Plan your trip · Ranthambore
What's on in Ranthambore
Upcoming festivals, fairs and events in Ranthambore — plan your visit around them, then check the best time to visit.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Ranthambore 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 Ranthambore
Ranthambore's calendar is the park's: safaris run through the dry months and stop for the monsoon, and the weeks that sell out first are the school and festival holidays. Broadly, Oct – Mar and Apr – Jun is the time to come, and safari permits for the holiday weeks go early.
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 Ranthambore
Park season
🗓️ October to June (closed July–September)The reserve shuts entirely for the monsoon. Sightings are best as water dries up through April–June, comfort is best in winter.
Planning: Safari permits are booked online well ahead and sell out for weekends and holidays.
Across Rajasthan
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.
Ranthambore's biggest event is religious rather than wildlife-related. Around Ganesh Chaturthi, usually in August or September, a large fair is held at the Trinetra Ganesh temple inside the fort, and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims climb up over a few days. The Jain temple of Chamatkar Ji in Sawai Madhopur holds its own fair on Sharad Purnima, usually in October. Diwali, Holi and Makar Sankranti are celebrated across the town.
For wildlife visitors, the key date is the reopening of the core safari zones, usually on 1 October after the monsoon. Festival dates follow the Hindu calendar and change each year, so check them before you book, and expect the fort road to be crowded during the Ganesh fair.
Tips for Attending Events & Festivals in Ranthambore
- Book safaris and rooms early for Diwali, Christmas and New Year.
- Avoid driving to the fort during the Ganesh Chaturthi fair unless you are joining the pilgrimage, as the road is packed.
- Wear modest clothing and slip-on shoes for temple fairs.
- Carry water and keep your belongings secure in crowds.
- Remember that the fort sits inside a tiger reserve, so stay on the road and paths.
- Check which safari zones are open if you visit around Ganesh Chaturthi, as it falls in the monsoon closure.
Questions
Ranthambore — FAQ
What are the main festivals in Ranthambore?
The biggest is the Ganesh Chaturthi fair at the Trinetra Ganesh temple. Sharad Purnima at Chamatkar Ji Jain Temple, Diwali, Holi and Makar Sankranti are also celebrated in Sawai Madhopur.
When is the Trinetra Ganesh fair?
It is held around Ganesh Chaturthi, usually in August or September, and runs for a few days. Check the dates for the year, as they follow the Hindu calendar.
Can I go on safari during Ganesh Chaturthi?
Possibly, but only in zones that are open. Ganesh Chaturthi falls during the monsoon closure of the core zones, so check which outer zones are running before you plan a safari.
When does the Ranthambore safari season start?
The core zones usually reopen on 1 October after the monsoon closure, and the full season runs until the end of June.