Rajasthan Fairs

Rajasthan Fairs

The vibrant and colorful culture of Rajasthan can truly be experienced during the numerous fairs and festivals that are organized in the state. The fairs of Rajasthan are held in almost all the cities of Rajasthan. All these fairs have some story to tell regarding their origin and are mostly rooted in the past. Almost all the months of the year witness Rajasthan playing a host to one or the other fair be they regarding religious celebration, welcome of some season or the cutting of harvest. At the fairs one can get a taste of authentic Rajasthani culture, its folk music & dance, cuisine & handicrafts.

In Rajasthan there are specific Hindu & Muslim festivals having some religious significance apart from the fairs in which all the communities participate in full spirit without any religious demarcation. Some of the famous fairs of Rajasthan are Pushkar fair, Banganga fair, Urs fair, Karni Mata fair, Nagaur fair. These fair highlight the true spirit of Rajasthan in which people defy the extreme weather conditions and become a part of the cheerful celebrations. Hence if one wishes to truly witness the lifestyle of the people of Rajasthan and their hospitality the best time to visit is during one of these fairs.

Banganga Fair
The Banganga fair is one of the oldest fairs probably 200 years old, since the time of the erection of the Radha-Krishna temple at Bairath district of Jaipur. It is held near a rivulet 11 km away from Bairath on the full moon day of Vaisakh (April-May). The stream is believed to have sprung up when Bhishma Pitamah (a warrior in Mahabharata) felt thirsty and then the great archer Arjun shot an arrow to get water for him.

Karni Mata Fair
Held twice in a year during Navratras in March-April and September-October again, the Karni Mata fair is held at the shrine of Karni Mata in Deshnok. The fair as the name suggests is dedicated to Karni Mata who is a local deity of the people of Rajasthan. She lived in the fifteenth century and spent her entire life in serving the mankind. It is believed that she had supernatural powers.

Nagaur Fair
Nagaur the city of the biggest red chilly market of India hosts the Nagaur fair, the second largest cattle fair of Rajasthan. The fair is held every year in the months of January and February for eight days. At the fair trading of approximately 70,000 cattle is done which includes the famous Nagauri breed bullock, cows, oxen, horses and camels.

Pushkar Fair
Organized in the Kartik month (October-November) of the Hindus the Pushkar Fair is one of the largest cattle fair of the world attracting tourists from across the globe. People throng the festival with their cattle to trade in one of the biggest cattle market of the year. The Pushkar Fair is also known as the camel fair and trading of camel at a mammoth scale takes place here. The camel traders get the best breeds of camel and even decorate them with jingling bells and vibrant & colorful attire.

Ajmer Urs
The Urs fair held in the divine city of Ajmer is an occasion to mark the death anniversary of the Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chisti who came from Persia and started the Chistia order of Fakirs in India. The Sufi saint left for heavenly abode in 1256 AD after six day seclusion at the spot where the Ajmer Sharif Dargah stands today. The Khwaja is also popularly known as Gharib Nawaz or the protector of the poor for he spent his entire life in service of the poor.