Plan your trip · Pushkar
What's on in Pushkar
Upcoming festivals, fairs and events in Pushkar — plan your visit around them, then check the best time to visit.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Pushkar 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 Pushkar
Pushkar's calendar runs through most of the year, with the busiest weeks in the clear, comfortable months and a quieter stretch in the heaviest rain. 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 Pushkar
Pushkar Camel Fair
🗓️ October–NovemberThousands of camels and traders on the dunes, alongside the Kartik Purnima pilgrimage at the lake.
Planning: The single busiest week of Pushkar's year — book months out, and go in the early morning for the livestock ground.
Across Rajasthan
Desert and camel fairs
🗓️ October–FebruaryLivestock fairs that became festivals — Pushkar in autumn, Bikaner's camel festival and Jaisalmer's desert festival in winter.
Planning: This is peak season; rooms are booked months out and prices double.
Teej and Gangaur
🗓️ July–August and March–AprilProcessions 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–NovemberThe biggest holiday of the year — lamps, sweets, fireworks and a week of visiting family. Cities are lit up and markets stay open late.
Holi
🗓️ MarchColoured powder and water, thrown at anyone within reach, mostly through the morning.
Navratri and Dussehra
🗓️ September–OctoberNine 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 yearThe 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-JanuaryThe harvest turn, marked with kites in the west and north and four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Pushkar's calendar is built around the lake. The biggest event of the year is the Pushkar Camel Fair, held in the Hindu month of Kartik and ending on Kartik Purnima, usually in November. Camel and cattle traders gather on the fair ground, while hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come to bathe in the lake on the full moon. Alongside the trading there are folk music, dance, competitions and a large funfair.
Holi is also celebrated with a lot of energy in Pushkar, and Diwali lights up the ghats and temples. Every evening, the aarti at the lake brings pilgrims and visitors together at sunset. Festival dates follow the Hindu lunar calendar and change each year, so check the dates before you book.
Tips for Attending Events & Festivals in Pushkar
- Book your stay months ahead for the camel fair, especially the days near Kartik Purnima.
- Visit the fair ground early in the morning, when the camel trading is most active.
- Carry a scarf or mask, as the fair ground is dusty.
- Ask before photographing people, and do not photograph pilgrims bathing in the lake.
- Keep your phone and wallet secure in crowds.
- Politely refuse flowers or blessings offered on the ghats, which usually come with a request for money.
- At Holi, wear old clothes and protect your phone, and go with a group if you can.
Questions
Pushkar — FAQ
What happens at the Pushkar Camel Fair?
Traders buy and sell thousands of camels, horses and cattle on the fair ground, while the town hosts folk music, dance, competitions and a funfair. The fair ends with the Kartik Purnima bath in the holy lake.
What is Kartik Purnima in Pushkar?
Kartik Purnima is the full moon of the Hindu month of Kartik, usually in November. It is considered the holiest day to bathe in Pushkar Lake, and the ghats are packed with pilgrims.
Is Holi celebrated in Pushkar?
Yes. Holi in Pushkar is loud and colourful, with crowds in the bazaar and around the lake. Wear old clothes, protect your phone and stay with friends.
Where can I see the evening aarti in Pushkar?
The evening aarti takes place at sunset on the ghats, with Varaha Ghat and Brahma Ghat among the most popular. Arrive a little early, sit quietly and do not photograph people bathing.