Sheetala Ashtami Celebration Today!

The tangy flavor of fairs and festivals in Rajasthan has its own charm. These fairs and festivals prove to be the best opportunity for the guests to peep into and understand the cultural and traditional aspects of the land of royal figures more closely.

One of the small and grand festivals is the Sheetala Ashtami festival, which is celebrated in Rajasthan. Sheetla Ashtami is celebrated during the spring season in the month of March or the beginning of April, right after seven days of Holi.

It is a very important Hindu festival in Rajasthan. It is commonly knows as Basoda बसोडा or like many people may call it Shitala Ashtami शीतला अष्टमी.The Sheetala Mata fair is held at a small hamlet in Chaksu, Jaipur, Kaga and Jodhpur with great passion and zeal.

Sheetla mata is worshipped on this day. Cold and stale food is offered to Sheetla Devi after the puja. This food is known as Basauda. The same food is consumed by the devotees and distributed among everyone.

It is a common belief among all the people that worshiping Sheetla mata on Sheetla Ashtmi would prevent them from the deadly outbreak of diseases.

Wish everyone a very Happy Shitla Ashtami !

Pushkar Fair begins from Nov 18-27, 2012

The most awaited Pushkar Fair is going to begin from 18^th November up till 27^th November,2012, also known as Pushkar Camel Fair and Pushkar Cattle Fair is a major event in the travel calendar of Rajasthan and is popular among tourists coming to Rajasthan from all over the World.

Religion, culture and fun, all are witnessed here in abundance. Pushkar is the home of Brahma, Creator of all Creation. Pushkar has the only Brahma temple of the world and is a holy pilgrimage place for Hindus. The Pushkar Fair is held in the month of Kartik, when pilgrims gather here for a dip in the lake to wash away their sins.

Spread over nine days, this fair is the largest of its kind in the world and attracts lakhs of people from both India and abroad. The golden sand comes alive with Rajasthan traditions, a burst of colors and sounds of revelry. The Pushkar Fair is associated with cattle. It is the world’s largest camel fair and other cattle is also bought and sold in large numbers. Camels are a Rajasthani’s pride.

Tourist Attractions during the Pushkar Fair

• The Holy Dips (Snan)
• Floating Lamps (Deep Dan)
• Cattle Trading
• Temples & Ghats
• Camel races
• Music, folk dances and cultural events

The folklores, music, ballads and dance performances at Pushkar showcase the colorful culture of Rajasthan which heightens the joy and excitement of this fair. The bards and the poets enchant the audiences with the tales of gallantry. Cultural shows, exhibitions and movies add to the fun at the Fair.

Location: Pushkar, Rajasthan

Date: November 18 – 27, 2012

Five Days’ Teej Celebration begins from July21, 2012

The traditional Sawan Teej Festival will be organized from July 21-25 July in the city. Besides the procession of the Goddess Teej, several cultural events have been lined up at the Jawahar Kala Kendra.

The Teej procession with all its regal pomp and pageantry will be taken out on July 22 at 5.30 pm from Tripolia Gate  (City Palace), winding its way through the Tripolia Bazaar and Chhoti Chaupar, Gangauri Bazaar to end at the Chaugan Stadium. The procession will be carried out the next day too and at the same time.

The procession will have kacchi ghodi and the elephant carrying the symbol in the front.

Gair, kalbeliya and chakri dances are some of the highlights of the procession. It will include a cannon carriage, bullock carts, horse baggi, decorated rath, elephants, horses and camels. A number of bands will also accompany it. The sawari of the Goddess Teej will be almost at the end followed by chobdar.

At JKK, Gujarati and Rajasthani folk artistes will regale the audience on the first day. The next day, a dance drama based on the life of Sri Krishna will be staged. A play ‘Ghalib in New Delhi’ will be staged on the third day.

Visitors will also get a taste of Rajasthani cuisine as various food stalls will be set up at the Shilpgram under a food and crafts mela.

A food and craft mela has also been organized at Shilpgram in JKK. While visitors will be able to enjoy the ethnic Rajasthani food there will also a cultural bonanza by way of folk performances. A wide variety of handicrafts will also be available for sale.

Organized by the Department of Tourism, arrangements have been made for the tourists to photograph the procession from the terrace of the Hind Hotel opposite Tripoliya gate.

Hariyali Amavasya Celebration July19 and 20, 2012

The Fair of ‘Hariyali Amavasya’ is a monsoon festival celebrated on “No Moon Day” of the Shravan month at Saheliyon Ki baadi, Udaipur. People mainly worship Lord Shiva on this very day for wealth and prosperity and pray for a very good agricultural season.

The fair is celebrated in Udaipur with great fervor for three days, out of which one day is especially reserved for the women. On this day, women can be seen shopping, enjoying various games and rides etc.

The Hariyali Amavasya fair is not only popular among the locals but also attracts a huge number of tourists from near by and far of areas. People of all ages, regions come to experience the city’s very own celebration and welcome the Greenery or Hariyali with dance and music.

The very famous “Rabri Malpua” adds taste to this vibrating festival of Udaipur. Adding to the life and color of this festive fair are ‘poopadia’, ‘paani ke gubbare’, colorful caps, chat-pakoda stalls, and various high rides and swings. Traditional songs, dance, food and costume escalate the verve of hariyali amavasya celebrations.

The entire festival holds within itself a very raw yet beautiful atmosphere to cherish beyond the celebration and time.

Jagannath Rath Yatra- Udaipur

Every year the grand Rath-Yatra is held on the Ashaad Shukla Dwitya of Vikram Samvat, as per the Hindu calendar, which falls on the 21st of June this year. On this day thousands of devotees pull the huge chariot loaded with ornaments and idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra in a long procession.

It is an extra ordinary chariot festival that originated in Jagannath Puri on the east coast of India and dates back to over 2000 years. 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.

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. The Rath, a gigantic chariot, approximately 15 feet long, 8 feet high and adorned by precious metals like silver, will be followed by colorfully clad horse carts. This will eventually turn into a procession which will pass through a large part of the city. The path followed by this Rath would be Jagdish Mandir- Jagdish Chowk, then heading towards Ghanta Ghar, Bada Bajar, Bhadbhuja Ghati, Teej Ka Chowk, Dhan Mandi, Asthal Mandir,R.M.V. Road, Rang Niwas, Kalaji- Goraji, Bhattiyani Chohatta, and would end with the Maha Arti at the Jagdish Temple.

The other Rath Yatra will start from Shri Jagannath Dham Sec-7, Hiran Magri and lead towards the Shiv Mandir of Krishi Mandi Sec-11,Patel Circle, Khanjipeer, Rang Niwas, Bhattiyani Chohatta to Jagdish Mandir. From there it will merge with the Jagdish Chowk Rath Yatra in the same route and will then take a separate route from RMV Roadto Udiapole, Takeri, Madari, Sec-6 and return to the Shri Jagannath Dham of Sec-7.

The City of Lakes  gear up in full swing to welcome the Lord Krishna, so pack your bags and be there to become a part of the celebrations!!!!!

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.

The Nagaur Cattle Fair

The Nagaur Fair or the Cattle Fair of Rajasthan is held in the month of January-February every year. This year the fair dates are slated from January30 to February02, 2012. The Fair, which unofficially goes for eight days, is the second largest cattle fair of India, and boasts of trading about 70,000 bullocks, camels and horses every year. Nagaur, where the fair is organized, is one of the most charming Rajput towns in Rajasthan.

Thousands of animals, magnificently garlanded with lots of accessories, to provide a vibrant look to them, are gathered at the fair for trading. The owners, displaying their colourful turban and long moustaches, sell cows, bullocks, oxen, horses and camels. In addition to the huge animal exhibition, the fair is also popular for its Mirchi Bazaar (red chilly market), which is biggest inIndia. The fair also trades for wooden items, iron-crafts and camel leather accessories and many other things.

Besides doing business, the visitors get excellent opportunity to enjoy a diversity of enthralling activities at the fair. The major sports held at the fair include tug-of-war, camel races, bullock races and cockfights. While jugglers; puppeteers, storytellers and campfire evenings make it a life time experience; feel the stillness of the desert sand amid the enchanting ambience created by the folk music of Jodhpur.

Bikaner Camel Festival: 8th and 9th January, 2012

Every January, the small village of Ladera in Bikaner, Rajasthan becomes the venue of the two-day and night Bikaner Camel Festival. People from all over the world come toIndia to attend the Bikaner Camel Festival where camel owners flock to show-off their camels.

Camel and owner alike, dressed in their finest designer jewellery and accessories, kick-off the Bikaner Camel Festival with a regal march. This is a spectacular sight as the camels parade past spectators to the open sands with the Royal Junagarh Fort in the background. Colorful bridles, bejeweled necks, jingling anklets and long, lanky camel shadow on the dusky sand casts a magical atmosphere over the Bikaner Camel Festival.

The Camel Festival at Bikaner scheduled for January08 and 09, 2012 is one of the most colorful fairs and festivals of Rajasthan. Witness the spectacular activities like camel race, camel dance performances, the best breed competition and tug-of-war contest. Relish tea and sweets prepared by camel milk in the festival. Evenings at the Bikaner Camel Festival are lit by campfires, as folk dancers and musicians lure droves of eager spectators. A desert fireworks spectacle concludes the festivities on the second evening. No matter what part of the world you come from, the music will cast its spell on you.  From musical performances to camel acrobatics, everything at the Camel Festival Bikaner will leave you spellbound. The festival adds a lot of colors to the desert city of Bikaner. 

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Enjoy the lustrous traditions of Rajasthan while celebrating the humble camel, ship of the desert, at the annual Bikaner Camel Festival.