Rajasthan Fair and Festivals

FESTIVALS AND FAIRS

By Brij

Rajasthani people's' love for joyful celebrations, dance & music, festivals and fairs make this land a most colorful desert-land in the world. Apart from numerous festivals of the region, there are also the traditional fairs.

You can plan your tour in such a way that you are a part of any of the following fairs and festival to truly know the rich heritage and culture of Rajasthan:

Camel Festival, Bikaner: An enchanting desert city which comes alive with music and dance. It is fast gaining popularity as the visitor finds an opportunity to see some unusual folk performances, camel, race camel dance etc. here.

Jaipur Festival: A festive crossroads of India's cultural past and future, old and new. This is a unique meeting point of Jaipur's arts, buildings, crafts and culinary delights, dance and development, exhibitions, film, history, music, theatre, sports and Jaipur's fabled shopping.

Desert Festival, Jaisalmer: One of the most popular of all festivals it is a journey into the heart of the desert, the golden city of Jaisalmer that has a charm of its own.  A true show on the sands which attracts even the much traveled visitor. Highly recommended. Be there.

Gangaur Festival, Jaipur (March-April): A festival devoted to Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva. It is time for young girls to dress up in their finery and pray for grooms of their choice while the married women pray for the well-being of their husbands. This 18-day festival is laced with various activities and culminates in a grand procession marking the arrival of Shiva to escort his bride home.

Mewar Festival, Udaipur: A festival to welcome the spring season. There is song, dance, processions, devotional music and fireworks where almost everybody participates.

Elephant Festival, Jaipur: A festival to celebrate Holi, this is a great occasion for the visitor to watch several elephant sports and also play this festival of colors. A show is organized with the elephants turning out in their best finery.

Summer Festival, Mt.Abu: Organized in the only hill station of Rajasthan, this is the coldest place at this time of the year. Folk dances and a general atmosphere of gaiety prevails in this tiny hill resort and the tourist has ample time to relax and enjoy himself.

Teej Festival, Jaipur (July-August): A festival to mark the advent of monsoon. Women dressed in bright colors and a lot of merriment prevails during Teej. Essentially a women's festival, it is interesting to watch them enjoying in groups and at various bazaars where they turn up to shop in all their finery.

Ramdevra Fair, Jaisalmer: The Ramdevra Fair is held in Ramdevra village in Jaisalmer. A large fair is held here which is attended by lakhs of devotees who come in large groups from various places.

Dusshera Festival, Kota: Dusshera celebrates the triumph of good over evil- the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. This day is also known as Vijayadashmi, or the Victory Tenth, and is celebrated all over the country.

Marwar Festival, Jodhpur: A festival devoted mainly to the music and dance of the Marwar region. This is a festival that allows the visitor to understand and enjoy the folk traditions of this part of the state.

Pushkar Fair, Ajmer: The well-known and marked with largest participation of all the festivals of Rajasthan, Pushkar is an important pilgrimage as well as the venue of a mammoth cattle fair. Bazaars, auctions, music and sports are highlight of this event. Recommended.

Chandrabhaga Fair, Jhalawar: Next in importance to Pushkar is the Chandrabhaga Fair on the banks of the holy river Chandrabhaga. Pilgrims from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh come for Kartik Poornima celebrations that attract tourists from far and wide.

Holy Urs Fair (Oct- Nov): Urs Festival of Ajmer Sharif is held in the holy town of Ajmer in Rajasthan, India. The Urs Fair is held in honour of the Sufi saint, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. On this occasion a special prayers are offered at the mosque and huge amount of consecrated food is offered to the pilgrims.