6 Incredible Festivals Of Rajasthan That Every Tourist Must Witness (2024)
India is one well – known country in itself for being a land of festivals. No matter whichever region you visit in the country, you will be greeted with a diverse range of festivities and celebrations. Rajasthan is one such cheerful state that is immensely popular throughout the country for its vibrant culture, rich heritage, majestic palaces, colorful markets, delicious cuisine, mighty forts, scenic splendours as well as the numerous exceptional and traditional festivities. If you wish to experience and take a closer look at the traditional ethnic festivities and celebrations of the country, Rajasthan is a great place to begin with. The Rajasthan state celebrates its vibrant culture through a series of exciting fairs and festivals that range almost all round the year. While some of these festivities reflect ethnicity and heritage of Rajasthan, some of them are just purely cultural events. However, all of these festivals and fairs collectively add a plethora of colors to the otherwise arid land of the state of Rajasthan.
To make these festivals and fairs even more fun, various activities and competitions are also organised. In this article, we have made a list of some of the top festivals and fairs of Rajasthan along with some important details which you must know before actually visiting the place. Continue reading to know more!
6 Incredible Festivals Of Rajasthan That Every Tourist Must Witness
1. Mewar Festival, Udaipur:
To welcome the spring season, Mewar festival is organised in the city of Udaipur and celebrated with grandeur and splendour. During this festival, the charm of Udaipur is just exceptional. This is one of the top festivals of Rajasthan that holds prime significance for women. On this occasion, the women dress in their finest attire and look their best. The highlight of the festival is the dressing up of Isar, who is an incarnation of Lord Shiva and Gangaur, who is a form of Goddess Parvati. Once, well – dressed, these idols are then carried out through the streets of the city in a grand procession which is led towards the Gangaur Ghat that is located at the scenic Pichola Lake. At the lake, the idols are placed in boats and then immersed in the lake. After this ritual, people dance, celebrate and many cultural events are also organised to enhance the fun quotient.
You may not know but Mewar festival is renowned as the 2nd living heritage festival throughout the world.
- Highlight of the Mewar Festival of Rajasthan: Religious significance, musical shows, series of food stalls by professional chefs, marvellous firework shoes, classical dance
- Month of Celebration: It is usually celebrated in the month of March or April.
- Duration of Festival: The festival usually lasts for one or two days at most.
- Place of Celebration: The epicentre is Udaipur but the festival is celebrated throughout the state.
2. Teej Festival, Jaipur:
Celebrated with absolute grandeur and excitement, this is one of the top festivals of Rajasthan which serves as a precursor of the monsoon season. It often welcomes the rain showers despite the fact that many areas of the state are desert regions. On this festival, the married women pray for a happy marital life and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. You can also hear people referring to Teej as “the festival of swings”. On the occasion, a plethora of swings hung from trees are elaborately decorated, especially with flowers. You will find women dressed in completely traditional dresses which are usually green in color. They sing, dance, have fun with the swings and invoke the blessings of the almighty. On this festival, the married women even receive gifts from their parents which are usually beautification items such as vermillion, henna, bangles and bindi as well as sweets, especially Ghevar. Other than women dressing up in beautiful, festive clothes, you can also find several fairs and processions organised in the honor of Goddess Teej who is believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Parvati. The goddess is taken in golden palanquins across the city with decorated elephants, camels and horses. This is one of the most important festivals of Rajasthan, especially for married women.
- Highlight of the Teej Festival of Rajasthan: Women dressed in green traditional dresses, beautification items like bangles and henna, elaborately decorated swings, Ghewar sweet, Malpua, grand processions which are held from the Tripoli gate till Chaugan stadium, folk music and songs
- Month of Celebration: It is usually celebrated in the month of July and August.
- Time of Celebration: The celebrations of Teej festival last all day and night.
- Duration of Festival: The festival usually lasts for one or two days at most.
- Place of Celebration: The epicentre is Jaipur but the festival is celebrated throughout the state.
3. Jaipur Literature Festival, Jaipur:
If you are a bibliophile or a literature nerd, then this is one of the must-visit festivals of Rajasthan for you. Often described as one of the greatest literary shows on the entire planet of earth, the Jaipur Literature festival boasts of showcasing literature works of a plethora of amateur writers as well as reputed authors. No matter whether a Nobel Laureate, Man booker prize winners, a budding writer or a literature enthusiast, this literature fiesta is visited by hundreds of people from all over the world. This exceptional event sees some of the greatest minds, historians, business leaders, humanitarians, sports people and entertainers from diverse walks of life throughout the world come together to share the stage and share their experiences, thoughts as well as ideas. If you wish to gain knowledge and share ideas from some of the top contemporary legendary stalwarts from all over the globe, then visiting this festival is your golden chance.
- Highlight of the Jaipur Literature Festival: Book releases, readings, debates, chat shows, seminars, poetry sessions, interaction with some top legendary stalwarts and literary thinkers of the time
- Month of Celebration: It is an annual literary festival which is celebrated in the month of January every year.
- Duration of Festival: This festival usually lasts for about a week.
- Place of Celebration: The celebrations of this literary extravaganza are held at Diggi Palace in the city of Jaipur.
4. Winter Festival, Mount Abu:
Winter festival is one colorful and energetic festival of Rajasthan that is celebrated with a plethora of fun and frolic activities. Set in the picturesque surroundings of the Mount Abu hill station, once you actually visit this festival you will realise that the attitude prevalent here is that of the age – old culture of royal hospitality of the state. Combined with the joyous and vibrant ambience, makes the visitors forget all about their worries. A variety of folk dance and musical performances are also organised during the event to keep the visitors entertained. These exotic dance moves and folk music of the fair allows people to take a sneak peak in the rich culture and history of Rajasthan. The fair is not just about the cultural events. The winter festival also features several sports events such as rowing competitions, cricket matches, etc. as well. Bringing together several talented artisans and artists from diverse fields such as art, food, culture, poetry and handicrafts, this festival is a treat for everyone.
- Highlight of the Festival: Several cultural events like folk music and traditional dance performances, sports events like rowing competitions and cricket matches, kite flying, deep daan, water sports, poetry sessions, firework display
- Month of Celebration: It is usually celebrated in the months of March or April.
- Time of Celebration: The celebrations of the Winter festival last for all day and night.
- Duration of Festival: This festival usually lasts for about 3 days
- Place of Celebration: The celebrations of this literary fun extravaganza starts at RTDC Hotel Shikhar in Mount Abu.
5. The Adventure Festival, Kota:
For all the adventure enthusiasts, this is one of the best festivals in Rajasthan to visit. Held at the banks of the pristine river Chambal, this is one exciting and thrilling fair. It may come as a surprise but Kota is nothing short of a safe haven for adventure lovers. People who wish to experience the thrill and adrenaline rush truly, come to visit Kota from all over the world, especially during the Adventure festival. A lot of people come to be a part of this festival mainly to rejoice a wide range of thrilling adventure sports all available at one place and also to experience the rural lifestyle as well as expeditions by the banks of the river Chambal. Offering an exceptional combination of thrilling adventure and colorful festivities, this festival of Rajasthan is surely going to stay as a happy and precious memory in your heart for long. This festival is usually organised during the time of Dussehra festival. So, if you are not much into religious and cultural festivities, and rather wish to get into some fun adventure sports, this should be your go – to festival in Rajasthan.
- Highlight of the Festival: A plethora of thrilling adventure sports such as parasailing, kayaking, windsurfing, fishing, rafting, water skiing, rock climbing, gliding, hot air balloon, angling, excursion and trekking
- Month of Celebration: It is usually celebrated in the months of September and October. The festivities often coincide with the celebration of the prime festival of Dussehra.
- Duration of Festival: This festival usually lasts for about 3 days
- Place of Celebration: The celebrations of this adventure festival happens at two places- near river Chambal and Kishore Sagar Talab which is situated right in the heart of Kota.
6. Braj Holi, Bharatpur:
Holi is one of the prime festivals that is celebrated all over India with equal vigour and excitement. However, when it comes to Rajasthan, especially Bharatpur, the festival of colors is celebrated here in a unique and fun way. It is one of the most vivid, unique and top festivals of Rajasthan where one can see a plethora of people dressed in colorful and vibrant clothes dancing on the tunes of mellifluous folk music of the state. Celebrated a few days before the actual festival of Holi, on this special Braj holi festival, the festivities involve the worship of Lord Krishna, sweet melodies of folk music, lively dance and a lot of splashing of colors. You can see people gathering to offer prayers and seek blessings of the almighty before the starts of diving into the holy waters of Bangana river ghats begin. It is believed that taking a dip in the holy waters of this that can purify one’s soul. One of the prime highlights of the Braj Holi of Rajasthan is the ‘raslila Dance’, which is performed here amidst the jolly celebrations.
- Highlight of the Braj Holi Festival: Playing with colors, folk performances, raslila dance performance, firework display, sports such as kabaddi matches, tug of war, cricket, women’s wrestling and many other rural sports.
- Month of Celebration: It is usually celebrated in the months of March. The celebrations are held every year on the Shukla Paksha of the Phalgun month which is a few days prior to the festival of Holi.
- Duration of Festival: This festival usually lasts for about 2 days
- Place of Celebration: The celebrations of this special Braj Holi is the highlight of the Bharatpur city in Rajasthan, India.
Celebrating life, heritage and culture in a complete traditional style, the festivals and fairs of Rajasthan are a must-visit for all kind of travellers as they give the people to delve deeper into the different colors of the state including its art, traditions and culture which are nicely woven with the royal history of the state of Rajasthan.
FAQ’s For Tourists Visiting Rajasthan
Q1. Which is the Popular Traditional Festival of Rajasthan?
Ans. Teej is undoubtedly the most popular traditional festival of the Rajasthan state.
Q2. What Are The Top Places To Visit In Rajasthan?
Ans. Some of the best places you can visit in Rajasthan are Jaipur, Udaipur, Pushkar, Ajmer and Jodhpur.
Q3. What Is A Traditional Rajasthani Dress Called?
Ans. Ghagra Choli is the traditional dress of Rajasthan.