The month you choose decides which India you get
There is no single best time, and anybody who gives you one is describing Rajasthan and calling it the country.
The broad shape:
Oct – Nov. Comfortable across the north and centre after the monsoon; some warm days remain. Dec – Feb. Peak for Rajasthan, Delhi and Agra — sunny days, cold mornings, occasional dawn fog. The south stays warm. Mar – Apr. Pleasant in March, hot by April, especially in the north. May – Jun. Very hot in the north and centre. The Himalaya and parts of the south stay comfortable. Jul – Sep. Intermittent rather than constant rain, landscapes at their greenest; some hill roads and wildlife parks close.
Two exceptions break the rule entirely, and both have their own room here — the high Himalaya is summer only, and Kerala runs a different calendar from the north.
If you are choosing between two months, tell us which regions you care about first. The answer changes completely depending on the answer to that.
