Festival Menu Planner

Festival meals can become difficult to organise because several decisions arrive at once. You need a menu that suits the occasion, enough food for the people coming, and a cooking schedule that does not leave every dish for the last hour. This planner turns those decisions into a practical starting point.

What does this tool do?

• Covers the gazetted festival list supplied for this planner, including Holi, Ram Navami, Mahavir Jayanti, Good Friday, Buddha Purnima, Id-ul-Fitr, Bakrid, Muharram, Id-e-Milad, Janmashtami, Dussehra, Diwali, Guru Nanak Jayanti and Christmas.
• Includes regional celebrations such as Pongal, Ugadi, Onam, Vishu, Karaga, Gudi Padwa, Ganesh Chaturthi, Maha Shivaratri, Durga Puja, Chhath Puja, Bihu and Raja Parba.
• Supports vegetarian, vegan, non-vegetarian and Jain-style planning.
• Lets you choose lunch, dinner, brunch or snacks and tea.
• Adjusts menu size for simple, balanced or elaborate spreads.
• Provides broad quantity guidance and a preparation timeline.

How to use the planner

1. Choose the festival or celebration.
2. Select the meal and dietary style.
3. Enter the number of adults and children.
4. Choose a simple, balanced or elaborate spread.
5. Create the plan and review the suggested dishes, quantities and timeline.

The guest calculation treats children as smaller planning portions. It also reduces the quantity allocated to each food category when you choose a more elaborate menu because people usually take less of each dish when there is greater variety.

Festival food traditions vary greatly by state, community and household. The suggested dishes therefore act as prompts rather than rules. A Diwali menu in one family may look very different from another, and observances such as fasting, Jain-style cooking or festival-specific restrictions may follow household traditions that a general planner cannot know. Check the final menu against the practices of the people you are serving.

The preparation timeline separates jobs that can be handled earlier from dishes that are best finished close to serving. This can move soaking, sweets, chutneys and some gravies away from the busiest part of the day.

The planner runs in your browser and does not store your festival, guest count or dietary selections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which festivals are included?

The planner includes the 14-festival gazetted list supplied for this tool plus a broader set of South, West, North, East and Northeast Indian celebrations. The dropdown groups them so they are easier to find.

Are the suggested menus traditional rules?

No. Food traditions vary by region, community and household. Use the suggestions as a starting point and adapt them to your family’s observance.

Does the planner calculate exact recipe quantities?

No. It estimates broad food categories for planning. Use individual recipes or a recipe-scaling tool when you need ingredient-level measurements.

Why are children counted differently?

The planner uses a smaller planning portion for children because they often eat less than adults. Adjust the result when you know your guest group has different appetites.

Can I plan a snack-only celebration?

Yes. Choose Snacks / Tea and the planner shifts the quantity guide toward savouries, sweets and drinks rather than treating rice and breads as required.

Does Jain-style suit every Jain household?

No. Practices differ between families and traditions. Review every suggested dish and ingredient against the practices your guests follow.

Can I copy or print the menu?

Yes. Generate the plan first and then use the copy or print controls.

Is my guest information saved?

No. The planner runs in your browser and does not send or store your guest count or menu choices.