Makar Sankranti in January is the kite festival and the tilgul festival: sesame and jaggery sweets exchanged with the phrase tilgul ghya, god god bola — take this sweet and speak sweetly. The kite flying is heaviest in the Gujarati neighbourhoods, and the manja, the abrasive kite string, causes enough injuries that nylon manja is banned and the ban is enforced.
Holi in Mumbai splits: the north Indian Holi with colour, the Maharashtrian and Koli Shimga over several days with the holika bonfire, and Rangpanchami five days later, which is when the Koli communities play.
The names
Places, groups and events| Name | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Makar Sankranti | city-wide, 14 or 15 January | Tilgul, kite flying, and the first festival of the calendar year. |
| Kite flying | Ghatkopar, Malad, Borivali, Vile Parle | Heaviest in the Gujarati neighbourhoods; rooftops from dawn. |
| Nylon manja ban2010s | Maharashtra | Banned because of injuries to people and birds; enforcement is real. |
| Tilgul | households and sweet shops | Sesame and jaggery; exchanged with the phrase tilgul ghya, god god bola. |
| Holika Dahan | across the city | The bonfire on the night before Holi. |
| Shimga | the Koliwadas and Maharashtrian areas | The Maharashtrian and Koli form, over several days. |
| Rangpanchami | the Koliwadas | Five days after Holi; when the Koli communities play with colour. |
| Holi in the north Indian neighbourhoods | Mira Road, Bhandup, Kurla | Colour on the day itself, in the north Indian form. |
| Bird rescue camps | city-wide, January | Set up for birds injured by kite string during Sankranti. |
| Puran poli | households | The Holi sweet in Maharashtrian homes. |
Worth knowing
- Nylon manja is banned and the ban is enforced; cotton manja is legal.
- Bird injuries from kite string are serious; rescue camps run through Sankranti.
- Rangpanchami, five days after Holi, is when the Koli communities play.
- Puran poli is the Maharashtrian Holi sweet.
- Tilgul is exchanged, not simply eaten; the phrase goes with it.
The other festivals
Read the city another way
A note on this page. Festival dates move with the lunar calendar and arrangements change every year. Everything here is a snapshot of Mumbai as of 2026, offered as a starting point rather than a live listing. Check timings, routes and darshan rules before you travel.
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