The desert town of Pushkar in Rajasthan's Ajmer district is preparing to host its world-renowned annual international fair starting November 10. The gathering brings together livestock trading, indigenous sports, and heritage arts. Visitors can witness distinctive breeds of animals, camel gaits, and horse acrobatics, set against vibrant traditional costumes and regional celebrations. Field preparations are currently underway across the fairgrounds to welcome domestic pilgrims and global travelers alike.
While informal animal trading and trade camp setups commence on November 10, the official cultural events, musical evenings, and competitions organized by the tourism department will run from November 17 through November 24. This eight-day phase features competitive local games, folk heritage performances, and community tournaments.
November 17 Flag Hoisting, Lake Ghat Maha Aarti, and Folk Dances
The formal inauguration of the cultural roster begins at 10 am on November 17 at the main fairgrounds with ceremonial prayers, the unfurling of the flag, and traditional nagada drumming. Opening-day events include group dances and a mandana folk art competition among schoolgirls. An exhibition football match pitting local residents against international tourists will also take place. At 6 pm, the ghats along Pushkar Lake will host deepdan lamp offerings, rangoli decorations, and a maha aarti ceremony, leading into an evening of performances by regional folk artistes.
Indigenous Sports, Camel Adornment, and Horse Acrobatics
On November 18, visitors can watch mixed teams of locals and international visitors compete in traditional street games such as langdi taang, satoliya, and gilli danda. Signature events including camel decoration and camel dance contests will also be staged. The itinerary for November 19 focuses on rural athletic fixtures and equine skills, featuring a horse dance competition alongside competitive matches in kabaddi, volleyball, and tug of war.
Craft Exhibitions, Turban Contests, and Notable Folk Artistes
A dedicated food and craft festival will open at Shilpgram on November 20, accompanied in the evening by the lake aarti and a live performance by the band Kabir Cafe. Activities on November 21 will cater to foreign visitors through friendly turban tying, tilak application, and mustache competitions. Finals for the rural athletic tournaments will conclude on the same day. Following the evening aarti, celebrated folk artists including Gulabo and Padma Shri Anwar Khan will perform at the venue.
Bollywood Nights Featuring Amit Mishra and Swaroop Khan
Competitions organized for female participants, including musical chairs and the traditional matka water-pot race, are scheduled for November 22. Singer Amit Mishra will headline the Bollywood night following the evening aarti. On November 23, organizers will host a themed cricket match played in the style of the film Lagaan. Later that evening, folk musicians will share the stage with Bollywood vocalist Swaroop Khan.
Grand Finale and Prize Ceremonies on November 24
The eight-day official program concludes on November 24 at the fairgrounds with a formal closing ceremony. Festivities will wrap up with group dances, a kala jatha procession, finals in tug of war and matka race, and the distribution of awards to competition winners. The tourism department will officially conclude its schedule following the final evening maha aarti along the shores of Pushkar Lake.
