WHAT’S ON

Events worldwide this month

Shimla, India June 1-9 SHIMLA SUMMER FESTIVAL Shimla Summer Festival is a great place to display your talent. It is a showcase of recitals, theatre performances, music compositions, dances, photography skills, poster making and designing abilities of aspiring artists of all ages. Visitors can savour local cuisine made by amateur and professional chefs. Another highlight here is [OL ÅV^LY ZOV^ [OH[ H[[YHJ[Z SHYNL U\TILYZ to its vibrant varieties. shimlaindia.net Champakulam, India June 8 CHAMPAKULAM BOAT RACE Champakulam Boat Race is known to be one of the largest team sports in India and continues to spread the excitement every year. It takes place on the banks of River Pamba situated in the scenic village of Champakulam in Kerala. Amongst those in the running, lookout for ‘chundan’ or snake boat because of its unique design. Onlookers cheer with passion, motivating their favourite [LHTZ [V THRL P[ [V [OL ÄUPZOPUN SPUL ÄYZ[ keralatourism.org Puri, India June 25July 3 RATH YATRA

Rath yatra is derived from two Odia words, rath means chariot and yatra means journey. The festival honours Lord Jagannath who is paraded around the region for 12 days in an elaborately decorated chariot — 45.6 feet high with 18 wheels. Dates of the procession are decided in accordance with the Hindu Lunar calendar. Balabhadra and Subhadra, other prominent Gods of the temple, accompany the honoured deity on his journey, in equally tall and ornate chariots. Believers gather to pay their respect. rathyatra.org Kyoto, Japan July 1-31 GION MATSURI The annual Gion Matsuri is named after the Gion district in Kyoto and matsuri translates to festival. It came about decades ago as gratitude to the spirits for delivering them from plague. Today, it is a cultural festival during which the entire city of Kyoto is lit up in twinkling bright lights and lanterns. The streets are lined with vendors selling aromatic Japanese delicacies and memorabilia to take home. Enthusiasts dress in traditional Japanese attire that include summer kimonos and paper fans. jnto.go.jp Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia July 10-13

NADAAM FESTIVAL

The festival is an expression of Mongolia’s nomadic culture that celebrates arts and sports. The three “manly” sports played here — wrestling, horse racing and archery — “embrace many elements of arts, such as singing, dancing and WLYMVYTPUN¹ *LSLIYH[PVUZ ILNPU ^P[O H ÅHN hoisting ceremony at Sukhbaatar Square, followed by “multimedia” shows, music performances and parades that dot the days between matches, throughout the city. naadamfestival.com Boryeong, South Korea July 21-30

BORYEONG MUD FESTIVAL It all started in 1998 when Koreans came up with this whacky idea to promote the mineral-rich mud found in Boryeong. If you need to break away from your monotonous routine to channel your inner child, this is the place to be. The carnival has exciting Z[H[PVUZ ^OLYL `V\ ^PSS ÄUK WLVWSL ZWSHZOPUN in the Giant Mud Bath, manoeuvring through an obstacle course or cheering the mud football championship here. Professional WHPU[LYZ VɈLY [OLPY ZLY]PJLZ [V WHPU[ `V\Y body with mud, dressing you appropriately for the fest. mudfestival.or.kr Kandy, Sri Lanka July 29August 8

ESALA PERAHERA

The locals in Kandy perform sacred rituals to honour Lord Buddha. Celebrations involve a parade of musicians, dancers, singers, acrobats and other performers, accompanied by elegantly dressed elephants. The air is infused with the calming smell of incense sticks and sandalwood. Trees here are splashed with ZHUKHS^VVK ZJLU[LK ^H[LY HUK HYL VɈLYLK UPUL RPUKZ VM ÅV^LYZ HZ ^LSS HZ HU VPS SHTW with nine lit wicks. lanka.com