Assam lives by the Brahmaputra, and its winter festivals gather by the water. From November to January there is something on the river or its wetlands almost every week.
This post covers the ones that run each year, and how to reach them. It also covers the big river festivals of recent years, and which of them still happen.
November: Raas on Majuli
Majuli is the great river island in the Brahmaputra. At the Kartik full moon it holds Raas. In 2026 the full moon falls on 24 November, later than in most years.
Raas tells the story of Krishna in dance and drama. The island's satras, its Vaishnavite monasteries, stage it over about three nights. In 2022 there were more than 60 venues.
Assam Tourism traces Raas on Majuli to Dakhinpat Satra, more than 300 years ago. Today whole villages take part, not only the monks.
Seeing Raas well
Seats at the best-known stages go early. Assam Tourism says tickets for Garamur Satra sell out nearly a month before the festival.
Island stays fill fast too. Book your room as soon as the date is clear, and plan two or three nights on the island.
Shows run late into the night. Rest in the afternoon, and carry a shawl for the cold after dark. Read our two days on Majuli before you plan.
Getting to Majuli
Most visitors cross by ferry from Nimatighat, near Jorhat. The district says Jorhat ferries run from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm. Miss the last one and you wait for morning.
From the north bank there is a shorter way. A ferry from Dhunaguri Ghat, near Bihpuria, crosses the Subansiri in about 15 minutes.
Book ferry tickets ahead on the Assam Inland Water Transport site. The nearest airports are Jorhat, Lilabari and Dibrugarh.
Where to stay on Majuli
The island has homestays, bamboo cottages and guest houses run by the satras. The district publishes its own list.
A satra guest house puts you close to the prayers. A homestay puts you with a family. Both are simple, and both are the point of coming.
Early January: kites on the Guwahati bank
The Jeevan Kite River Festival is held on the Brahmaputra bank in Guwahati. A local group, the Jeevan Initiative, runs it.
It mixes kite flying with clean-up drives on the bank. Its motto is to create beauty out of garbage. The tenth edition was held in 2021.
Assam Tourism lists it in its January calendar. Dates move from year to year, so check before you go.
1 to 5 January: Chandubi
Chandubi is a lake near Guwahati, made by an earthquake. Each year from 1 to 5 January it hosts the Chandubi Festival, a showcase of Rabha culture.
Expect dance, food and boats on the lake. Read our Chandubi guide for the full story.
Mid January: Magh Bihu
Magh Bihu, also called Bhogali Bihu, marks the end of the harvest. It is the festival of feasting, and it is the one to come for.
On the eve, called Uruka, people build a bhelaghar. It is a hut of bamboo, leaves and thatch. Friends and neighbours share a big feast there through the night.
At dawn they light the meji, a tall bonfire, with prayers to the fire god. The day goes on with games and food.
Community fishing at Uruka
The Uruka feast needs fish, and whole villages go out to catch it together. People wade into the beels, the wetlands beside the river, with traditional bamboo traps.
At Bomani Beel, near Sopur, the Sentinel saw thousands of villagers fish this way on Uruka in 2018. They sang a chorus as they worked.
If you want to see Assam's river culture at its liveliest, this is the morning to be up early.
Mid January: Jonbeel Mela
Jonbeel Mela is held at Dayang Beguri in Morigaon district, beside a wetland. Assam Tourism lists it in mid January.
It is a barter fair. Hill people bring their goods down and trade them without money. Assam Tourism dates the fair to the fifteenth century.
More of January in Upper Assam
Assam Tourism lists two more January festivals in Upper Assam. The Charaideo Festival is held at the old Ahom capital. The Dehing Patkai Festival is held in Tinsukia district.
On 31 January the Ahom mark Me-Dam-Me-Phi, their day for honouring ancestors. It is a state holiday, with public rites at Charaideo.
If you are in Majuli or Jorhat in January, these are within reach. Ask us for the year's dates.
The big river festivals, and where they stand
Namami Brahmaputra was a state river festival from 31 March to 4 April 2017. The President opened it in Guwahati. It has not been held again.
The Brahmaputra Carnival ran on a sandbar near Guwahati in 2023, then from December 2024 to March 2025 at Lachit Ghat. It had river cruises, adventure sports and weekend concerts. We found no sign of a 2025-26 edition.
The older Brahmaputra Beach Festival is not on Assam Tourism's 2026 calendar. If any of the three returns, we will say so here. Until then, plan around the festivals above.
Manners at a satra or a Bihu feast
A satra is a place of worship first and a stage second. Dress modestly, and take your shoes off where others do.
Ask before you photograph monks, a prayer or a family at its feast. Most people say yes, but they like to be asked.
At Uruka you may be offered food in a bhelaghar. Accept it. Sharing the feast is the whole idea.
What to pack
Winter days in the Brahmaputra valley are mild and dry. Mornings and nights are cold, on the river most of all.
Pack layers, a warm jacket for night shows and the dawn meji, and a shawl. Flat shoes that slip on and off easily help at satras and homes.
Carry cash for ferries, village stalls and small offerings. Do not count on cards in the villages.
How many days
For Raas, give Majuli two or three nights. Add two nights in Kaziranga on the way, and you have a trip of about six days.
For Magh Bihu, three or four days around Guwahati covers Uruka, the meji and a day at Chandubi or Jonbeel.
Planning a winter trip
Assam needs no permit for Indian or foreign visitors. That makes it the easiest North East state to plan at short notice.
Winter is also peak season. Kaziranga's better lodges fill over Christmas and New Year, so book early if your trip crosses those weeks.
Pick one festival and build around it. Raas pairs with Kaziranga and a tea estate. Magh Bihu and Chandubi pair with a few days in Guwahati.
Quick answers
When is Raas in 2026? It follows the Kartik full moon, which is on 24 November 2026. Satras stage it over about three nights.
When is Magh Bihu? In mid January. Uruka, the feast night, comes first, and the meji is lit at dawn the next day.
Do I need a permit for Majuli or Guwahati? No. Assam needs no permit for Indian or foreign visitors.
Is it good with children or older parents? Yes. The drives are short by North East standards, and nothing here needs a climb.
Meet the river
Winter is also the best time to be on the water itself. Take the sunset cruise in Guwahati, or a Brahmaputra cruise of several nights.
Read why the Brahmaputra is not a river, and see our festival calendar for the whole year.
Plan your trip
Our Assam rhino, tea and river island trip covers Kaziranga and a night on Majuli. It starts from ₹33,500 per person, indicative, for 2 adults sharing, land only. We can time it to Raas.
When your dates are set, talk to us. We will reply within 24 hours.
