Rani Sati Mela (Aug). Vast crowds gather for this day of prayers and dances in Jhunjhunu (northern Shekhawati), in memory of a merchant's widow who committed sati , sacrificing her life on her husband's pyre, in 1595.

Urs Mela (Oct). Tens of thousands of Muslims converge on the Dargah in Ajmer for the subcontinent's largest Islamic festival, commemorating the life of the Sufi saint and teacher Muin-ud-din Chishti, who died here in 1236. For weeks before it, you'll see busloads of pilgrims and pirs (wandering holy men) heading towards the shrine, where worship culminates in performances by India and Pakistan's top qawwali singers.

Diwali (Nov). A five-day festival of lights celebrated across India but of particular importance to the merchant community, especially in Shekhawati, since it marks the start of the financial year and includes a day of praises to Lakshmi, goddess of wealth. Hundreds of delicious sweets are cooked and exchanged by families and friends.
 

Pushkar Camel Fair (Nov). Rajasthan's largest and most colorful festival attracts an estimated 200,000 people and 50,000 camels, camped in the dunes around the sacred lake at Pushkar, where a holy dip at this time is considered especially auspicious. Still an unmissable spectacle, despite the vastly inflated accommodation prices and tourist deluge.

Chandrabhaga Fair (Nov). The full moon of Kartika is celebrated in Jhalawar at the temples on the banks of the Chandrabhaga, and devotees bathe in the river. Back
 

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