The Maharastra Tourism Development Corporation holds a number of festivals in and around Mumbai in order to promote tourism in city. A number of cultural activities including, dance and music recitals are held during these festivities in order to allow the tourist to get a glimpse of the culture of Mumbai. In some of these festivals arts and crafts made in different parts of the country are sold under one roof. Stalls selling authentic Maharastrian cuisine are also set up. Some of the festivals held in Bombay are:

Makar Sankranti (January)
This harvest festival is celebrated when the sun transits the zodiac sign Makar (Capricorn). The sky is ablaze with colourful kites. Sweets flavoured with sesame seed is an important item during Makar Sankranti. It is celebrated in mainly Gujarati areas such as Kalbadevi, Bhuleshwar, Girgaum and Walkeshwar. Ruthless kite duels often take place at Chowpatty Beach.

Murrah (January)
This Muslim festival of mourning is observed in the first month of the Hijra year, Muharram. The festival commemorates the martyrdom of the prophet Mohammed's grandson- Hazrat Imam Hussein. It is celebrated with great fervour by the Muslims especially the Shia community.

Hazrat Hussain was the second son of Fatimah, the prophet Muhammad's daughter. He was brutally murdered with his whole family and followers by the wicked, Yazid, a Muslim ruler at Karbala in Mecca. This dispute was result of a disagreement among Muslims on the question of succession after the demise of Hazrat Ali, the fourth caliph.

Id-ul-Zuha / Bakrid (January)
This Muslim festival of sacrifice, Id-ul-Zuha (Arabic) or Bakrid in India is celebrated all over the country. On this day Muslims sacrifice a goat or Bakr (Urdu) to commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim, who willingly agreed to kill his son at the behest of God.

According to Islamic belief, to test Ibrahim's faith, Allah commanded him to sacrifice his son Ismail. He agreed to do it but found his paternal feelings hard to suppress. So he blind - folded himself before putting Ismail on the altar at the mount of Mina near Mecca. When he removed his bandage after performing the act, he saw his son standing in front of him, alive. On the altar lay a slaughtered lamb. This festival coincides with the Haj pilgrimage in Mecca.

Holi (March)
Holi is the most lively of all Hindu festivals, observed all over North India, which falls on the full moon day in the month of Phalgun (March) according to the Hindu calendar. It heralds the end of the winter and the beginning of the spring and marks the rekindling of the spirit of life. It is a festival of joy when all is forgiven and it is a time to break free from the shackles of convention and let ourselves go.

Holy is associated with a legendry encounter between Hiranyakashyapu, a powerful demon king and his son Prahlad. Hiranyakashyapu who had gained victory over gods in a war had forbidden his subjects from worshipping gods. But his son Prahlad who was a ardent devotee of Vishnu, refused to obey his orders.

Gudhi Padwa (March/April)
This festival marks the beginning of new year in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Karnataka. This festival is known as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and Ugadi in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It has become a custom to hold Kavi Sammelans ( Poetry recitals) this day.

Gudi Padva is considered one of the four most auspicious days in the year when people start new ventures. It is believed that Lord Brahma created the world on this day and so he is worshipped specially at this time. People prepare for the new year by cleaning and washing their houses and buying new clothes. On the festival day they decorate their houses with mango leaves and 'rangoli' designs, and pray for a prosperous new year, and visit the temples to listen to the yearly calendar — 'Panchangasravanam' as priests make predictions for the coming year. In Maharashtra, it is reminiscent of the valiant Marathas returning home from their successful expeditions of war. They honour their favourite leader, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. A gudi (banner) with a swastika -marked metal pot and silk cloth is raised to announce victory and joy.

Mahavir Jayanti (April)
Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated in April and thousands of Jains make pilgrimages to Bahubali, where two Jain temples have been constructed one for the Swetambara sect and another for the Digambaras. Christians in Mumbai celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday around the same time.

Nag Panchami (July/August)
Nag Panchami is the festival of snakes. Offerings are made to snake images and snake charmers flock into the city with real snakes to celebrate the festival in respect of Serpent Ananta, upon whose coils Lord Vishnu rests The devotees collect hundreds of cobras, place them in earthen pots and worship them to the accompaniment of folk dances and song. Later they are carried in processions of bullock carts and chariots. In Mumbai, cobras are venerated and fed sweetened milk, usually by women. On the following day they are released back into the fields from where they were captured.

Narlial Purnima (August)
In the coastal areas of Mumbai, fisher folk offer coconuts and flowers to the sea god Varuna to calm the turbulent monsoon waters on the last day of the rainy season. They worship the sea and decorate their boats, sing and dance, and make offerings of coconut. This festival is best seen at fishing communities in Colaba and Versova.

The full moon of Shravana is celebrated around August as Shravani Purnima, Rakhi Purnima and Raksha Bandhan. Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on the same day in different parts of the state.

Parsi New Year (August/September)
Mumbai's Zoroastrian community commemorates its forefather's escape from Persia by conducting rituals at fire temples, visiting friends and indulging in legendary feasting.

Gokul Ashtami (August/September)
The birth of Lord Krishna celebrated in the month of August, is a day of boisterous fun in Mumbai. Young men form human pyramids to break pots of curds strung high up from buildings. In the villages, the Pola or the harvest festival is celebrated in which bullocks are bathed, decorated and taken out in a procession to the accompaniment of beating drums.