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Plan your trip · Jaipur

What's on in Jaipur

Upcoming festivals, fairs and events in Jaipur — plan your visit around them, then check the best time to visit.

Nothing dated is confirmed for Jaipur right now, so here is the year instead — the fixtures that come round annually, and what each one means for a visit.

The year in Jaipur

Jaipur packs most of its outdoor calendar into the cooler months; the pre-monsoon peak is hot enough that daytime processions are genuinely hard going. Broadly, Oct – Mar is when visiting is most comfortable here, and that is when the calendar is busiest — which also means accommodation is most expensive and books furthest ahead.

Most of these follow lunar calendars and move by weeks from year to year, so treat the windows below as the season rather than the date, and confirm the year’s dates before you book around one.

Signature to Jaipur

Jaipur Literature Festival

🗓️ January

One of the world's largest literary festivals, and the city's busiest cultural week.

Planning: Register online well ahead and check the year's venue and pass options — both have changed in recent years, and hotels fill that week.

Across Rajasthan

Teej and Gangaur

🗓️ July–August and March–April

Processions of decorated idols through the old cities, especially Jaipur and Udaipur.

Planning: Good street photography, heavy crowds in the old-city lanes.

Nationwide

Diwali

🗓️ October–November

The biggest holiday of the year — lamps, sweets, fireworks and a week of visiting family. Cities are lit up and markets stay open late.

Holi

🗓️ March

Coloured powder and water, thrown at anyone within reach, mostly through the morning.

Navratri and Dussehra

🗓️ September–October

Nine nights of fasting, music and dance, ending with Dussehra. What it looks like changes completely by region — garba in Gujarat, pandals in Bengal, processions in the south.

Eid al-Fitr

🗓️ shifts ~11 days earlier each year

The end of Ramadan. The old quarters of Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Bhopal are at their best in the evenings through the preceding month, when food streets run past midnight.

Makar Sankranti and Pongal

🗓️ mid-January

The harvest turn, marked with kites in the west and north and four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.

Many of Jaipur's festivals still start at the City Palace. For Gangaur in spring and Teej in the monsoon, processions of decorated palanquins, folk musicians and dancers leave the palace and wind through Tripolia Bazaar and the old-city lanes. In January, the Jaipur Literature Festival brings writers and readers from around the world, and on Makar Sankranti the sky above the old city fills with kites.

Most festival dates follow the Hindu lunar calendar and change each year, so check the dates before you book, and reserve a room early if your trip falls on a big festival.

Tips for Attending Events & Festivals in Jaipur

  • Book hotels well ahead for the Literature Festival, Diwali and the Christmas–New Year weeks.
  • Reach procession routes near the City Palace early to find a good viewing spot.
  • Carry water and a hat, as spring and monsoon processions can be hot and humid.
  • Register online in advance for the Jaipur Literature Festival.
  • Wear old clothes for Holi, as the colours can stain.
  • Keep your phone and wallet secure in crowded old-city lanes.

Questions

Jaipur — FAQ

When is the Jaipur Literature Festival?

The Jaipur Literature Festival is usually held over five days in late January. Visitors must register online in advance, so check the official website for the year's dates and passes.

What is Gangaur and where can I see it in Jaipur?

Gangaur is a spring festival, usually in March or April, when women pray to Goddess Gauri. In Jaipur, an evening procession leaves the City Palace and passes through Tripolia Bazaar and Chhoti Chaupar.

When is Teej celebrated in Jaipur?

Teej falls in the monsoon, usually July or August. Women dress in green and leheriya prints, and a procession of the goddess leaves the City Palace through the old city.

How is Diwali celebrated in Jaipur?

The old-city bazaars, especially Johari Bazaar and MI Road, are covered in lights for several days around Diwali, usually in October or November. Markets stay open late and are very crowded.