Eat, Drink, & Be Merry!

Planning a trip to India this festive season? Tweak your itinerary to accommodate this interesting line-up of events. By KUMAR SHREE

Ziro Festival of Music

Sept 26-29

WHERE GETTING THERE

Touted as India’s greatest outdoor music festival, this musical extravaganza is set to bring together 40 phenomenal acts before a crowd of over 6,000 attendees. Hosted at a hip and edgy destination in Arunachal Pradesh, Ziro Festival of Music is a potpourri of art, culture, and happiness with music taking the centre stage.

Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh.

Ziro is connected to Guwahati via train and road routes.

Madras Jazz Festival

TAMIL NADU Oct 19-20

Madras Jazz Festival enjoys the sobriquet of global music festival with a local heart. A heaven for music aficionados, the festival collates the world’s best jazz representatives (think renowned musicians flying in from all across the globe) under one roof for a two-day event. WHERE Government Museum Chennai, Pantheon Road, Egmore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

GETTING THERE Chennai enjoys direct air and train connectivity from all main cities in the country. madrasjazzfestival.com

Airtel Delhi Half Marathon

NEW DELHI Oct 20

In its 15th edition, ADHF has grown from a humble event to a huge affair that inspires participants from across the globe to run for different causes every year. WHERE New Delhi

GETTING THERE

Delhi is well connected with all major domestic and international airports. airteldelhihalfmarathon.procam.in

French Food Festival

Oct 25-27

Every year, Puducherry celebrates its French connection through this food carnival where French delicacies mingle with music, dance, and endless festive fun.

WHERE

Sinnaya Garden, Sardar Vallabhai Patel Salai, Ponnaiyapet, Puducherry.

GETTING THERE Puducherry has direct flights from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Delhi. pondytourism.in

Bacardi NH7 Weekender

MEGHALAYA Nov 1-2

Celebrated as ‘the happiest music festival’, Bacardi NH7 Weekender enters its 10th year in 2019. Packed with music and madness, the festival is coming to the spellbinding hills of Meghalaya this time, with an exciting lineup of multi-genre bands and performers like Karnivool, Raja Kumari, Soulmate, and more.

WHERE

Wenfield, The Festive Hills, Thadlaskein, Lad Mukhla, Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya.

GETTING THERE

Shillong airport is the nearest airport, at 82 km from Jaintia Hills, with connecting flights from Delhi and Mumbai, and direct flights from Kolkata. nh7.in