PUSHKAR FAIR DATES 2019
Camp Bliss at Pushkar runs from 30 October to 9 November 2019, and offers its guests a curated experience of the more traditional aspects of Pushkar Fair, one of Rajasthan's most spectacular events.
The Pushkar Fair official programme events and fairground will run from 5 November to 12 November. The full moon night, Kartik Purnima 2019, the focus of the religious and pilgrimage activities, is on Tuesday 12 November.
From Friday 8 November to Friday 15 November we will be in the Hadoti region with some of our guests for the authentic local mela and Kartik Purnima celebrations at Chandrabhaga Fair, near Jhalawar; a chance to capture the atmosphere of the trading fairs of earlier times, and explore a less-visited area of Rajasthan.
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31 October Groups of camels, herders, horses, musicians, performers and traders are beginning to appear from out of the desert and set up camp in the dunes around Pushkar. For some, the journey may have taken up to three weeks.
1 November More camels, nomads, farmers and traders are arriving. Some groups walk to the fair. Others arrive with camel or bullock carts or come by truck. The gathering is rapidly growing. This is the time when you may move around and observe the scene most freely.
2 November Arrivals continue. Horses are already arriving, although numbers may be fewer due to quarantine restrictions. Trading is already taking place, although a deal may take several days to conclude as vendors hold out for the best price.
3 November On the dunes, the gathering is reaching maximum size. There are lively discussions as groups of vendors and purchasers meet around their animals and negotiators help to arrange deals. The best prices are achieved in a year when the monsoon has been good. 
4 November By now the tented bazaars are a hive of activity and the fairground is being set up. The scene on the dunes is already crowded. Some begin to leave as they conclude their business, but many camel carts are arriving bringing people with business at the fair. Holy men and religious groups are more numerous in the town each day.
5 November Things get livelier. Acrobats, tightrope walkers, jugglers and other nomadic performers set up in and around the stadium. Many come from the Nath performing community and learn traditional skills from a young age. The Official Programme of organised events begins. Highlights include Deep Dan and aarthi at the lake from 5.30pm, followed by a concert at the stadium from 7pm.
6 November More and more people are arriving.The fair is traditionally a great meeting place where even marriages may be arranged. Day 2 of the Official Program features displays and competitions.
7 November The scene on the dunes is increasingly busy and chaotic, with camel cart rides, itinerant musicians and vendors. Around the stadium there are cultural activities, competitions and bazaars. Camels and traders will disappear back into the desert as the week progresses and their business is concluded.
8 November– Pushkar Fair The town, temples and bazaars are becoming more crowded. The colourful fairground attracts huge crowds with stalls, street vendors, sideshows and ferris wheels. Stadium events continue.
8 November– Chandrabhaga Fair– This auspicious Ekadashi day is the first night of our 2018 visit to Chandrabhaga Fair, a popular day for initiating rituals and customs relating to marriage as the ancient walled city of Jhalarapatan begins its week of festivities. The first groups of camels, cattle and sheep arrive with farmers and villagers from all over the region for the fair. See more about Chandrabhaga Fair >
9 November – Pushkar Fair Great numbers of colourfully-dressed villagers are arriving from all over the region to bathe in the holy lake. The fairground is going full swing. A craft fair is set up with handicraft stalls.
9 November – Chandrabhaga Fair– At Chandrabhaga Fair, the vast mela ground is seeing more arrivals and animal trading is beginning. In the town celebrations are centred around the 1,000 year-old Sun temple. Perfect mornings have a sense of the old days with a very traditional scene. See more about Chandrabhaga Fair >
10 November – Pushkar Fair Pilgrims throng the streets of Pushkar and shop in the fairground bazaars as the town prepares for the Kartik Purnima religious festival. In the mela stadium competitions and events are in full swing.
10 November – At Chandrabhaga Fair the gathering is still growing as herders arrive from across the river with their animals to set up camp. For local farming communities, this is one of the best shopping opportunities of the year, a place to find old-style utensils and implements. See more about Chandrabagha Fair >
11 November – Pushkar Fair The temples, ashrams and dharamshalas (pilgrim rest houses) of the holy town are busy with pilgrims. There are bhajans (devotional hymns) and ceremonies in the temples, and fairground rides and stalls to be enjoyed at the mela.
11 November – At Chandrabhaga Fair official programme begins with Deep Daan on the river. A huge temporary bazaar springs up close to the fortified city. Old wooden ferris wheels are turned by hand and acrobats, storytellers and performers gather crowds. See more about Chandrabagha Fair >
12 November – Kartik Purnima Today thousands of devotees will bathe in the holy lake, believed to have been created when the god Brahma dropped a sacred lotus flower to earth.
12 November – Chandrabhaga Fair– Kartik Purnima Today is the most religious day. Residents offer free water and help to pilgrims on the streets and the Sun temple is a focus for colourful activities. Ceremonies and diyas (lamps) on the sacred Chandrabhaga river. See more about Chandrabhaga Fair >
12 November is the last day of the Pushkar Fair Official Programme and is the day of the Kartik Purnima religious festival, when many thousands of devotees throng the town to visit the temples and circumambulate the holy lake. At Chandrabhaga there is pilgrimage activity and holy bathing at Chandravati as Kartik Purnima is celebrated in a simpler style, an opportunity to experience the age-old devotions and rituals of the auspicious day.
13 November to 15 November – Chandrabagha and Hadoti
Guests travelling with us to Chandrabagha Fair can explore Hadoti, one of Rajasthan's least-visited and most rewarding regions.
13 November – Chandrabhaga Fair – Kartik Purnima Pilgrims are leaving but the number of animals is still increasing and the mela ground is a beautiful scene for photographers and observers. See more about Chandrabhaga Fair >
14 November – Chandrabhaga Fair – Another great day to see trading, with camels being taken to the riverside to drink then brought back to the mela ground. The beautifully-attired Raika men huddle in groups around their campfires at dusk, when hundreds of cooking fires billowing smoke can be seen from a single spot. Animals can now be seen being taken back by their new owners. See more about Chandrabhaga Fair >
15 November – Chandrabhaga Fair – A day to watch the herds of animals departing from the ground. The Raika herders control large herds of camels by voice with extraordinary skill. Very few animals remain by night. See more about Chandrabhaga Fair >
TRAVEL WITH US
We offer some of the most interesting and engaging itineraries you can find – established for twenty years, with a track record of quality operations, our small and unusual company, Indian Moments, is run by travellers and aims to help you find the best travel experiences in Rajasthan and throughout India. Our team includes historians, art directors, foodies, chefs, photographers, and a magician.
We're passionate about what we do, and about making your holiday special, and around 85% of our business is from repeat bookings and recommendations.
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Contact us for details of our festival and small group tours, which can include Pushkar or Chandrabhaga (or both), adventures in rural Rajasthan, horseback and cycling tours, family Diwali celebrations, Dev Deepavali in Varanasi, the elephant fair at Sonepur, Makar Sankranti, Holi and interesting and offbeat destinations throughout India, as well as exclusive stays at our beautiful private haveli in Shekhawati.
PUSHKAR CAMEL FAIR DATES 2020
Pushkar Fair trading and activity around the mela ground begins around 17 November 2020, with the official programme taking place throughout the week leading up to Kartik Purnima (the full moon night) on 30 November. Enquire about tours and photo trips including Pushkar Fair in 2020 >
For enquiries about individual or group tours including Pushkar or any of the Camp Bliss locations please contact us >