2015 is ending you guys! And as my colleague Aayushi from Team MM says – we haven’t LIVED enough this year. If you’re also one of the restless types who thinks that you haven’t done enough in 2015, then this list is just for you. There are still lots of festivities happening around the hills in our country that you shouldn’t miss. So take your leaves, pack your bags and go right up!
1) Dharamshala International film festival at Dharamshala, Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh (November 5-8)
Four days of the best of indie movies, mountains and momos. In this festival, you can catch movies that premiered at MAMI, TIFF, and Sundance! These little gems might not hit multiplexes in your city, including the Indian premiere of Crystal Moselle’s The Wolfpack and Brian Knappenberger‘s investigative documentary The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz, Dodo Hunziker‘s Tibetan Warrior, French director Olivier Ringer‘s Birds of Passage, Farid Eslam‘s Yallah! Underground and many more. See, even if you can’t understand most of these movies, just imagine what a star you’ll become in your friend circle.
2) NH7 Weekender at Shillong (23- 24 October)
The happiest fest of India has added another location to its 6th edition and it’s hitting Shillong this year. The line up has just grown bigger and better. Looking forward to performances from Megadeth, Wailers, Papon and many great artists lined up. IT’S STARTING TOMORROW, YAY!
3) Paragliding World Cup at Bir, Kangra Valley, Himachal Pradesh (October 24-31, 2015)
The mega international tournament will be held in the country for the first time! Over 200 top ranked pilots from around the world are expected to compete, in addition to the free flying pilots set to hit the skies with some sexy aerial stunts and tricks. With activities including tandem flights, outdoor camping, nature trails and hiking mid-jumps lined up for non-participants to get in on the action too, the Paragliding World Cup sounds like a dream come true for every adventure junkie in the world!
4) Kumaon Literary Festival at Dhanachuli, Nainital, Uttrakhand (October 23-27)
If you were planning a trip to Nainital just for some fresh herbs to fill your spliff, we have a reason for you to feel less guilty. Beginning October 23, the Kumaon Literary Festival — the first annual retreat literary festival in India — unpacks a mix of super cool ticketed, top-notch authors, poets, thought leaders, opinion makers and filmmakers in Dhanachuli. The five-day event will also feature food, music and cultural nights. If you’re looking for one festival to take in and you have scattered tastes, this might be the one for you.
5) Hornbill Festival at Kisama Heritage Village, Nagaland (December 1-10)
The Hornbill Festival is the most important festival in Nagaland. It manages to entertain not just the locals but hundreds of thousands of spectators every year from all over the world; so much so that the popular seven-day harvest festival of food, local brews, music, and dance has now been fattened to a ten-day event this year — to offset that, expect an even more epic line-up than usual. Once you survive ten straight days of a piss-up, no one will doubt your festival experience!
Which one are you going to go for? Tell us in the comments below!