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Fairs & Festivals of Rajasthan

The exam tests fairs on three axes: which district, which month/tithi, and which community. Two are unmissable — the Pushkar Camel Fair (Ajmer, Kartik Purnima), the state's most famous, and the Baneshwar Fair (Dungarpur), called the 'kumbh of the tribals'. Rajasthan's festivals also mark the two great women's celebrations: Gangaur and Teej.

Major fairs — district and occasion

Fair	District	Occasion / note
Pushkar Camel Fair	Ajmer	Kartik Purnima; Rajasthan's most famous fair
Baneshwar Fair	Dungarpur	Magh Purnima; the 'kumbh of the tribals' (Bhil)
Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti	Ajmer	Held in the Islamic month of Rajab
Karni Mata Fair	Bikaner (Deshnok)	Temple of the sacred rats ('kabas')
Ramdevra Fair	Jaisalmer (Pokhran)	Bhadrapada; devotion to Baba Ramdev

Pushkar and the great cattle fairs

The Pushkar Camel Fair (Ajmer) is held around Kartik Purnima on the banks of the sacred Pushkar lake, beside one of the world's few Brahma temples. It combines a livestock market with a religious bathing festival. The Nagaur Cattle Fair is the state's other great livestock gathering, famous for bullocks and the Nagauri breed, while the Kolayat Fair (Bikaner) is also held on Kartik Purnima.

Pushkar Fair — Ajmer; Kartik Purnima; camel trading plus ritual bathing
Pushkar has one of the very few Brahma temples in the world
Nagaur Cattle Fair — famous for bullocks and the Nagauri breed
Kolayat Fair — Bikaner; also on Kartik Purnima
Tilwara Fair (Barmer) — a major cattle fair on the Luni

Religious and tribal fairs

The Baneshwar Fair at Dungarpur, held on Magh Purnima at the confluence of the Som, Mahi and Jakham rivers, is the largest gathering of the Bhil tribe and is popularly called the 'kumbh of the tribals'. The Urs at the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer draws pilgrims of all faiths. At Deshnok (Bikaner), the Karni Mata temple fair is known for its sacred rats, the kabas. Ramdevra (Pokhran, Jaisalmer) honours Baba Ramdev, revered across caste lines.

Baneshwar (Dungarpur) — 'kumbh of the tribals'; Magh Purnima; Som–Mahi–Jakham confluence
Ajmer Urs — dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti; held in Rajab
Karni Mata (Deshnok, Bikaner) — temple of the sacred rats (kabas)
Ramdevra (Pokhran, Jaisalmer) — Bhadrapada; Baba Ramdev
Kaila Devi Fair (Karauli) — Chaitra; a major Shakti-worship fair

Gangaur, Teej and the tourism festivals

Gangaur (Chaitra) honours Gauri (Parvati) and is celebrated chiefly by women praying for marital happiness; the procession from the Jaipur City Palace is famous. Teej (Shravan) welcomes the monsoon and is likewise a women's festival — 'Teej tyohaaron ki bhent' marks the start of the festive season. The state tourism department also runs a set of modern festivals: the Desert Festival (Jaisalmer), the Elephant Festival (Jaipur, at Holi), the Mewar Festival (Udaipur), the Marwar Festival (Jodhpur) and the Braj Festival (Bharatpur).

Gangaur — Chaitra; worship of Gauri; famous Jaipur procession
Teej — Shravan; welcomes the monsoon; a women's festival
Desert Festival — Jaisalmer (Magh); camel races and folk performances
Elephant Festival — Jaipur, held at Holi
Mewar Festival (Udaipur), Marwar Festival (Jodhpur), Braj Festival (Bharatpur)

How fairs are asked in the RAS exam

The commonest format is a match-the-pairs of fair with district. Lock the unmistakable ones: Pushkar–Ajmer, Baneshwar–Dungarpur, Karni Mata–Bikaner, Ramdevra–Jaisalmer, Kaila Devi–Karauli.
Tithis are a favourite trap. Pushkar and Kolayat are both on Kartik Purnima; Baneshwar is on Magh Purnima. Do not interchange them.
'Kumbh of the tribals' = Baneshwar. This nickname is asked almost verbatim and is the safest single mark in the topic.
Separate the traditional fairs from the modern tourism festivals (Desert, Elephant, Mewar, Marwar, Braj) — questions sometimes mix the two categories.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the most famous fair of Rajasthan?

The Pushkar Camel Fair in Ajmer, held around Kartik Purnima on the banks of the sacred Pushkar lake.

Which fair is called the 'kumbh of the tribals'?

The Baneshwar Fair in Dungarpur, held on Magh Purnima at the confluence of the Som, Mahi and Jakham rivers. It is the largest gathering of the Bhil tribe.

Where is the Karni Mata temple with the sacred rats?

At Deshnok in Bikaner district. The rats there are called 'kabas' and are considered sacred.

What is the difference between Gangaur and Teej?

Both are women's festivals. Gangaur falls in Chaitra and honours Gauri (Parvati), while Teej falls in Shravan and welcomes the monsoon.

Where is the Desert Festival held?

In Jaisalmer, usually in the month of Magh (February). It features camel races, folk music and dance.