The glorious land of kings, Rajasthan boasts of its rich heritage, culture, and scenic splendors. This treasure of history and art is equally and undeniable eminent for the colorfuly traditional festivals that are celebrated throughout the year. These festivals are a mix of ethnicity, culture and heritage. They are a celebration of life, culture, heritage, and nature, in true Rajasthani style. Here are some of the festivals of Rajasthan you must experience at least …
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Bikaner Camel Festival
One of the most prominent festivals of Rajasthan is the Camel Festival in Bikaner. It is celebrated to recognize and acknowledge of Camel, the ship of the desert. The festival is celebrated every year in the month of January with a grand opening, and a huge crowd to put the cherry at the top. It is celebrated at the Junagarh Fort and includes Camel contests, puppet shows, camel dance competitions, tugs-of-war and many more. While all the activities are very enjoyable, the highlight of the festival is the colorful Camel Dance show in which the trained camels twirl in sync with the drumbeats and music played for them. It is an unforgettable experience.
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Desert Festival
The golden city of Rajasthan – Jaisalmer celebrates the Desert Festival annually in the months of January or February. The celebration carries for a duration of three days and is concluded on the day of the full moon, known as Purnima. It is one of the eminent festivals to showcase the rich folk culture of the state in the most magnificent manner. The Festival is an inordinate extravaganza with many activities and contests such as turban tying competition, entertaining puppet shows, folk dance competition, longest mustaches competition, and renowned musicians participate in various folk musical recitals.
Camels, being the main center of attraction of almost all the festivals in Rajasthan, again play a major role in the Desert Festival. These activities include camel polo, camel dance and some other contests. An end is marked to the festival with a captivating sound and light show amidst the sand dunes on a moonlit night.
Gangaur Festival
Rajasthan boasts of its rich heritage, culture, and scenic splendors. And the same is reflected in sparkling lakes & dessert, vibrant markets, and mesmerizing palaces & forts of Rajasthan. Undeniably, equally popular are the numerous colorful and traditional festivals of Rajasthan. Some reflect ethnicity, some heritage, and some are purely cultural events.
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Although celebrated throughout Rajasthan with great enthusiasm, the celebrations in Jaipur and Udaipur have their own charm and attraction.This festival is also celebrated with great pomp and show in Bikaner, Jodhpur, Nathdwara, and Jaisalmer.
Pushkar Fair
The famed Pushkar fair is one of the world’s largest camel fairs. The fair continues for five days every year in the holy city of Rajasthan – Pushkarbetween the months of October and November. It is celebrated at the banks of Pushkar Lake. Pushkar Fair is one of the main tourist attractions of India and many travelers participate in this fair also known as PushkarMela with great enthusiasm. At the fair, thousands of devotees throng the lake around Kartik Purnima and wash away their sins by taking a holy dip into the river.
Some of the main attractions of the fair include Parade & beauty contests of well-decorated camels, hot-air balloon ride, mustache competition, and handicraft bazaar.
Marwar Festival
The Marwar festival is celebrated in the Sun City – Jodhpur, Rajasthan. A two days long event, it takes place in the Hindu month of Ashwin (September-October), during the full moon of Sharad Poornima. The Marwar Festival of Jodhpur is mainly dedicated to the folk heroes of Rajasthan. Also known as the Maand Festival, it revolves around the lifestyle of the rulers of Rajasthan.
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The main attraction of this festival is the folk music centered on the romantic lifestyle of Rajasthan’s rulers. The music and dance of the Marwar region is the main theme of this festival. The folk dancers and singers assemble at the festival and provide lively entertainment. These folk artists give others a peek into the days of yore, of battles and of the heroes who still live on through their songs.

