INTRODUCTION

Fairs and festivals of Rajasthan reflect the vigor and lifestyle of its people. Vibrant colors, music and festivities make the golden sands come alive.

Veiled, bejeweled women sing and dance to devotional rhythms. Itinerant bards render ballads of valour of the heroes of yore. Alongside, brisk trading of consumer goods, cattle and grains is carried on.

Nomadic tribes and traditional entertainers-minstrels, jugglers, puppeteers and performers come to these fairs seeking livelihood. Rajasthan has a fair for every religious occasion, every change of season and every harvest.

The elaborate rituals and the gay abandon with which he surrenders himself to the numerous fairs and festivals of the region prove the Rajasthani love for color and joyous celebrations. In addition to the festivals celebrated by the Hindus, Muslims and others, there are also the traditional fairs.

There are animal Fairs, there are religious fairs and there are fairs to mark the changing seasons. In fact, celebrations occur almost round the year and are a splendid opportunity for the visitor to gain an insight into the life of the Rajasthani. Other than the traditional fairs, recently established festivals, which involve elephants, camel races, dance and music, have been specially organized for the tourists.