Nagaur, Rajasthan
One of the colorful and vibrant states in India, Rajasthan is there to lure you with its beauty, traditional dresses, ancient rituals, colorful fairs and festivals. In the festive season in Rajasthan, vibrancy, enthusiasm, colors, happiness characterizes the atmosphere of the state. Festivals and fairs are an integral part of the lives of people out there in Rajasthan. The festivals are the best way to explore the region and have a clear picture of Rajasthan and its people that is surely very fascinating. Fairs and festivals in Rajasthan offer a beautiful opportunity for people to explore the lifestyle, traditions and culture of the people in the state. Among the many places in Rajasthan that are quite popular for the festivals and fairs, Nagaur is a famous one.
Mentions of Nagaur can be found in ancient scriptures and Epics like Mahabharata. In the Mahabharata, it is said that the Ahichhatrapur kingdom that was conquered by Arjun and offered to Dronacharya was actually a portion of the Nagaur district. Nagaur is the birth place of Meera and Abul Fazal and also has a Parsawanath Temple located at Merta, a charbhuja and the Dargah of Sufi Saint Tarkin. Nagaur has also seen the gallantry of the Great Rao Amar Singh Rathor who bravely challenged the Mughal Empire. An old fort at Nagaur bears testimony to the famous tales of valor of the ancient rulers.
Nagaur District is located amidst 7 districts, Bikaner, Sikar, Churu, Ajmer, Jaipur, Pali, and Jodhpur. The 5th largest district in Rajasthan, Nagaur has a vast terrain that sprawls over an area of 17,718 square kilometer. The region is a beautiful combination of hills, sand mounds, plain etc. It forms a part of the great Indian Thar Desert. Prior to the merger of the states, Nagaur belonged to the state of Jodhpur.
The district of Nagaur is a land of festivals and fairs. These fairs form an important part of the lives of the rural people, who eagerly wait for the festivals to appear. These social events serve as a beautiful opportunity for the people to gather and indulge in merry making. The fairs are also a source of livelihood for the people in Nagaur. Among the popular festivals are the Nagaur Fair, Ramdeo Cattle Fair, Baldeo Cattle Fair and Veer Tejaji Fair.
Among the several places of interest that you can pay a visit are the Nagaur Fort, Tarkeen Dargah, Glass Jain Temple and Amar Singh Rathore Ki Chhatri.
Nagaur Fair
The Nagaur Fair at Jodhpur happens to be India’s second biggest fair, continuing for eight days. The fair takes place every year in the months of January and February. Nagaur happens to be one of the fascinating towns in Rajasthan and the Nagaur Fair makes the place even more charming and fascinating!
Also know as the Nagaur Cattle fair, most important feature of the Nagaur Fair happens to be the trading of numerous camels and cattle. More than 70,000 camels, bullocks and horses are traded in this fair, every year. The animals are beautifully decked up along with their masters who are seen dressed up in the best of clothes and colorful turbans. Innumerable animals are magnificently decorated with several accessories that offer a vibrant look to the animals. Trading of spices and sheep to Marwari horses also takes place. Other attractions consist of the Mirchi bazaar, which is India’s largest red-chilly markets, the wooden items, camel leather accessories iron-crafts and many more.
Several sports activities and unique events make the Nagaur Fair an interesting one sports activity also in the fair. You can take pleasure in tug-of-war, beauty contests of the camels, camel races, bullock races and cock fights. Nagaur festival is also among the sought after fairs in India for offering entertainments to the puppeteers, jugglers, storytellers, folk dance and music and many more. Nagaur Fair is surely fascinating and the events will definitely offer you an experience of a life time. Apart from the business, the visitors at the Nagaur fair gets an excellent chance to delve deep into the traditional diversity of engrossing activities and events. Sport events contribute for the fun element at the Cattle fair. Folk music and dance however, steals the show!
The fair gives the local people a platform whereby the diverse artworks of Rajasthan, jewelry items, beads, saddles, strings, saddle-straps and cowries, household items, brassware, woolen blankets, silver ornaments, bead necklaces, printed textiles, patchwork, tie ‘n’ dye fabrics etc are displayed for sale. So in a way the festival acts has a great source of livelihood for the villagers. Food stalls with varied mouth-watering dishes can be found at the Nagaur Fair
In the year 2010, the Nagaur Fair took place from 20th January 2010 to 28th January 2010. In 2011, the festival will commence on 10th of February and continue till 13th of February, 2011.
Royal Safari Camp
Every year on the occasion of the Nagaur a Royal Safari camp is organized. Surrounded with flowers and sand dunes, the ground is well-maintained by the villagers in a way how the old farming nurtures our environment. Tented accommodations are organized at the Royal Safari Camp at Jaisalmer on the occasion of the New Year.
At present, 40 Non A.C. tents and 20 luxury A.C. tents, that is 60 tents in total are put up for offering accommodation to the people who come down to enjoy the amazing Nagaur Fair. Luxuriously and beautifully designed tents, with well-appointed bedrooms, private verandah and large bathrooms make it an amazing experience for the tourists. With contemporary interiors though, the Royal Safari Camp doesn’t fail to maintain and portray the traditional feel of the state of Rajasthan through the uses of marbles, blue pottery and other items.
How to Get To Nagaur
Air: Jodhpur is the nearest airport from Nagaur and is located at a distance of 138 km. Daily flights connect the region to Mumbai, Delhi, Udaipur, Mumbai, Jaipur and Udaipur.
Rail: Nagaur is well linked to Kolkata by Howrah-Jaipur Express and to Jaipur by Jaipur-Bikaner Intercity Express.
Road: Regular buses ply in between Jodhpur and Nagaur. Other regions in Rajasthan are also connected to Nagaur by buses.
Accommodation at Nagaur
If you are looking to come down to Naguar for the very popular, Nagaur Fair, you can put up a stay at any of the hotels in the region like-
- The Pride Hotel
- Khimsar Fort (Welcom Heritage Group Hotels)
- Hotel Mahaveer International
- Royal Camp (Mobile Camp)
- Centre Point Hotel
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