Festivals in Rajasthan and Gujarat

Festivals in Rajasthan and Gujarat

The Pushkar camel fair is in November, the Shekhawati art festival in December, the Jaisalmer desert festival in January, Jaipur's Gangaur festival and Udaipur's Mewar festival are in April, and Mount Abu's summer festival in May.

Makar Sankranti—the point when the sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn after the winter solstice—is celebrated on January 14 with a tremendous kite festival in Ahmedabad. A dance festival is organized immediately afterward at Modhera's sun temple, about 100 km (62 mi) north of Ahmedabad.

Navaratri, the goddess festival, in late September or early October, is celebrated throughout the state with performances of Ras Garba, Gujarat's folk dance, nowadays often embellished with disco moves and amplified music. Rhythmic dances, often using sticks and graceful movements, by young and old in extraordinarily colorful and elaborate costumes makes Garba, also called Dandiya and Ras Garba, a treat to watch. Tarnetar, northeast of Rajkot in the center of the Kathiawar Peninsula, is the site of a large folk fair in October or November. Diwali—end of the year festival of lights (falling sometime between October-December) marking the return of the epic hero Rama from exile with his wife, Sita—is celebrated distinctively here by the Jains, as is the birthday of their founder, Mahavira, in April.