Pushkar Mela 2026: Dates, Fair Guide and How to Reach from Jaipur

The 2026 dates, day by day

The fair opens in two stages. The animal fair — camels, horses and cattle arriving for trade — begins on 10 November. The official opening with flag hoisting is on 17 November at 10 am, and the Tourism Department's cultural programme runs until 24 November. The livestock side of the fair closes on 26 November.

The religious calendar sits inside those dates: the religious fair begins on Dev Uthani Ekadashi, 20 November, and the biggest single moment is the Kartik Purnima holy dip in Pushkar Lake on 24 November, which is also the closing day of the official programme.

• 10 November — camel and cattle trading begins on the fair ground.
• 17 November — official opening, flag hoisting at 10 am.
• 17–24 November — cultural programme, camel and horse competitions, folk performances.
• 20 November — Dev Uthani Ekadashi; the religious fair begins.
• 24 November — Kartik Purnima; main holy dip in Pushkar Lake and the closing ceremony.
• 26 November — animal fair officially closes.

What you actually see at the fair

Pushkar Mela is the world's largest camel and livestock fair, and the first thing you notice is simply the scale — thousands of camels and horses camped around the fair ground with their owners. Beyond the trading, the fair has become a spectacle: camel and horse competitions, the famous matka phod and longest moustache contests, a bridal competition, folk music and dance on the fair ground, and the exhibition football match between local Pushkar Club and a team of foreign tourists.

The other half of Pushkar has nothing to do with camels. The town around the lake holds 52 bathing ghats and the Brahma Temple, and during the fair the evening aarti at the lake is one of the best moments of the day. Entry to the fair ground is free.

Which days to be in Pushkar

• For photographers and the fullest fair ground: 17–20 November, before the largest crowds arrive.
• For the competition and cultural programme: any day between 17 and 24 November.
• For the religious experience: 20–24 November, peaking on Kartik Purnima itself — expect very heavy crowds at the ghats on 24 November.
• Avoid arriving on 24 November morning if large religious crowds are a concern; the lake area is busiest that morning.

Planning the trip from Jaipur

Pushkar is about 145 km from Jaipur, roughly three hours by road via Ajmer. For the fair, a same-day return is possible but wastes the best part of the experience: the fair ground is atmospheric early in the morning and again at sunset, so an overnight stay works far better.

Accommodation is the real constraint. Rooms in Pushkar fill weeks ahead for the main programme days, and prices for whatever remains rise sharply. If Pushkar itself is full, Ajmer — 15 km away — is the practical fallback, and many visitors during the mela stay there and commute in.

Expect traffic restrictions and parking bottlenecks around the fair ground during the main days. Vehicles drop passengers at designated parking areas and the last stretch is walked, so keep luggage light and arrive before mid-morning.

Which vehicle to book

For two to four travellers, a sedan is enough for the Jaipur–Ajmer–Pushkar highway. For families or groups of five and above, an Innova or a tempo traveller keeps everyone together and handles the fair-week traffic better with an experienced local driver.

During mela week, book the vehicle for fixed dates in advance rather than trying to arrange transport on arrival — fair week is the single busiest stretch of the year on this route, and same-day availability is unreliable.