Thanks again for the suggestions. I am expecting that the cultural festivals will actually be exciting for a 3 year old. We are trying to pick ones that have a lot of action and festivities so he is completely engaged. He has celebrated Holi, Songkaran and Lunar New Year with our local ethnic communities in Hawaii and has had a blast.
What 3 year old doen't like having color and water fights and listening to loud drums :)
I know the travel will be long for when we transfer major cities. That is why we are planning to stay put in a region without minimal land travel in between the big stops. Even then I know it will be the least favorite part of the trip. Fortunately, we will have airline lounge access and it should help a bit.
Regarding India, I know the crowds can be overwhelming. We will definitely be planning on having comfortable accomodations when in India that can get us away from the action. I know there are so many festivals in India, but we will be there for Navratri and Diwali and Pushkar will be a fun addition at the end of our stay. Fortunately, we know people in Mumbai that we can celebrate Diwali with.