Fifty thousand camels, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, and traders from across South Asia descend on the desert town of Pushkar every November. Part livestock market, part religious pilgrimage, part carnival — the Pushkar Camel Fair is one of those rare events that genuinely earns the label 'unmissable'.
Nothing in India — perhaps nothing in the world — quite matches Pushkar during the Camel Fair. The statistics alone are staggering: 50,000 camels, 200,000 visitors, traders from across Rajasthan, Gujarat, and neighbouring Pakistan. But the photographs don't capture the smell of wood smoke and chai, the sound of thousands of camel bells and dhol drums, or the surreal sight of the desert dunes turning into a city of coloured tents overnight.
What Is the Pushkar Camel Fair?
The fair is held annually around the full moon (Kartik Purnima) in November, in the holy desert city of Pushkar, Rajasthan. It began as a livestock market — camels, horses, and cattle are still seriously traded here — but over centuries it evolved into India's most eccentric festival. Pilgrims come to bathe in Pushkar Lake (one of Hinduism's most sacred sites); traders come to sell and buy; tourists come for everything else.
The 'tourist' section and the 'real' fair run simultaneously but are geographically distinct. The livestock trading happens at the dunes on the edge of town from dawn — raw, unsanitised, and extraordinary. The tourist zone near the main ghats has craft stalls, food vendors, camel rides, and cultural performances. Go early in the mornings to the dunes and return to town for the daytime bazaars.
Events & Programme
- •Camel races (Days 1–5) — early morning on the sand dunes. Get there by 6:30 am for the best light and positioning.
- •Camel beauty contest — decorated camels judged on their embroidery, painted patterns, and hoof designs. Genuinely spectacular.
- •Longest moustache / matka phod / tug of war — tourist-oriented competitions that are cheerfully chaotic and great fun.
- •Evening cultural performances — Rajasthani folk music, Kalbeliya snake dancer performances, and puppet shows in the main arena.
- •Kartik Purnima (final full moon night) — the most sacred evening. Pilgrims bathe at the ghats at midnight and release floating lamps (diyas) onto the lake. The atmosphere is otherworldly.
- •Camel and cattle trading — happens all day, every day, for the first week. This is the real heart of the fair — Marwari traders in turbans haggling over livestock prices in the pre-dawn light.
Accommodation — Book Very Early
Pushkar has only around 150 guesthouses and small hotels. Every single room in town is booked months in advance for the fair. This is not an exaggeration — if you search in September for October accommodation in Pushkar during the fair, you will find nothing. The Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) sets up a luxury tent city on the dunes, and there are also private glamping camps — these are the best options if hotels are full.
Prices during the fair: budget guesthouses that cost $15–25/night normally surge to $80–150/night. Luxury tent camps (private camps with attached bathrooms, proper beds, and meals) run $180–400/night per tent. These glamping camps are genuinely excellent — waking up in a canvas tent with the dunes outside and a camel silhouetted against the sunrise is worth every dollar.
Ajmer is just 11 km from Pushkar and a 20-minute auto-rickshaw ride ($2 USD). It has far more hotels and significantly lower prices. The Dargah Sharif shrine in Ajmer (one of Islam's most important pilgrimage sites in India) is also worth half a day's visit. Book in Ajmer and day-trip to Pushkar — it's a well-worn strategy among experienced India travellers.
Practical Information
Pushkar is a sacred Hindu city — the only city in India with a Brahma temple. This means alcohol and meat are entirely banned within city limits (the ban is enforced). If you need either, Ajmer has restaurants that serve both. The atmosphere is correspondingly calm and spiritual compared to other Rajasthani cities — sadhus, pilgrims, and devotees create a reverential backdrop to the commercial chaos of the fair.
- •Nearest airport: Jaipur (145 km, 2.5 hrs by road). Ajmer also has a major railway station with trains from Delhi (5 hrs), Mumbai (14 hrs), and Jaipur (2 hrs).
- •Pushkar Lake and the Brahma Temple are free to enter but remove shoes before the ghats. Priests at the ghats may offer blessings — a donation of ₹100–200 ($1.50–2.50 USD) is appropriate if you accept.
- •Best photography times: 5:30–7:30 am at the dunes (golden hour + camels), and 6–7 pm at the ghats (aarti light). Midday is harsh and very crowded.
- •A camel safari into the dunes at sunset ($10–20/hr) is one of Pushkar's great experiences — even more so during the fair when the dunes are full of decorated camels and turbaned traders.
