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REET L1 · Environmental Studies (EVS)

Major Fairs and Festivals of Rajasthan: Location, Date and Significance

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This page lists Rajasthan's major religious fairs, cattle fairs, folk festivals and tourism festivals, with their location and Hindu-calendar month-date, in tables. REET Level 1 EVS asks direct questions on Rajasthan's culture — REET 2024's very first shift alone had 2 questions from this topic.

  • 2 questions in REET 2024
  • Class 3-5 level
  • 8 min read
Verified 17 September 2026 · Source: Pushkar Camel Fair — Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism)

How this topic is asked in REET

REET 2024 (Level 1, first shift) carried two straightforward factual questions: 'Where is the Pandupol fair held?' (answer: Alwar) and 'Which festival is celebrated on the new-moon day of the month of Kartik?' (answer: Diwali). So two kinds of questions tend to form here — fair to location/district, and festival to Hindu month and date. The depth goes a little beyond the class 3-5 textbook, into Rajasthan-GK territory, so it pays to remember location and date together.

Major religious and folk-deity fairs of Rajasthan

FairLocationTime (Hindu month-date)Special feature
Pushkar FairPushkar (Ajmer)Kartik Shukla Ekadashi to PurnimaFamous Brahma temple and Pushkar lake; a major fair for camels and other livestock
Ramdevra FairRamdevra/Runicha (Jaisalmer)Bhadrapada Shukla Dwitiya to EkadashiFolk deity Baba Ramdev; a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity
Gogaji FairGogamedi (Hanumangarh)Around Bhadrapada Krishna Navami (Goga Navami)Folk deity Gogaji, worshipped as the deity of snakes
Tejaji Cattle FairParbatsar (Didwana-Kuchaman; earlier Nagaur)Shravan Purnima to Bhadrapada Amavasya (Teja Dashami falls on Bhadrapada Shukla Dashami)A cattle fair named after folk hero Veer Tejaji
Kaila Devi Fair (Lakhi Mela)Kaila Devi (Karauli)Chaitra Shukla AshtamiDraws lakhs of devotees; famous for the Languriya folk song
Shri Mahavirji FairShri Mahavirji (Karauli)Chaitra Shukla Trayodashi to Vaishakh Krishna PratipadaA major Jain fair; features a chariot procession (rath yatra)
Baneshwar FairBaneshwar Dham (Dungarpur)Magh Shukla Ekadashi to PurnimaAt the confluence of the Som, Mahi and Jakham rivers; called the 'Kumbh of the tribal community'
Karni Mata FairDeshnok (Bikaner)Twice a year, during Chaitra and Ashwin NavratriTemple of the 'rat goddess'
Pandupol FairPandupol (Alwar, in the Sariska area)—Temple of Hanuman; linked to the tradition of the Pandavas' period of hiding (agyatvas)
Khatu Shyamji FairKhatu (Sikar)Falgun Shukla Dashami to DwadashiDraws huge crowds for darshan of Shyam Baba
Chandrabhaga FairJhalrapatan (Jhalawar)Kartik PurnimaA cattle fair on the bank of the Chandrabhaga river
Kolayat FairKolayat (Bikaner)Kartik PurnimaAssociated with sage Kapil Muni; ritual bathing in the lake
Sitabari FairKelwara (Baran)Vaishakh Purnima to Jyeshtha AmavasyaThe main fair of the Sahariya tribal community
Mallinath Cattle FairTilwara (Balotra; earlier Barmer)Chaitra month (Krishna Ekadashi to Shukla Ekadashi)A cattle fair on the bank of the Luni river

Note: Rajasthan's districts were reorganised in 2023-24; read the options carefully if a question names a new district. In the exam, the town/place name is the safest identifier.

Major festivals of Rajasthan — month and date

FestivalHindu month-dateSpecial feature in Rajasthan
GangaurChaitra Krishna Pratipada to Chaitra Shukla TritiyaUnmarried girls worship Gauri (Isar-Gaur) for a good husband, and married women for marital fortune; a procession (sawari) is held in Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur
Hariyali TeejShravan Shukla TritiyaSwings, mehndi, lehariya prints; the Teej Mata procession in Jaipur
Kajli (Badi) TeejBhadrapada Krishna TritiyaBundi's Kajli Teej is especially famous
Raksha BandhanShravan PurnimaThe festival of the bond between brother and sister
Dussehra (Vijayadashami)Ashwin Shukla DashamiKota's Dussehra fair is well known
DiwaliKartik AmavasyaWorship of Lakshmi; homes are cleaned and decorated with lamps
HoliFalgun Purnima (Holika Dahan), followed by Dhulandi the next dayFolk dances, the chang drum and phaag songs
Makar SankrantiWhen the sun enters Capricorn (usually 14 January)Kite-flying, especially in Jaipur; charity and almsgiving

Remember: Diwali falls on the new-moon day (amavasya), while Holi, Raksha Bandhan, the Pushkar Fair and the Chandrabhaga Fair all fall on the full-moon day (purnima).

Tourism Festivals

Desert Festival
Jaisalmer — a three-day event in January or February; desert culture, camel races, folk music[Source 2]
Camel Festival
Bikaner — held in January; camel decoration and displays[Source 2]
Pushkar Fair (on the tourism calendar)
October-November, running up to Kartik Purnima; home to the world-famous Brahma temple[Source 1]
Marwar Festival
Jodhpur — held in the month of Ashwin (September-October)[Source 2]

Socio-cultural significance of fairs and festivals

From an EVS perspective, fairs and festivals are not merely a list of dates — they form part of the 'socio-cultural environment'. Many of Rajasthan's fairs and festivals are tied to the seasonal cycle and to farming, such as Teej in the monsoon, the post-harvest cattle fairs of Kartik, and Gangaur in spring. Cattle fairs (Pushkar, Tejaji, Mallinath, Chandrabhaga) involve the buying and selling of camels, bullocks and horses, which forms the backbone of the rural economy.

Fairs of folk deities (Ramdevji, Gogaji, Tejaji) carry a message of social unity and harmony — people of every religion and caste visit Ramdevra. Fairs such as Baneshwar and Sitabari keep tribal culture alive. Handicrafts, folk dances (Ghoomar, Kalbelia, Gair), folk songs and traditional attire all come together at these fairs, giving local artisans work and boosting tourism.

For a class 3-5 child, a fair is often the closest personal experience of EVS in action — nearly every child has been to some fair or another. So a teacher can easily connect this topic to other EVS themes too — Food (fair-time snacks), Travel (how they got to the fair), Work (shopkeepers, artisans, cattle-herders) and Water (the lake or riverbank the fair is held on).

How to teach children

Classroom activity (Classes 3-5)

'Our festival calendar' — divide the class into 12 groups, one for each Hindu month. Each group puts a picture of its month's fair or festival, its date, and how it's celebrated at home onto a chart. By the end, the wall shows a complete year-long cycle.

Teaching aids

An outline map of Rajasthan on which children stick markers for each fair's location; photographs of fairs; interviews with local elders or parents; and audio clips of folk songs.

Common misconceptions

(1) 'Diwali falls on a full-moon day' — Diwali actually falls on the new-moon day of Kartik. (2) 'The Pushkar Fair is only a tourist event' — it is fundamentally a religious and cattle fair. (3) 'Ramdevra and Gogamedi are in the same district' — Ramdevra is in Jaisalmer and Gogamedi is in Hanumangarh. (4) Children often assume that however their own family celebrates is the one 'correct' way — teach respect for diversity here.

Assessment approach

Have children mark the locations of five fairs on a map, write a picture-based account of 'what I saw at the fair', and check matching exercises (fair to place, festival to month) with a rubric. A small project on the fair held in one's own village makes a good portfolio piece.

Memory trick / exam tip

Bhadrapada is the month of folk deities: 'Goga Navami (Krishna paksha), Ramdev — Dwitiya to Ekadashi (Shukla paksha), Teja Dashami (Shukla paksha).' And on Kartik Purnima, three fairs happen — Pushkar, Chandrabhaga and Kolayat — remember them together as 'PCK'.

Questions asked in REET 2024 (with solutions)

Question 125

Where is the Pandupol fair held ?

  1. Aजयपुर
  2. Bअजमेर
  3. Cअलवर
  4. Dपण्डेर

Explanation

पांडुपोल अलवर जिले में सरिस्का क्षेत्र में स्थित है, जहाँ हनुमान जी का प्रसिद्ध मंदिर है और यहाँ पांडुपोल मेला भरता है। मान्यता है कि पांडवों ने अज्ञातवास के समय यहाँ समय बिताया था।

Question 132

Select the festival from the following, which is celebrated on new moon of the Kartika month.

  1. Aहोली
  2. Bदिवाली
  3. Cदशहरा
  4. Dरक्षाबंधन

Explanation

दीपावली (दिवाली) कार्तिक मास की अमावस्या को मनाई जाती है। होली फाल्गुन पूर्णिमा को, दशहरा आश्विन शुक्ल दशमी को और रक्षाबंधन श्रावण पूर्णिमा को मनाया जाता है।

Practice Questions

Question 1

The Baneshwar fair, called the 'Kumbh of tribals', is held in which district?

  1. Aबाँसवाड़ा
  2. Bडूंगरपुर
  3. Cउदयपुर
  4. Dबारां

Explanation

The Baneshwar Fair, called the 'Kumbh of the tribal community', is held in Dungarpur at the confluence of the Som, Mahi and Jakham rivers. Baran's Sitabari Fair is linked with the Sahariya tribal community.

Question 2

In which Hindu month is the Ramdevra fair held?

  1. Aचैत्र
  2. Bश्रावण
  3. Cभाद्रपद
  4. Dकार्तिक

Explanation

The Ramdevra fair (Jaisalmer), honouring Baba Ramdev, runs from Bhadrapada Shukla Dwitiya to Ekadashi. The Pushkar Fair falls in Kartik and the Kaila Devi Fair falls in Chaitra.

Question 3

Which of the following fairs is NOT held on Kartik Purnima?

  1. Aपुष्कर मेला
  2. Bचंद्रभागा मेला
  3. Cकोलायत मेला
  4. Dबेणेश्वर मेला

Explanation

The Baneshwar Fair is held from Magh Shukla Ekadashi to Purnima. The Pushkar, Chandrabhaga (Jhalrapatan) and Kolayat (Bikaner) fairs are all tied to Kartik Purnima.

Question 4

The fair at Gogamedi is associated with which folk deity?

  1. Aतेजाजी
  2. Bगोगाजी
  3. Cपाबूजी
  4. Dरामदेवजी

Explanation

The fair at Gogamedi (Hanumangarh) honours Gogaji and falls around Goga Navami. Tejaji's fair is at Parbatsar and Ramdevji's fair is at Ramdevra.

Question 5

On which tithi does the Gangaur festival culminate?

  1. Aचैत्र शुक्ल तृतीया
  2. Bश्रावण शुक्ल तृतीया
  3. Cभाद्रपद कृष्ण तृतीया
  4. Dकार्तिक अमावस्या

Explanation

Gangaur worship begins on Chaitra Krishna Pratipada and concludes on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya. Shravan Shukla Tritiya is Hariyali Teej and Bhadrapada Krishna Tritiya is Kajli Teej.

Question 6

The Lakhi fair of Kaila Devi is held in which district?

  1. Aकरौली
  2. Bसवाई माधोपुर
  3. Cधौलपुर
  4. Dभरतपुर

Explanation

The Kaila Devi temple is in Karauli district, where the Lakhi Mela is held on Chaitra Shukla Ashtami. The Shri Mahavirji Jain fair is also held in Karauli.

Question 7

Where is the 'Camel Festival' of Rajasthan Tourism held?

  1. Aजैसलमेर
  2. Bबीकानेर
  3. Cबाड़मेर
  4. Dजोधपुर

Explanation

The Camel Festival is held in Bikaner in January. Jaisalmer holds the Desert Festival and Jodhpur holds the Marwar Festival.

Question 8

What is the most effective way to help Class 4 children learn the locations of Rajasthan's fairs?

  1. Aमेलों की सूची दस बार लिखवाना
  2. Bराजस्थान के मानचित्र पर बच्चों से स्थान चिह्नित करवाना और अपने देखे मेले के अनुभव साझा करवाना
  3. Cकेवल शिक्षक द्वारा व्याख्यान देना
  4. Dमेलों के नाम की सूची परीक्षा से एक दिन पहले देना

Explanation

Map-work combined with children sharing their own fair experiences builds both spatial understanding and interest, which fits EVS's experience-based teaching approach. Rote lists and one-way lectures are less effective.

Question 9

In a 'Our Festival Calendar' project, a child writes that Deepawali is celebrated on Kartik Purnima. What should the teacher do?

  1. Aउत्तर काटकर शून्य अंक देना
  2. Bपंचांग/कैलेंडर दिखाकर अमावस्या और पूर्णिमा का अंतर खोजने देना कि दीपावली की रात चाँद क्यों नहीं दिखता
  3. Cगलती को अनदेखा करना
  4. Dबच्चे को कक्षा के सामने टोकना

Explanation

Diwali is celebrated on Kartik Amavasya. Turning the misconception into a discovery opportunity — checking a calendar and connecting it to why the moon isn't visible on Diwali night — is the right approach to formative assessment; cutting marks or scolding doesn't help learning.

Question 10

Which of the following pairs is NOT correctly matched?

  1. Aकरणी माता मेला — देशनोक
  2. Bखाटू श्यामजी मेला — सीकर
  3. Cसीताबाड़ी मेला — केलवाड़ा (बारां)
  4. Dचंद्रभागा मेला — तिलवाड़ा

Explanation

The Chandrabhaga Fair is held at Jhalrapatan (Jhalawar); Tilwara hosts the Mallinath Cattle Fair. The other three pairs are all correctly matched.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions come from Rajasthan's fairs and festivals in REET?+

The number isn't fixed. REET 2024 Level 1's first shift had 2 questions from this topic; combined with related topics like Rajasthan's culture, attire and folk deities, this portion of EVS grows even larger.

Which fair is called the 'Kumbh of the tribal community'?+

Dungarpur's Baneshwar Fair, held at the confluence of the Som, Mahi and Jakham rivers from Magh Shukla Ekadashi to Purnima.

When and where is the Pushkar Fair held?+

In Pushkar, Ajmer district, from Kartik Shukla Ekadashi to Kartik Purnima. It's famous both religiously, for the Brahma temple and Pushkar lake, and economically, for its camel and cattle trade.

What are Rajasthan's major cattle fairs?+

The Pushkar Fair (Pushkar, Kartik), the Veer Tejaji Cattle Fair (Parbatsar, Shravan Purnima to Bhadrapada Amavasya), the Mallinath Cattle Fair (Tilwara-Balotra, Chaitra) and the Chandrabhaga Cattle Fair (Jhalrapatan, Kartik Purnima). These involve the buying and selling of camels, bullocks, horses and other livestock.

Where is the Pandupol Fair held?+

In Pandupol, in the Sariska area of Alwar district, home to a famous Hanuman temple. Tradition holds that the Pandavas spent time here during their period of hiding.

Read next

The State Assembly and Parliament

Previous topic: the structure of the state assembly and parliament

Attire and Ornaments of Rajasthan

Next topic: traditional dress, turbans and ornaments

REET Syllabus

The full official syllabus for Level 1 EVS and every subject

REET 2024 Solved Paper

Questions from every shift, with official answers and explanations

Rajasthan GK Library

All notes on Rajasthan's history, geography and art-culture

Official Sources

  1. Pushkar Camel Fair — Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism)
  2. Rajasthan Tourism Department — Fairs and Festivals
  3. BSER — REET 2024 official question papers and final answer keys (original PDFs; no longer hosted on the board portal)

Change Log

  • 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked