Popular Festivals to Enjoy in Rajasthan

Rajasthan is one of the most popular tourist destinations that is world-famous for its forts, lakes, palaces, and culture. Hundreds and thousands of domestic and international tourists visit the state every year. Tourism accounts for a significant share in the state’s economy.  Besides those desert forts of Jodhpur, lakes of Udaipur and the palaces of Jaipur, Rajasthan is also known for its traditional festivals and colorful celebrations.

When one mentions Rajasthan, one thinks of royalty, history, and heritage as well as music and dance and celebrations and feasts. Your trip to this state remains incomplete if you have not enjoyed those fairs and celebration. Do not miss the chance to celebrate the festivals of Rajasthan in true domestic style and be a part of the celebration of rituals and culture. You can read all about these epic celebrations, best times to visit, which cities to visit and about the various palaces on eRajasthanTourism.net. This site is your complete resource to all information on the Royal state of Rajasthan.

Here are some of the most popular celebration of Rajasthan:

Pushkar Camel Fair, Pushkar

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The world-famous Pushkar camel fair attracts tourists and merchants from near and far. It is all about camels for five days, and one can enjoy puppet shows, music, and dance performances. There are exciting events like camel trading, camel beauty contest, and camel race. During the day it is all about camel trading, and towards the evening, people come together to celebrate with music and dance. Enjoy local delicacies and shop for camel leather articles and accessories during this fair.

Rajasthan International Folk Festival, Jodhpur

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Patronized by the Maharaja of Jodhpur, Rajasthan International Folk Festival is an annual fiesta based on traditional folk music and art. The unique Indian celebration is celebrated during the brightest full moon night of the year around Sharad Purnima. What is special is that hundreds of musicians from across the world attend this celebration.

Kite Festival, Jodhpur

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The 3-day festival of Jodhpur celebrates the spirit of Makar Sankranti. The colorful kite-flying competition creates an extravagant sight of kites of all shapes, colors, and sizes flying up the desert sky. The iconic fiesta is all about flying and floating kites in the sky and balloon release. There are exhibitions and fairs and much more.

Brij Holi, Bharatpur

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Another grand celebration of Rajasthan is the festival of colors, Brij Holi. Be a part of the colorful religious celebration of Rajasthan, which is one of the most loved parties in India. It is celebrated in a grand style for many days ahead of Holi. People get dressed in their brightest and best and sing joyful songs. The love story of Krishna and Radha is translated in the form of dance. The whole Brij region gets immersed in the colors, and people are seen to be their merriest best, singing and dancing during.

Elephant Festival, Jaipur

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The Pink City, Jaipur organizes the much famous Elephant festival, and the aim behind is to showcase the importance of elephants in Rajasthan. Well decked elephants, glittering in gold catwalk amidst a fascinated audience. It is indeed a unique celebration that should not be missed as it offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience. People enjoy games and events like elephant polo, elephant race, and elephant decoration.

Sacred Festival, Jodhpur

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Also known as Shree, the Sacred festival celebrates the spiritual and musical tradition of this state. The state government and Department of Tourism come together to hold the mesmerizing fiesta that brings together renowned musicians and artists from all across the state. This celebration is dedicated to the complete wellbeing of body, mind, and soul and different corners of the festivals host soul-stirring music and holistic therapies. Apart from enjoying the soulful music, look for shops selling delicious Rajasthani handicrafts and delicacies.

Teej Festival, Jaipur

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Another popular celebration of Rajasthan is the Teej Festival that worships Goddess Teej. Although the festival is celebrated throughout the state, it is held on a grander scale in Jaipur. A grand street procession of the goddess Teej is taken across the city under a golden palanquin. The city is adorned with elephants, horses, & camels, and many interesting rituals are held in the temples. Devotees dance around the goddess procession and with chariot bands.

Desert Festival, Jaisalmer

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The Desert festival, as the name suggests, focuses on the desert. There are plenty of events and competitions that people can enjoy and participate in, such as mustache competition, turban tying, belly dance gymnastic stunts, and so on. People prefer night camping in the desert during the three-day party, and it is an absolute bonanza that should not be missed. The deserts come alive with song and dance, as the artists dressed in brightest and finest depict the accomplishments of the desert. Interesting stalls sell Rajasthani handicrafts and other souvenirs as well as delicious food.

Jaipur Literature Festival, Jaipur

The Literature Festival, which is held in Jaipur, may not be as colorful or loud as other parties of Rajasthan, but it is an important celebration. Also referred to as JLF, this is world’s largest free literary festival and brings together Booker prize winners, debut novelists, Nobel laureates together for five days. Readings, discussions, and debates are held at the Diggi Palace in Jaipur for the greatest authors and thinker. It is indeed a fertile and motivating platform for the young and budding minds.

World Sufi Spirit Festival, Jodhpur

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Organized in Gangaur, the World Sufi Spirit Festival encourages Sufi artists from Mongolia, Africa, Italy, Afghanistan and other parts of the country and world to come together. It is indeed a very exclusive event that is meant for a limited number of patrons. This is your chance to meet some renewed Sufi artists and musicians and enjoy some delicious food in a royal ambiance of the spectacular Nagaur fort. Those memories are sure to last you a lifetime.

Urs Festival, Jaipur

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The Urs Festival is a major celebration which is celebrated at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. Hundreds and thousands of pilgrims travel to Ajmer to visit the holy shrine and commemorate the death anniversary of the revered Sufi Saint, Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti. As it is believed that Khwaja Moinuddin cooked for six days before he left his body, the festival is held for six sacred days.