Rajasthan Festivals
The Rajasthani's love for color and joyous celebrations, music, dance and festivals makes it one of the most colorful desert in the world. We have numerous fairs and festivals of the region.In addition to the festivals celebrated by the Hindus, Muslims and others, there are also the traditional fairs.
Pushkar Fair
Every year on the occasion of Karthik Purnima, a fabulous 10 days fair - "Pushkar Fair" is held in the enchanting desert town of Pushkar. The fair is organized by the Government of Rajasthan and attracts the owners of camels, horses, cows, goats and sheep who come with their herds for trading.Apart from trading in animals, particularly camels, the Pushkar Fair is also an occasion for celebration for the thousands of men, women and children who come from all the nooks and corners of Rajasthan to have a jolly good time. Men are conspicuous by their colorful turbans while the women folks are dressed to kill with their colorful ankle-length skirts and bejeweled from head to toe with traditional Rajasthani necklaces, waist bands, anklets and exotic ivory bangles.
Camel Fair
Camel Festival which is held every year in the month of January. The festival is organized by the Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan a
nd attracts thousands of tourists who take part in the festival in a spirit of joi-de-vivre. The festival is held in open sandy land and needless to say, there is no dearth of that in Bikaner. The festival starts in the right earnest with an elegant Camel Parade wherein the camels are decorated in all their finery. There are a variety of contests like the best-dressed camel, the camel with the best haircut to name just a few. One can also experience the fine art of camel milking. One of the unique feature of the Camel Festival is that guests are served with authentic desert sweets made out of the purest of camel milk. The evenings are a riot of colors and visitors are entertained by distinguished folk musicians and dancers of Bikaner. The festival culminates with a spectacular fire work display which lights up the city of Bikaner.
Elephant Festival
The Elephant Festival is a hugely popular event held in Jaipur, in March every year. The Rajasthani people celebrate the spring festival of Holi by throwing flowers and colored powder on each other, or spraying their friends with colored water. The Elephant festival combines Holi with elephants, for some gigantic fun, in a unique tourist attraction at the Jaipur Chaugan ground. The Elephant Festival begins with a procession of elephants - which compete for the 'Best Decorated Elephant' prize. Colorfully decorated elephants then play a game of elephant polo and an elephant-versus-humans tug of war contest is held. Folk dances and Holi celebrations are held and the day ends with a brilliant firework display. Join in the fun on a giant scale, at the Elephant Festival in Jaipur, Rajasthan, with Popular India Vacations.
Marwar Festival
The Marwar Festival is celebrated in Jodhpur every year in September or October. The Marwar Festival is held to honor the memory of the brave heroes of Rajasthan. The folk music and dances of the Marwar region are displayed at this festival, as ballads are sung of the brave deeds of the legendary heroes of Marwar. Polo matches and equestrian events are also held, along with colorful cultural programs.
Gangaur Festival
The Gangaur Festival celebrated in Jaipur, in March every ye
ar, marks the end of the winter and the coming of spring. It also celebrates the union of Gauri and Isa, worshipped as incarnations of Shiva and Parvati. Their idols are carried in a colorful procession through the streets of Jaipur. The procession includes camels, bullock carts, horses and elephants, decorated in traditional finery. The procession ends when the idols are immersed in the lake in Jaipur.
Shekhawati Festival
The Shekhawati Festival held on 10th and 11th February every year is organized jointly by the State Department of Tourism, District administrations of Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Churu.
Shekhawati, already famous for its frescoes, is fast becoming a rural tourism destination too. Traveling on horse back, the tourists get a closer view of the countryside and the people. And they return with an indelible imprint of not only the friendliness of the people but also of the agricultural revolution sweeping the villages -- the region now exports 80 per cent of its crops whereas only a few years ago it could meet only 10 per cent of its requirement through local production.
For a broad-based discovery of Shekhawati's culture, the festival is spread over a number of venues - Nawalgarh, Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Churu. The programmes include a one day tour of the region, camel and jeep safaris, farm visits, rural games, cultural programmes, haveli competitions and fireworks.
Summer Festival In Mount Abu
Hill Station of the Rajasthan in a festive mood with the Summer Festival, held every year in the month of June. The steep rocks, tranquil lakes, picturesque locations and the pleasant climate of Mount Abu make it an ideal location for the festival. The three-day festival is a feast of folk and classical music and a window to the tribal life and culture of Rajasthan.The festival begins with the singing of a ballad which is followed by folk dances which enthral the spectators. Sporting events such as the boat race on the Nakki lake add variety to the festival.The Sham-e-Qawwali is a much-awaited musical extravaganza, as renowned qawwals from all over the country can be heard regaling the audience. The grand finale of the festival is a display of dazzling fireworks which adds to the tourist's delight.
Kite Festival
Makar Sahnkranti celebrated on 14th January every year is a day of kite flying at Jaipur. People fly kites with riotous celebration. Every kite cut loose is an even accompanied by shouts of 'Woh Kata!' and sky seems nothing more than a big collage of colorful kites in all shapes and designs. In Jaipur, the Desert Kite Festival is held in every five years where expert kite makers flaunt their kites, which are sometimes huge in sizes and often carry social messages or even caricatures of famous personalities
Desert Festival
The Desert festival is held during the first full moon day during the month of February every year in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, India. The De
sert festival of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India is a three-day gala marked by pulsating Ghair, Ghoomar and Fire folk dance performances in open-air. Villagers from in and around Jaisalmer, The main highlights of this captivating Desert festival are colorful puppet shows, folk music performances with local bards showing off their skills. You also come across snake charmers who give the most heart warming performances and promise to make your vacations to the Desert festival in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India one you are not likely to get over easily.
