10 Interesting Fairs and Festivals in Jaipur

Jaipur, the pink city, draws the attention of millions of tourists that visit annually. It has plenty of offerings such as the lip-smacking food, historical forts and majestic palaces. The city is also known for celebrating its rich culture, heritage and love for the arts through its amazing festivals and fairs.

These festivals are a melting pot, where people from all over the world gather to share, exhibit and discuss new ideas, experiences and art. The festivals are also a way to keep the traditions of Rajasthan alive. We round up the popular festivals in Jaipur that will make the trip to the Pink City even more enjoyable.

Popular festivals in Jaipur

1. Teej Festival

Teej is one of the most celebrated festivals in Jaipur. The festival holds great religious significance amongst the people of Jaipur, especially amongst women. Married women conduct rituals and prayers for Goddess Parvati. They pray for their husbands and for their married lives. Single women pray for an ideal husband.

The idol of Teej Mata is decked up with ethnic jewellery and intricately-woven clothes. The celebration also sees many folk dances and traditional songs being conducted here.

• Held in: September

2. Gangaur Fair

Gangaur Far is one of the most colourful festivals celebrated in the city of Jaipur. The festival is a celebration of the onset of the seasons of spring, along with the harvesting period of the farmers.

The festival, which is about a hundred years old, is also a celebration of marital fidelity. Women pray for the welfare and safety of their husbands. During this festival, clay idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess Gauri are carved out.

• Held in: March – April

3. Elephant Festival

Jaipur isn’t only about palaces and the Jaipur Elephant Festival is a testament to this. These majestic creatures represent Rajasthan’s regal heritage. Elephants were painted and processions were conducted, along with games such as tug of war, played by the elephants. However, since 2012, these activities have been banned to safeguard the animals.

What you get instead is to paint the elephants with organic colour, feed these humble giants and wash them during the hot summer.

• Held in: March

4. Kajli Teej Festival

Kajli Teej is one of the most popular festivals in Jaipur, which is celebrated with utmost excitement and joy. The festival is a vibrant celebration of rural Rajasthani culture. During the course of the festival, which typically lasts for a month, a lot of local fairs and bazaars pops up.

The bazaars are filled with goods and handicrafts made by local artisans. The bazaars can be a great place to collect souvenirs to take home at a nominal rate.

• Held in: July – August

5. Jaipur Dussehra Festival

Dussehra or Vijayadashmi is a Hindu festival that celebrates Lord Rama vanquishing the Asura King Ravana. In Jaipur, Dussehra is celebrated with utmost fervour. A huge effigy of the demon king is burned at various places in the city.

During Dussehra, many fairs pop up as part of the Jaipur Shopping Festival. The best places to visit during Dussehra in Jaipur are the Dussehra Maidan Adarsh Nagar, Vidhyadhar Nagar Stadium and Ramleela Maidan.

• Held in: October

6. Donkey Fair

This has to be one of the most outstanding festivals that Jaipur witnesses. The festival is celebrated in the town of Looniyawas, which is a mere 20 kilometres from Jaipur. Here, you can see many traders from North India who come to sell their donkeys.

The donkeys are bought by the likes of washermen, farmers and people engaged in construction work; anyone who undertakes laborious physical tasks. The donkeys present at the fair are decked up in a plethora of colours and accessories which make them quite a sight to see.

• Held in: October

7. Sitla Mata Fair

The Sitla Mata Fair is held in the idyllic village of Seel-Ki-Doongri, 35 kilometres away from Jaipur and accessible by local transport. The fair is held to appease the local deity, Sheetla Mata, whose temple is located on top of a small hill in the village. It is said that the rage of the deity caused an epidemic that nearly wiped out the town a long time ago.

Since then, the festival has been held to quell the deity’s rage. During the fair, villagers also set up a bazaar where they sell locally-made goods such as shoes, clothes, foodstuff and utensils.

• Held in: March – April

8. The International Kite Festival

Every year on January 14, all of Jaipur is hidden under the shadows of the innumerous kites that fill the skyline. The day is considered as an auspicious day as the sun enters into the Uttarayan phase and marks the beginning of the new year according to the Indian calendar. The entire city comes together to celebrate the festival and fly kites.

The festival has gained so much traction that an international kite festival is conducted here for people to participate from all over the world. The international festival is held for three days and ends with the prize distribution ceremony at the Umaid Bhawan Palace.

• Held in: January

9. Jaipur Literature Festival

The Jaipur Literature Festival was first conducted in 2006 with a view to increasing awareness of art amongst the locals. It has now grown to be the largest literary festival in all of Asia Pacific. The festival is conducted over a period of five days, during which it draws footfall from all over the world.

Local and international celebrities come here to take part in reading and discussion sessions. It is a chance for you to meet your favourite authors and get their autographs on your favourite book.

• Held in: January

10. Jaipur International Film Festival

The Jaipur International Film Festival is a new precedent in the history of Indian Cinema. The festival was started in 2009 and sees the likes of directors, actors, cinematographers and other industry folk gather here in large numbers.

The aim of the festival is to exchange information and ideas about filmmaking. It is also a great place for upcoming artists to gain insight into the nitty-gritty of filmmaking. The film festival is also an attempt at fostering cultural bonds amongst various countries.

• Held in: January

Jaipur’s many ceremonies, rituals and performances that are conducted here to amaze and entertain visitors. The festivals and fairs have boosted tourism in the state and also brought an awareness to the Rajputana way of life.

The festivals throw light and give you an insight into Rajasthan’s history culture. The next time you are in Jaipur, do visit these fairs and festivals and let us know of your experiences in the comments section below.