What Happens at the Pushkar Camel Mela?
The Pushkar camel fair is one of the famous festivals in Rajasthan. It is one of the largest annual festivals where thousands of people gather to see the vibrant and colorful Rajasthani culture. This mela is held between October and November every year. Here is what actually happens at the Pushkar Camel Fair. This year it will be held from November 17 to November 24, 2026.
1. Camel Trading: This fair is specially organized for camel trading and livestock markets. In the beginning of the festivals, camels, cattle and horses arrived with their traders belonging to nearby cities such as Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan itself.
2. Camel Decoration: Traders decorate their cattle, horses and camels with vibrant clothes, beaded ornaments, colorful tassels and embroidered saddles. All animals are decorated this way, so they bring customers
3. Competitions and Games: There are various competitions and games held at Pushkar. This competition includes horse and camel races and a longest mustache competition.
4. Folk Performances: In the camel fair, cultural performances are occur in the evening where local dancers, singers, puppeteers and fire artists perform. They portray their Rajasthani culture in the form of music, dance and performances.
5. Kartik Purnima: Every year this camel fair ends on the special day of Kartik Purnima. For Hindus, it is the most auspicious day. On the last day of the mela, Hindu pilgrims take a holy dip in Pushkar Lake, as it is considered auspicious and cleanses sins.
Those who are on a Rajasthan tour between October and November must spend a day in this mela. Even if you are visiting nearby cities like Jodhpur, Pushkar is around 190 km from Jodhpur and it takes around 4 hrs to reach there. You can take a cab or book a tempo traveller on rent in Jodhpur to travel with your family, friends and group comfortably. You can take halts at Plai, Sujat and Ajmer to explore more.
