Pushkar Camel Fair: Essential Festival Guide

Pushkar Camel Fair as it is called is an old-traditional style Indian festival where thousands of camels come together in Pushkar a tiny desert town in India’s state of Rajasthan. It’s a fascinating and peculiar sight to witness 

The Pushkar fair is started as a yearly tradition to attract local camel and cattle traders to do business during the full moon in the Hindu lunar month of Kartik. The fair became a major tourist attraction, with the inclusion of traditional dance and musical events that take place alongside the camel trading. There are competitions like the most beautifully decorated camels, camel race etc. People dressed in local traditional attires with stalls selling clothes, jewellery are also a part of the fair. There are daily dance and musical shows organised. 

Dates for Pushkar Fair

Pushkar Fair usually takes place at the end of October or in November, depending on the cycle of the moon. The first few days are the trading days when the camel action takes place, after which the focus shifts to the religious celebrations. 

In 2022, the official dates for the Pushkar Fair are November 1st to the 9th.  Camels and other livestock start arriving at Pushkar up to five days before the official start of the fair. There are campsites where most of the traders stay which are located near the fairgrounds. 

Celebrations during the fair

Most of the activities take place at the fairground that is located to the west of town. The camels are groomed and dressed up to enter into the beauty contests. They are raced, made to dance, and traded. Post the main trading days, a huge carnival is held to entertain people visiting the fair to experience this extravaganza. With an array of musicians singing local folks, magicians showing their magic, dancers showcasing the traditional ghumar dance. It’s definitely the place to experience the vastness of Indian culture and traditions. 

One can also experience spiritual and heritage walks at the holy town of Pushkar and explore the colourful arts and crafts bazaar as well. And, of course, the fair is definitely incomplete without the famous mustache (whiskers) competition!

Visitors can also take part in some of the competitions and rituals.

It’s also possible to witness the spectacle of the great camel fair from the sky in a hot air balloon!

Some visitors prefer visiting the fair during the initial few days to experience the camel trading however the large number of travellers are for the later days of the fair when one enjoys the religious, cultural and colourful part of the fair. 

Rituals during the fair

Pushkar fair is also a religious event where pilgrims come to this festival to bathe in the holy lake of Pushkar. It is believed that if one takes a dip in the holy water of the lake they are forgiven for all of their sins. The two days around the full moon are said to be the most auspicious for bathing in the lake. It is believed that special blessings are for those who are able to bathe on the day of the full moon. 

Accommodation during the fair

There is a huge demand for accommodation during the fair considering how famous this fair is worldwide. Tourists from across the globe visit this spectacular fair to experience Indian culture and hospitality. 

Visitors are spoiled with accommodation options during the fair. There are budget to Luxury campsites near the fairground for the ones who wish to experience the fair through the day and are okay with the hustle and bustle of the fair. There are Heritage hotels near the lake and some exclusive luxury resorts and hotels located between the town and the fairground.

Getting there

Pushkar is very well connected with the larger cities by road and train. The nearest train station in Ajmer has an inflow of regular superfast express trains from Delhi and Jaipur where the nearest airports are located.