Festivals in Rajasthan

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Very rarely a week goes by without some kind of festival, celebration or event taking place in Rajasthan. From religious gatherings to festival of elephants, camels and cattle, the calendar of Rajasthan is overflowing with special days, which means you’re spoiled for choices.

There is quite simply no better way to experience the vibrant culture of this fascinating place than attending one of the many festivals. Every festival with pomp and pageantry celebrated all over the state are our favorites, but all these festivals display the most vibrant milange of colors, cheer and fervor in Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur where enthusiasm is at its peak and tourists flock these cities specially for the historical values and fabulous experiences they offer!!

The two most important festivals celebrated in the month of June and July are Teej Festival and Jagannath Rath Yatra.

Jagannath Rath Yatra (June 29, 2014) is an extra ordinary chariot festival devoted to Lord Krishna that originated in Jagannath Puri Udaipur holds the distinction of holding the 3rd largest Rath Yatra in India. The city has two Rath Yatras on the same day at different locations. Everyone chants Hare Krishna and dance in ecstasy as Krishna in his most merciful form of Jagannath is pulled along on a huge wooden cart.

Teej Festival (July 30-31, 2014) is celebrated all over the state, but celebrated at its colorful best in Jaipur. The festival is celebrated to welcome the advent of monsoon, also dedicated to Goddess Parvati and commemorates the day when she was united with Lord Shiva after a penance of a hundred years. The mesmerizing procession of Goddess Parvati wind s magnificently through the Old City of Jaipur with chariots, elephants and dancers for two days.

Mahavir Ji Fair

Mahavir Ji fair is scheduled to take place from April01 to 06, 2012 at Chandangaon in Rajasthan. The major attraction in this fair is ‘The Rath Yatra’ on Baisakh Krishna Dwitiya, where there is a huge procession in which the image of the deity is carried to the bank of river Gambhiri for ‘Kailash Abhishek’ in a golden chariot (Rath) drawn by bullocks. The Shri Mahavirji Fair is held from Chaitra Shukla Ekadasi to Baisakh Krishna Dwitiya (March – April) to commemorate the memory of Shri Mahavir Swami, the 24th tirthankara (saint) of the Jains, in Chandangaon.

In this fair, the idol of Mahavirji is washed by the saint and the asht-gandha is applied to the idol. The worship of the God in the evening is another great ceremony to witness at the fair. There are ghee-lamps  that illuminate the sacred atmosphere at the fair. The offerings to the deity include rice, flowers, sandalwood, camphor, mishri that is sugar in its crystallized form and dry fruits. The procession of the deity is called the Rath Yatra, which is the fair’s great attraction for the tourists in Rajasthan.