Jhalawar : Fair & Festivals in Jhalawar

Chandrabhaga Kartik Fair (October - November)

On the banks of river Chandrabhaga, in the month of Kartik, a large cattle fair next in the size to that of Pushkar fair is held on the occasion of Kartik Purnima. Pilgrims from Hadoti region and parts of the neighboring state Madhya Pradesh come and bathe in the holy waters of Chandrabhaga river. The peasants bathe and worship, are variously entertained, and delight in the dazzling wares of the roadside stalls and small shops. Various cultural activities are held by Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC).

Thousands gather on the full moon night of Kartik Purnima to take a holy dip in the river. A big cattle fair, which blends religion with commerce, is held here. Livestock include Cows, Buffaloes, Camels and Bullocks.

The fair provides ample opportunity to the tourist to acquaint themselves with the people of this region, their culture and traditions.


	Holi (March)
	Holi, the most widely celebrated seasonal festival signals the end of winter and the coming of spring. Known as the 'festival of colors', on this day, groups of people go around smearing one another with 'gulal', colorful powder, and colorful water.

	Gangaur (March-April)
	A festival of maidens and married women, it is dedicated to Gauri, a manifestation of Goddess Parvati. Women pray for their husbands and girls entreat the Goddess for a good groom.

	Id-Ul-Fitr , Id-Ul-Zuha, Id-e-Milad
	The most important festivals for Muslims are the Eids. These are celebrated to commemorate the ritual sacrifice (Id-ul-Zuha - Bakr-id), conclusion of the month of fasting (Id-ul-Fitr - Ramzan-id) and the birth of the prophet (Id-e-Milad - Milad-un-Nabi). Eid is celebrated with a ritual Namaz - prayer - offering in a mosque, festive eating, exchange of gifts, donning of new clothes and dabbing of attar-rose essence. The sweetmeat most commonly associated with the Eid is Sevai or Semolina bands. These strands, boiled in sweetened milk and garnished with nuts. They are served dry as well as with milk.

	Dussehra (September - October)
	This festival marks the triumph of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana. Ramlilas (Theatrical enactments) are held and finally cracker-laden effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhkarna, and son Meghnath are set on fire to the delight of thousands.

	Diwali (October - November)
	This festival of lights is celebrated to mark the return of Lord Rama to his birthplace Ayodhya, with deafening cracker-bursts and dazzling fireworks that light up the evening sky.