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Taj Mahotsav: ten February days of crafts, music and food in Agra
Marble inlay, zardozi and folk song fill ten February days in Agra
Taj Mahotsav is a ten-day fair of crafts, music, dance and food held in Agra every year in the second half of February: 18–27 February 2027 (expected). It started in 1992 to support Agra's craftspeople, and about four hundred artisans from across India now sell and work at their stalls while folk and classical performers take the stage each evening. It is not held inside the Taj Mahal complex: the usual home is Shilpgram, a crafts village near the Taj's east gate, and the venue can change, so check it for each edition.
The dates are fixed by tradition; UP Tourism and the Taj Mahotsav committee announce the edition and the venue in January.
The legend
Agra is generally held to have been founded in 1504 by Sultan Sikandar Lodi, and its golden age came with the Mughals.
As Akbarabad it was the capital of the empire under Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, and the court kept the finest craftsmen at work.
In 1992 the city started a festival fair near the Taj Mahal to support local craftspeople and Agra's traditions.
Its spirit is borrowed from Mughal and nawabi north India of the 18th and 19th centuries, and about four hundred artisans come from across the country.
In 2026 Taj Mahotsav was held for the 35th time: ten February days of craft, music and dance.
Customs
Opening procession
The festival opens with a procession in the style of Mughal victory parades: drummers, trumpeters, folk dancers and craftspeople.
Craft lanes
Agra marble inlay and zardozi, Saharanpur carving, Moradabad brass, Bhadohi carpets, Lucknow chikan: makers sell and work in front of you.
Braj evenings
Throughout the festival there is folk and classical music and dance from many regions, above all Braj.
Country cooking
Veteran cooks prepare dishes from across the country and from the interior of Uttar Pradesh.
A theme each year
Each edition has a theme: in 2017 it was "In the shadow of heritage", about the old Agra that forms the festival's backdrop.
Words of the festival
महोत्सव
mahotsav
"great festival", a festival
ज़रदोज़ी
zardozi
"gold sewing": heavy metal-thread embroidery on silk or velvet, an Agra craft
पर्चिनकारी
parchinkari
inlay of coloured stone into marble, as on the Taj Mahal; a living craft in Agra
चिकनकारी
chikankari
the fine embroidery of Lucknow, a regular at the festival stalls
True or myth
❌ Myth. Its usual home is Shilpgram, a crafts village near the Taj, and in 2026 it was held on a ground off Fatehabad Road.
❌ Myth. It began in 1992; only its style and inspiration come from the Mughals.
✅ True. The parchinkari craft is alive and flourishing in Agra, thanks to the Taj Mahal.
Where to celebrate
What you see at Taj Mahotsav
The fair is laid out as lanes of craft stalls where the makers work in front of you. Agra brings its own two crafts: parchinkari, the inlay of coloured stone into white marble that you see on the Taj Mahal and that is still made in the city, and zardozi, heavy embroidery in metal thread on silk and velvet. Around them are Saharanpur woodcarving, Moradabad brass, Bhadohi carpets, Lucknow chikankari embroidery, stone carving, bamboo and cane work.
The festival opens with a procession in the style of the Mughal victory parades, with drummers, trumpeters, folk dancers and craftspeople. After that, every day of the ten has folk and classical music and dance from many regions, above all from Braj, the Krishna country around Mathura and Vrindavan, plus poetry evenings. Cooks prepare dishes from across India and from the villages of Uttar Pradesh.
Each edition has its own theme. The festival's look is borrowed from Mughal and nawabi north India of the 18th and 19th centuries, but the festival itself is modern: it does not go back to the Mughal court.
Where Taj Mahotsav is held
The usual venue is Shilpgram, the crafts village on the east side of the Taj Mahal, about a ten-minute walk from the Taj's east gate. It has also been held on an open ground on Fatehabad Road, near the Wyndham Garden hotel. UP Tourism and the Taj Mahotsav committee, headed by the Commissioner of the Agra Division, announce the edition and the venue in January, and the official website publishes the programme and a route map. Check the venue before you set out.
Tickets and practical tips
Entry is by ticket, sold at the gate, so there is nothing you have to book in advance.
- Tickets — Every adult needs an entry ticket; children under ten enter free. Foreign visitors pay an entry fee too. The official site links to an online ticket counter.
- Pick a weekday evening — Any weekday evening works best: you get the stalls and the evening stage in one visit. Weekends are heavy.
- Pair it with the Taj — With the usual Shilpgram venue, the fair is a short walk from the Taj's east gate, so it fits well after a day at the monument. See the Taj Mahal page for tickets and gates.
- Crowd basics — Keep valuables in a front pocket and agree a meeting point. The UK Foreign Office asks travellers to take particular care at large gatherings in India.
Where to stay and how to plan
February is Agra's peak season, and hotel prices rise during the festival.
- Book about six weeks ahead
Rooms go early in February: book roughly a month and a half before you travel.
- Taj Ganj or Fatehabad Road
Stay in Taj Ganj on the south side of the Taj or in the hotels along Fatehabad Road; both are close to Shilpgram and to the Fatehabad Road ground.
- Combine with other February events
The Surajkund crafts fair near Delhi runs in the first half of February and in some years overlaps with Taj Mahotsav, and Holi in Braj usually follows in March. See Surajkund Mela, Holi and the Agra guide.
FAQ
When is Taj Mahotsav?
Next: 18–27 February 2027 (expected). It runs for ten days in the second half of February every year.
Where is Taj Mahotsav held?
Usually at Shilpgram, near the east gate of the Taj Mahal in Agra. It has also been held on a ground on Fatehabad Road, so check the venue on the official site each year.
Is Taj Mahotsav held inside the Taj Mahal?
No. It takes place in a separate crafts village or ground nearby; a ticket to the festival does not include the Taj Mahal.
How much are Taj Mahotsav tickets?
There is an entry fee for adults and foreign visitors, sold at the gate; children under ten enter free. The current price is announced with each edition.
When did Taj Mahotsav start?
In 1992, to support Agra's local artisans and traditions.
Sources (4)
Facts checked: 21 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.