We may be muggles but we need a bit of magic in our lives.
Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia is hosting its very own Harry Potter Festival and Quidditch Tournament this October and we are jealous as hell! It’s packed with pub crawls, Horcrux stations and similar activities from the Potterverse. And the best part (worst part for those missing out actually), fans will actually get a chance to be ferried to the event on a very real Hogwarts Express!
Taking all of these factors and applying them to your desi heads, here are the ways India can host its very own Harry Potter Festival. Meanwhile, you can also enjoy a fun Harry Potter quiz. After all, we’re a Potter-crazy country too!
- A train ride through the mountains.
Imagine standing at platform 9 3/4 and boarding India’s most scenic rail tracks (we have plenty), aboard the Hogwarts Express! With Harry, Hermione and Ron all by your side, there can be a trip to experience the train along with chocolate frogs, all-flavoured jelly beans and maybe some dementors on the way.
(Credits: Touring Delhi)
- When school gets cool.
Hogwarts is the school of our muggle dreams, but don’t sweat! The Doon School in Dehradun, with its stone walls and green vines, captures the essence of the Hogwarts courtyard all the way. The school can hold the Sorting ceremony, classes for potions, transfiguration, apparition, divination and much more.
(Credits: Upper Crust India)
- Get your wand on.
India is well-known for its arts and crafts, so why not make a wand suited for you! The JJ School of Art in Mumbai can turn into Diagon Alley. Head to Olivander’s Wand Shop where you can watch your custom wand being made and make sure to stop by and buy the latest edition of the Daily Prophet.
(Credits: JJ School Of Art)
- Forget your bats and balls, get brooms instead.
Eden gardens Stadium in Kolkata is not just an international cricket ground but can be the spot for the best game of Quidditch ever played in India.
(Credits: Daily Capital)
- The A-Mazing race gets even better.
Hyderabad is coming up with its very own Maze Garden, an entertainment and amusement park with its very own Maze Garden. This could be the spot for the Tri-Wizard Tournament with the perfect end to the games.
(Credits: New India Express)
- Its like beer but not exactly.
Butterbeer, although not alcoholic, can be good to drink at the end of a long day. So head down to Cafe Shillong, the pub with the best butterbeer recipe served along with favourites like fish and chips, burgers and other great pub food.
(Credits: Cafe Shillong)
- Bus rides in the dark are the BEST.
With the uncontrollable traffic in Mumbai, BEST buses are at every nook and corner, waiting to bypass all other cars and motor bikes in their path. A special Knights Bus night tour can be organised to give Potterheads a ride of a lifetime, if there’s no traffic of course.
(Credits: Wikipedia)
- Figure out your future through tea.
Who doesn’t love tea except a few in this country? Glenljjjdorna Tea Estate Bungalow are the leading producers for TATA tea with a view to die for. Imagine having a tea reading session at the estate with Sybill Trelawney.
(Credits: Verandah Magazine)
- What’s more fun than a treasure hunt? A scary treasure hunt!
Agrasen ki Baoli in Delhi is a rare historical specimen with a mystic field. This can be the best place to capture the eeriness of Azkaban, followed by a treasure hunt filled with horror and thrill.
(Credits: Haunted India)
- Puppets are stepping into the light.
Theatre is a huge part of India and where else can you get the perfect re-telling of The Tales of Beedle and Bard than a live puppet play at the Experimental Theatre at NCPA.
(Credits: NCPA Mumbai)
Now grab your Nimbus 2001 and let’s get this done!