Fairs and Festivals of Jaipur

Travel to Jaipur to experience the captivating fairs and festivals of Jaipur, the Pink City of India. The Thar Desert, which covers most part of Rajasthan, dazzles with colorful riots of joyous celebration and gay abandon during its fairs and festivals. There is a fair for every religious occasion, every change of season and every harvest, all invariably a reflection of the genius of their arts and crafts and their ascetic refinement. The cultural prosperity of Rajasthan is evident in its local festivals and fairs, some of which attract international attention. Planning one's Jaipur travel during fairs and festival time will be a mesmerizing holiday for tourists.

The capital city of Jaipur hosts some of the most vibrant and colorful festivals in Rajasthan. Prominent among them is the grand Elephant Festival. Celebrated in the month of Phalgun (March) on the eve of Holi, the festival of colors, the Elephant Festival is famous for its procession of elephants, camels, horses and folk dancers. The sight of mighty jumbos striding majestically is a treat to watch.

Other interesting events at the Elephant Festival include, a polo match, the Elephant race, the tug-of-war between an elephant and nineteen men. Given the importance of elephants in the socio-cultural milieu of the state of Rajasthan, tourists can be rest assured that they are in for some great Indian festivities and fun in Jaipur.

Gangaur Festival is another unique festival held annually in Jaipur. The festival is celebrated in honor of Goddess Gauri, few days after Holi (around March). This is primarily a women oriented festival, an occasion when married women pray for their husbands and unmarried girls pray for getting a good husband. One can witness colorful festive processions, women engrossed in gathering flowers and chanting hymns to the Goddess Parvati.

With the arrival of the monsoons, the festival season is unleashed with renewed fervor in Jaipur. And the most important festival to herald the monsoons is Teej Festival - reflecting the magic of the rainy season. Peacocks dance in ecstasy, women rejoice by swinging on rope swings in gardens and lilting melodies heralding the festival of Teej echo all round. Teej Festival is celebrated on the third day of the waxing moon in the month of Sawan (July-August).

The celebration of Teej Festival remains exclusive to the Jaipur region and holds a special place in the heart of the people of Jaipur as a time for rejuvenation and revival of spirits after the punishing summers. The festival is made into an even more memorable experience if it rains on this day. People pray for a cool shower at the time of the procession - for Teej without rain is like Christmas without snow.