5 Amazing Festivals of India for Sports Lovers

Sports festivals are one of the best ways to pass time as you root for your favourite teams. If you simply love to revel in a nail-biting expectation of favourable results, the country of India houses a line of amazing sports festivals apart from the standard games of football, cricket, hockey, kabaddi, and so on. These festivals have kept alive the essence of traditional sports that are deeply rooted in the Indian culture. Sustaining through decades, here is a list of the top 5 amazing festivals in India for the sports lovers.

1-Kila Raipur Sports Festival

Kila Raipur Sports Festival, organized at the Kila Raipur Village, is a three day long festival which starts with January end and continues to the beginning of the month February. It is well-known by the name Rural Olympics and hosts a range of popular local games such as dog race, tug-of-war, tractor race, camel race, etc. Based in Ludhiana, Punjab, this festival hosts 4000 participants from all over the country as well as international performers. After a day of amazing sports events, the evening ends with Punjabi performances and folk dances.

2-Champakulam Boat Race

Kerala, the land of gods, is host to the largest team in the world participating in boat races. The state hosts 8 races each year. The season starts off with the oldest in the races named Champakulam Boat Race held at the Pampa River. In the competition, several boats of varying sizes compete against each other while being propelled by 100s of the oarsmen rowing in a flawless harmony. An equally spectacular boat race held on the 2^nd Saturday of the month of August is Nehru Trophy Boat Race organized at Punnamda Lake of Alleppey city.

3-International Kite Festival

If you never imagined Kite flying going full scale, you seriously need to visit the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat by the Sabarmati River. During the eve of Makar Sankranti on 14^th & 15^th January which is also known by the name Uttarayan. You will surely be mesmerized by the shapes, colors, and sizes of kites flaunted by people participating in this festival. The blue sky is covered with brightly colored kites making it a mesmerizing look for the visitors. This festival has been up and running since 27 years and have recently attracted international participants as well.

4-Jaisalmer Desert Festival

If you happen to find the boat races not at par with your taste, you can take time and watch something offbeat going on at Rajasthan. Invest your time watching the quirkiest competitions that start around January end going till February start. The Jaisalmer Desert Festival is the best exhibition of culture and life. This 3 day long extravaganza starts with the camel races, gymnastics, camel-based polo matches, as well as acrobats performed over camels.

5-Indian Derby Weekend

Each year, during the initial weekend of the month of February, the posh section of the Indian society along with their horses with common men as visitors, head over to the Mumbai-based Mahalaxmi Racecourse. This racecourse hosts one of the biggest sporting events organized in India with horse racing as the prime attraction. You can experience the best jockeys racing to their best with fastest steeds over the beautifully green racecourse. If you are someone who loves glamour and sports, head down to this racecourse and watch those glorious stallions compete against each other. To know more about the Indian Derby Weekend, visit the Nerds Travel.