Pushkar Mela 2026: flag-hoisting on November 17, holy dip on Kartik Purnima

The Pushkar Mela 2026, the annual fair at the holy town of Pushkar in Rajasthan's Ajmer district, will be opened with a flag-hoisting on Tuesday, 17 November 2026, Ajmer's District Collector Lok Bandhu said while releasing the fair's official programme booklet and poster. The Rajasthan Tourism Department's main cultural programme runs from 17 to 24 November, ending on Kartik Purnima, when pilgrims take the main holy dip in Pushkar Lake. The district administration has fixed a wider fair period, including the livestock fair, from 10 to 26 November.

The Pushkar fair is one of India's best-known religious and cultural gatherings. It brings together two very different traditions at the same time. For pilgrims, it is tied to Kartik Purnima, the full-moon day of the month of Kartik, when, according to tradition, a bath in Pushkar Lake is especially meritorious. For herders and traders from across Rajasthan and neighbouring states, it is a large livestock market, where camels, horses and cattle are bought and sold, and where competitions and folk performances draw tourists from India and abroad.

The two calendars explain the different dates readers may see. The livestock trading usually begins earlier, which is why the district administration's fair period starts on 10 November. The Tourism Department's programme of cultural events, competitions and performances is concentrated in the week before Kartik Purnima, from 17 to 24 November. Visitors who come for the animal fair and the herders' camps should plan for the earlier days; those who want the cultural events and the full-moon bathing should aim for the later week.

For the town, the fair is also an economic event. Hotels, tented camps, transport operators, craftspeople and food sellers in and around Pushkar depend on the visitors it brings. That is why the administration plans traffic, security, health services and sanitation for the period well in advance.

For travellers, the practical point is that exact daily schedules are often finalised close to the event. The official programme released by the district administration and the Rajasthan Tourism Department's calendar are the sources to check, rather than older guides.

Peepals timeline: Photo reports on 5 November 2026 showed preparations under way for the camel fair. The district administration then released the official programme booklet and poster, with the overall fair period set for 10 to 26 November. The livestock fair period begins on 10 November, the formal opening with flag-hoisting is on 17 November, the Tourism Department's cultural programme runs until 24 November, which is Kartik Purnima and the day of the main holy dip, and the fair period closes on 26 November.

Short-term: Pushkar and the Ajmer-Pushkar road will see heavy crowds from mid-November, peaking around Kartik Purnima on 24 November. Visitors should expect high demand for rooms and camps.

Long-term: The fair remains a mainstay of tourism in Ajmer district and an important market for camel and livestock herders, whose livelihoods depend on these traditional trading events.

Who is affected: Pilgrims, domestic and foreign tourists, livestock herders and traders, hotels and camp operators in Pushkar, and the Ajmer district administration.

What to watch next: The formal opening on 17 November 2026 and the Kartik Purnima holy dip on 24 November 2026.

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