traditional rituals. The Telangana government provided a fund of ?20 crore to 2,783 temples and the festival was championed by prominent political leaders. The festival, a display of the region's cultural pride, will persist in Secunderabad and Old City over the following weeks.

 

  • The Ambubachi Mela 2025, commemorating the menstrual cycle of Goddess Kamakhya,was held at Kamakhya Temple in Assam from June 22 to 25. This unique festival, which challenges menstrual taboos while celebrating womanhood and promoting menstrual hygiene, signifies Assam's progressive take on menstruation. The temple, considered one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, holds deep mythological roots. With substantial public turnout and governmental backing, the event reinforces both spiritual commitment and societal conversations around feminine strength and respect.

 

  • The 3rd Lavender Festival was held in Bhaderwah, Jammu & Kashmir, from June 1-2, 2025, displaying the ongoing success of the CSIR-Aroma Mission. The event drawn more than 1,200 participants and included field visits, live distillation demonstrations, and farmer and start-up success stories. The festival boasted over ?10.5 crore turnover from lavender-based products and highlighted the socio-economic advancement, women entrepreneurship, and industrial development stimulated by lavender farming, with over 9,000 trained individuals.

 

  • Sri Lanka is celebrating the Poson Poya festival, a revered event marking over 2,000 years since Arahat Mahinda's first sermon introduced Buddhism to the nation. The festivities, including lantern displays, almsgiving, and cultural programs, are taking place in Mihintale and Anuradhapura. This year, the Indian High Commission participated by presenting an exhibition on Buddhist heritage. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake used this occasion to reiterate values of national unity and moral revival.

 

  • The Kataragama Esala Festival 2025 commenced in Sri Lanka with a flag hoisting ceremony, attracting devotees across diverse faiths and regions. Primarily held at the Maha Devala temple dedicated to Lord Skanda, the festival witnesses participation from Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims, emphasising its interfaith appeal. The festival features a 500-km long pilgrimage known as the Pada Yatra, culminates with a fire-walking ceremony on July 7 and the Maha Perahera procession on July 10.