Nagaur Fair

The golden land of India, Rajasthan is a myriad of attractions. This magical state is not only famous for its forts and palaces, but is equally famous for the fairs and festivals. With unique significance on the lives of natives as well as the travelers, fairs of Rajasthan reflect the colourful lives of the locals and vice versa.

One such festival that exudes the glory of the state is the Nagaur Festival. Celebrated with a lot of zeal and gusto, tourists from around the world flock this place to witness the charm of this festival. Nagaur Fair of Rajasthan has the unique distinction of being the second largest cattle fair in India.

About the Festival

One of the biggest cattle fair in the country, the Nagaur Fair is organized annually during the month of Magh (between late January and early February). This massive colourful festival has over 70,000 bullocks, horses and about 25,000 camels on display every year.

Nagaur is a scenic town in Rajasthan, situated in between Bikaner and Jodhpur. This quaint little town comes alive during the Fair. Owners of the animals from all over Rajasthan camp around the outskirts of Nagaur.

The Nagaur Fair is conducted by the Animal Husbandry Department, with participation by Rajasthan Tourism Department.

When is the Fair Held?

The Nagaur Fair is held in the month of January and February every year, and lasts for four days, starting on Magh Shukla Saptami.

Major Attractions of the Fair

Cattles dressed in colourful attires, and locals as well as tourists participating in various activities is a sight to behold. The fair is renowned for trading in cows, bullocks, camels and horses. People come from hundreds of miles away to buy and sell. Apart from being a trading centre of for cattles, the fair also reflects the true spirit of living life. The rural people take on these fairs as big social events; thus take part in these fairs very excitedly with great eagerness.

The Fair also organizes horse and camel races, as well as various dancing and singing programs. Fairs witness strong social harmony and are seen as the true expression of rural people of Rajasthan.

Shopping and Recreation

Mirchi Bazaar (Red Chilli Market) is the major market in the fair. One can also shop for wooden items, leather accessories, local handicrafts and ethnic jewelry. Even the hides of animals are sold to the customers after cutting them into different designs and shapes.?

Various games are also conducted during the four day festival, like bullock races tug-of-war, cock fights and camel races etc. An exciting campfire is also organized during the evening, and jugglers, puppeteers, and story-tellers from around the country perform, to entertain tourists. As it nears evening, folk singers and artists come down on the spot to entertain the visitors and fascinate them with their lively performances.

How to reach Nagaur

By Air ?The nearest airport connecting the city is Jodhpur Airport about 135 km far. Flights from Jodhpur connect to the major destinations in India like Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur and Jaipur.

By Rail ? Jaipur Bikaner Intercity Express connects it to Jaipur and Bikaner while Howrah- Jaipur Express connects it to Kolkata. However, there are no direct trains to and from Delhi and Mumbai. One has to reach Jaipur for better train connections.

By Road ? Nagaur can be approached by two routes from Jaipur via roads. The first one is via Sikar while the other one is via Jodhpur. Rajasthan state transport operates regular services of buses.