Royal Rajasthan

Udaipur's royal spring: Holika Dahan at The City Palace, then Gangaur by the lake

Two spring occasions in the City of Lakes: a palace ceremony kept by the House of Mewar, and a festival procession to the ghats of Lake Pichola.

The Velvet Key Journal · 19 October 2026 · 2 min read

The City Palace, Udaipur, rising above old lakeside houses and ghats on Lake Pichola in soft morning light — The City Palace above Lake Pichola, Udaipur. Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; resized.

When are Holika Dahan and the Mewar Festival in Udaipur in 2027?

Holika Dahan falls on Sunday 21 March 2027 by the Hindu calendar, and the City Palace's 2027 programme is to be confirmed. The Mewar Festival, celebrating Gangaur, runs 9 to 11 April 2027 at Jagdish Chowk and Gangaur Ghat in Udaipur, and at Gogunda, per the Ministry of Tourism's listing.

Udaipur keeps two spring dates that hold its royal and civic traditions side by side. Both are religious observances first, and we plan around them with care: where you stay, how you travel, and a local guide who knows the customs.

Holika Dahan at The City Palace

The House of Mewar marks Holika Dahan, the eve of Holi, with a ceremony at The City Palace. Its own description is of a procession of liveried staff, decorated horses and a band, from the royal residence to Manek Chowk, where the sacred fire is lit at twilight, followed by the Gair folk dance. Holika Dahan falls on the full moon of Phalguna, which in 2027 is Sunday 21 March by the Hindu calendar.

The palace's 2027 programme is to be confirmed: the date and any guest seating are set only when the House of Mewar announces them, and travel is fixed after that announcement.

Carved sandstone balconies of the City Palace, Udaipur, seen from below against a pale sky — Balconies and jharokhas of the City Palace, Udaipur. Photo: Hirumon, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; resized.

The Mewar Festival

Three weeks later, the Mewar Festival celebrates Gangaur, the spring festival for the goddess Gauri. It runs 9 to 11 April 2027, early in FY 2027–28, at Jagdish Chowk and Gangaur Ghat in Udaipur, and at Gogunda, per the Ministry of Tourism's listing. The District Administration and the Tourist Reception Centre, Udaipur, organise it; the royal household does not. The procession to the lake is the moment people travel for.

Where to stay

A lake-facing room.
A terrace with a view over the ghats.
A local guide for each day.

Lake-view rooms are limited around both dates, so the occasion is chosen first, then the room.