Pushkar Camel Fair: Dates, Tickets & Venue (Pushkar)

Sand, Camels and a Holy Lake

Pushkar does two things at once in November. On the dunes west of town, herders from across Rajasthan camp with their camels, horses and cattle. Their animals are trimmed, painted and hung with beads for trading. A short walk east, pilgrims fill the 52 ghats around Pushkar Lake.

The 2026 fair runs November 17-24. It closes on Kartik Purnima, the full moon of the Hindu month of Kartik. That is the most auspicious night to bathe in the lake, and the busiest one in town.

How the Week Unfolds

The calendar moves from trade to faith. Plan around the part you came for.

• Opening days: the livestock trading is at its peak. Herders bargain between tents of patterned cloth, and the dunes are packed with animals.
• Middle days: the official programme on the mela ground takes over. Rajasthan Tourism has a history of staging camel races, moustache contests, turban-tying and folk music here.
• Final days: the crowds grow as pilgrims arrive for the Kartik Purnima dip at the lake.

Most people find two or three days enough. Arrive at the start if you want to see working camels rather than a show.

Getting to Pushkar

Pushkar is a small town in the Aravalli hills. Nothing reaches the centre directly except road.

• Rail: Ajmer Junction, about 15 km away, has the best connections from Delhi and Jaipur. Taxis and buses cross the Nag Pahar ridge to Pushkar. Pushkar’s own station has only a few trains.
• Air: Kishangarh Airport is the closest. Jaipur International Airport, about three hours by road, has many more flights.
• On arrival: the centre is a tangle of lanes around the lake. Cars stop on the edge of town, so expect to walk the last stretch to the ghats and mela ground.

Accommodation fills fast for fair week. RTDC and private operators put up tent camps near the grounds. Book early, and confirm timing and tickets on the official site. The mela ground is open public space, and paid stands and camps post their own prices.

Moving Through a Holy Town

Pushkar is a pilgrimage town first. Its rules apply on every day of the fair.

• Food and drink: meat and alcohol are banned within town limits, and most menus also leave out eggs. Rajasthani thalis, malpua and lassi are the standard fare around the market.
• At the ghats: take your shoes off before stepping down to the water. Do not photograph bathers, and on Kartik Purnima keep your camera away entirely.
• The flower offer: men on the ghats may hand you petals and start a puja. They then ask for a “donation” for your family. Politely refuse the flowers before anything starts.
• Photographing herders: ask first. Some will expect a tip, so agree on it before you raise the camera.
• Paying: UPI and cards work in hotels and bigger restaurants. Herders, chai stalls and camel-cart drivers deal in cash.

Fit in Brahma Temple, one of the few in India dedicated to Brahma, which sits a few lanes from the lake. Then take the ropeway up to Savitri Temple on Ratnagiri hill, where you can look down on the tents spread across the dunes.