Seasons, weather and crowds

Monsoon landslides, summer heat, winter closures and festival crowds

The right season can make the same yātrā easy or very hard. Plan around four things.

• Monsoon in the Himalaya (roughly July–August): landslides and washed-out roads are common on the Char Dham and other mountain routes, and journeys can be stuck for a day or more. If you must travel then, keep two or three buffer days, follow official road advisories, and avoid driving after dark. • Summer heat in the plains (April–June): Varanasi, Gaya, Mathura, Ujjain and the temple towns of the south can be very hot. Do darśana early and late, carry water and a head cover, and remember that stone courtyards burn bare feet at midday.

• Winter closures (about November–April): Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri close for the winter, and their deities are worshipped at winter seats lower down — Ukhimath for Kedarnath, Jyotirmath and Pandukeshwar for Badrinath, Mukhba for Gangotri and Kharsali for Yamunotri. Amarnath and Kailash are open only for a short summer window. Opening and closing dates are announced each year — check the official sites. • Festival crowds: Kumbh and Māgh Melā bathing days, Mahāśivarātri, Janmāṣṭamī, Ratha Yātrā, Navarātri, Pitṛpakṣa at Gayā, the Sabarimala season and long weekends bring very large crowds. Book stays early, carry little, fix a meeting point with your group, and follow police directions. If you prefer quiet, choose ordinary weekdays instead.

The best months for most of the plains and the south are October to March; for the high Himalaya, May–June and September–October.

Himalaya: May–June, Sept–Oct · Plains and south: Oct–March · Avoid July–August in the mountains · Check opening dates every year

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