The celebration of life in Rajasthan can be best seen during the festive season. Packed with fun and frolic, the fairs and festivals of the state are celebrated with great enthusiasm. These lands of raja-maharajas look like a palette of colors during the celebrations. From cattle fair to desert festival, elephant festival and literature festival, different kinds of festivals are celebrated here. People belonging to different religious live in prefect harmony and celebrate wonderful festivals together in this royal land.
The best means of getting a snapshot of the rich cultural heritage of Rajasthan is to participate in its lively fairs and festivals. Some of the most famous ones are:
Pushkar Fair
It is the most popular fair as it is the largest cattle fair in the world. For cattle traders it is the perfect opportunity to strike best deals. It is celebrated in the sacred Pushkar city, which is a home to the only Brahma temple on the earth. The main highlight of the fair is the cattle competitions such as camel race, horse race and many more. There are also stalls which sell a variety of handicrafts of Rajasthan.
Elephant Festival
Interesting to the hilt, this festival coincides with the colorful festival of Holi. The sight of the adorned elephants indulged in various sports is simply breathtaking. Elephant races, elephant beauty contest, elephant polo and elephant march are the major attractions of the festival.
Desert Festival
The desert of Jaisalmer comes alive with the advent of the colorful Desert festival. Its main attractions are camel races, camel dances, camel acrobatics, best dressed camel competition, camel polo, turban-tying contest and tug of war. Also the light and sound show is very impressive.
Urs Ajmer Sharif
Celebrated in memory of the honored Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, this fair attracts tourists from far and wide. It is held at Dargah Sarif in Ajmer. It is believed that the prayers offered in earnest at this Dargah never go unanswered.