At last year’s Pushkar Fair, two visitors from Argentina, Pablo and Costa, managed to tie a traditional Rajasthani safa (turban) in just 15 seconds.
Their impressive speed earned them first place in a competition that invited international tourists to try their hand at a local tradition.
Elsewhere at the fair, 33 men competed to show off their carefully groomed moustaches. Some had curled them into elaborate shapes, while others proudly displayed the length they had spent years growing.
Among them was Ram Singh, who spoke of the pride and care that went into maintaining his moustache.
These cheerful competitions are part of what makes Rajasthan’s famous Pushkar Fair so special. For a few days every year, traditions that have been passed down through generations become something everyone can watch, celebrate and even participate in.
And this November, the celebrations are returning.
Scheduled from 17 to 24 November 2026, the cultural programme at Pushkar Fair promises eight days of folk performances, camel decoration competitions, traditional games, music, crafts and celebrations around the town’s famous lake.
Here’s what makes this annual gathering worth experiencing.
Where even a moustache can win you a prize
At Pushkar, some of the most entertaining competitions celebrate things closely associated with everyday life in Rajasthan.
Take the moustache competition, for instance.
For many Rajasthani men, a well-maintained moustache has long been associated with pride, personal style and identity. At Pushkar, that tradition gets its own stage.
Participants arrive in traditional attire, displaying moustaches that have often taken years to grow and maintain. Judges consider their length, appearance and styling, while visitors gather to watch.
The competition is scheduled to return on 21 November 2026, alongside a turban-tying contest for international visitors.
And the fun continues beyond the stage.
On 22 November, women are scheduled to participate in a matka race, which involves balancing a clay pot while racing towards the finish line. A musical chairs competition is also planned.
The initiative has also involved rural women and artisans in preparing camel wool and making handcrafted products. Photograph: (Shutterstock)
These activities offer visitors an opportunity to experience a playful side of Rajasthan’s cultural traditions.
For local participants, they are a chance to share familiar customs with people who may be discovering them for the first time.
When traditional village games become the main attraction
Remember playing gilli-danda or satoliya as a child?
At Pushkar Fair, these traditional games are getting their own place in the celebrations.
On 18 November, local residents and international visitors are scheduled to compete in games such as langdi taang (hopping on one leg), satoliya (a game involving stacked stones and a ball) and gilli-danda (played using two wooden sticks).
The following day will bring kabaddi matches, tug-of-war, volleyball and other rural sporting competitions.
A football match between local players and international visitors is also planned for the opening day, while a cricket match inspired by the filmLagaanis scheduled for 23 November.
The appeal lies in how easily these games bring people together.
A visitor who may know little about Rajasthan’s traditions can join a familiar game, learn something new and share the experience with local participants.
For children growing up in a world of mobile phones and online games, it is also an opportunity to watch traditional outdoor games being played and celebrated.
What makes a camel the star of the show?
Of course, no visit to Pushkar Fair would feel complete without seeing the camels.
For generations, these animals have been an important part of Rajasthan’s desert life, helping people travel and transport goods across difficult terrain.
Today, their place in the fair extends to some of its most recognisable cultural events.
On 18 November, the fair is scheduled to host camel decoration and camel dance competitions.
Camel owners traditionally prepare their animals with colourful cloth, ornaments, bells and decorative accessories. Some use carefully patterned trimming to create designs in the camel’s coat.
The result is a display that brings together animal care, local craftsmanship and traditions associated with Rajasthan’s desert communities.
Behind these decorated camels are people whose knowledge of raising and caring for the animals has been passed down over generations.
Among them are the Raika, also known as Rebari, a pastoral community closely associated with camel herding in western Rajasthan.
Camel owners traditionally prepare their animals with colourful cloth, ornaments, bells and decorative accessories. Photograph: (Shutterstock)
Their expertise includes understanding camel behaviour, caring for animals and finding suitable grazing areas across changing seasons.
That knowledge remains valuable, even as camel-rearing livelihoods face growing difficulties.
The fair offers visitors a glimpse of this relationship between people and animals, and an opportunity to appreciate the communities who have helped preserve it.
Meet the artists keeping Rajasthan’s traditions alive
There is another side to Pushkar that deserves equal attention: the musicians, dancers and craftspeople who bring the celebrations to life.
This year’s programme begins on 17 November with group dances by schoolgirls and a mandana competition.
Mandana is a traditional form of decorative art in Rajasthan, created using geometric and nature-inspired patterns, often on floors and walls.
Giving this art a place at the fair helps introduce visitors to a tradition they might otherwise encounter only in homes and villages.
The evenings will bring performances by local artists, including the programme Voice of Pushkar, alongside Rajasthani folk music and dance.
These performances give local talent an audience that extends beyond the region.
For visitors, they offer an opportunity to experience Rajasthan’s cultural heritage through the people who practise these art forms.
And for the performers, every appearance is another chance to introduce their work to a new audience.
From handmade crafts to camel-dung notebooks
Some of the most interesting stories at Pushkar Fair can also be found among the people making and selling traditional products.
On 20 November, the Food and Craft Festival is scheduled to open at Shilpgram, bringing another attraction to the celebrations.
Such spaces offer visitors opportunities to explore local crafts, meet artisans and discover products that reflect Rajasthan’s skills and traditions.
One interesting example from previous editions is Camel Charisma, a social enterprise connected to Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan (LPPS), based in Sadri in Pali district.
The organisation works with camel-herding communities to create new income opportunities using materials obtained from the animals.
Its products have included camel-milk soaps, woollen rugs and even handmade paper produced from camel dung.
At an earlier Pushkar Fair, LPPS introduced notebooks, diaries and greeting cards made using this unusual paper.
The initiative has also involved rural women and artisans in preparing camel wool and making handcrafted products.
What makes these efforts meaningful is the connection between traditional knowledge and present-day livelihoods.
When visitors appreciate and buy locally made products, they can help create demand for the skills and materials behind them.
For communities whose traditional occupations are changing, such opportunities can make a difference.
A celebration that brings an entire town together
While the fairgrounds host competitions and performances, the celebrations extend into the town of Pushkar itself.
Around Pushkar Lake, the evenings bring gatherings, lamps, rangoli and traditional ceremonies.
The fair takes place around Kartik Purnima, an important occasion for pilgrims who visit the town and its sacred lake.
This year, Kartik Purnima falls on 24 November, the final day of the main cultural programme.
For visitors, this offers another way to experience Pushkar: through its bustling streets, markets, cultural gatherings and the communities who return each year.
The fair brings together people with different reasons for being there, from local performers and artisans to pilgrims and travellers exploring Rajasthan.
And perhaps that is its greatest appeal.
A visitor might arrive hoping to photograph decorated camels, then find themselves watching a traditional game, listening to a folk musician or admiring something made by a local craftsperson.
Behind each experience is someone who has learnt, practised or passed down a tradition.
As Pushkar Fair prepares to return this November, these are the people who make it memorable.
And the most meaningful part of visiting may be the opportunity to appreciate their work, learn something from them and help ensure that Rajasthan’s living traditions continue to find new audiences.
