Pushkar, in Ajmer district of Rajasthan, hosts the annual Pushkar Camel Fair, a week-long livestock-and-pilgrim event that ends on Kartik Purnima (the full moon of the Kartik month). In 2026, Kartik Purnima falls on 20 November (Friday), and the fair runs from roughly 15 to 24 November. Pushkar is also home to the principal Brahma Temple of India, one of the very few temples dedicated to Brahma; and Pushkar Lake is one of the five sacred lakes of Hinduism (Panch Sarovar). Roughly 200,000 to 600,000 visitors gather each year, with at least 50,000 camels, horses and cattle traded on the dunes outside town. This article covers the 2026 fair dates, the principal events on the lake and the dunes, the Brahma Temple, and the pilgrim circuit around the lake’s 52 ghats.
2026 Pushkar Fair dates
- Livestock trading begins: around 15 November 2026 (Kartik Shukla Ekam onwards)
- Cultural programming peaks: 18-21 November 2026
- Kartik Purnima (main pilgrim bath day): Friday, 20 November 2026
- Fair concludes: around 24 November 2026
The fair is built around the Kartik Purnima bathing window; the livestock trading and the cultural events extend on either side. The Rajasthan Tourism Board’s official calendar and the Pushkar Tehsildar office publish the year’s dates by mid-year; the dates above are the commonly published 2026 schedule.
What happens at the fair
- Livestock trade: camels, horses, cattle, sheep and goats brought from rural Rajasthan; about 50,000+ animals on the dunes adjacent to town
- Camel decoration and beauty competitions: ornately decorated camels paraded in the morning hours
- Cultural competitions: longest moustache, bridal turban-tying, kabaddi, tug-of-war between Indian and foreign teams
- Folk performances: Kalbeliya, Ghoomar, Bhopa, Manganiyar music on the main stages
- Hot air balloons and parasailing: over the dunes in the morning hours
- Handicraft and textile bazaar: Rajasthani embroidery, mojaris, brass, leather, and silver around the main market street
- Kartik Purnima snan: the principal pilgrim bath at the 52 ghats of Pushkar Lake
The Brahma Temple
The Brahma Temple at Pushkar is the principal Brahma shrine in India and one of the very few temples worldwide dedicated to Brahma. The current structure dates to the 14th century, with major repairs in the 19th and 20th centuries. The deity is a four-faced (chaturmukha) image of Brahma in the sanctum, attended by the consort Gayatri. The traditional account in the Padma Purana explains why Brahma temples are rare: Saraswati, angered at Brahma’s marriage to Gayatri during the Pushkar yajna, cursed that Brahma would be worshipped only at Pushkar; the curse is the reason for the temple’s singular status. The Brahma Temple opens daily at 5:00 AM and stays open until about 9:00 PM, with a long afternoon closure around 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM.
Pushkar Lake and the 52 ghats
Pushkar Lake is one of the five sacred lakes (Panch Sarovar) of Hinduism, along with Manasarovar, Bindu Sarovar, Narayan Sarovar and Pampa Sarovar. The lake is surrounded by 52 ghats; the principal ones for pilgrim bathing are Brahma Ghat, Gau Ghat, and Varaha Ghat. Each ghat is associated with a Rajput state that built and maintains it (Jaipur Ghat, Bhopal Ghat, Karauli Ghat, and so on). The Kartik Purnima bathing is the canonical pilgrim moment of the year; thousands of pilgrims take the bath at sunrise on the full moon day.
Other Pushkar shrines
- Savitri Temple: on Ratnagiri hill overlooking Pushkar, dedicated to Brahma’s first consort; ropeway operational, climb time about 20 minutes
- Gayatri Temple: on a hill on the other side of the lake, dedicated to the second consort
- Varaha Temple: 14th-century shrine to the Varaha avatar of Vishnu
- Rangji Temple: 19th-century Vaishnava shrine, in the Dravidian style unusually for Rajasthan
- Atmateshwar Mahadev Temple: a 12th-century Shiva shrine, the oldest in the town
A practical opinion on the visit window
For what it’s worth, the Pushkar Fair is one of the few Hindu pilgrim events that doubles as a cultural and photographic destination of global interest. International photographers and tour operators book accommodation 6 to 9 months in advance; Indian pilgrims who want to combine the fair with a Brahma Temple darshan should book by August at the latest. For a quieter Pushkar experience focused on the temple and lake alone, the post-fair window in late November to February is calmer, with the same pleasant Rajasthani winter weather but without the crowds.
Reaching Pushkar
- From Ajmer: 10 km west via NH-58; 20 minutes by taxi or 30 minutes by RSRTC bus
- By rail: Ajmer Junction is the closest railhead; the Pushkar station is on a small branch line, less convenient than Ajmer
- By air: Kishangarh Airport is 50 km east; Jaipur International Airport is 145 km east, with daily flights from major Indian cities
- By road: Jaipur to Pushkar is 145 km, about 3 hours; Jodhpur is 200 km west; Udaipur is 280 km south
Common questions
What are the rules at the lake?
Pushkar Lake is considered a sacred body of water. Photography of pilgrims bathing is permitted only with their consent; flash photography is discouraged. Footwear must be removed at the ghats. Soap, shampoo and detergents are not permitted in the lake water. Boating is not allowed; the lake is for ritual bathing only. Non-vegetarian food and alcohol are not sold or permitted within the Pushkar town limits.
Where to stay during the fair?
Rajasthan Tourism’s RTDC Hotel Sarovar is on the lake; the Pushkar Resort and several heritage haveli hotels operate in town. During the fair, the Rajasthan Tourism Department sets up a large luxury tent city on the dunes outside town, accommodating about 250 tents with western amenities; bookings open in June each year. Outside the fair window, same-day arrival in Pushkar is straightforward.
Why is the Brahma Temple so rare?
The Puranic account in the Padma Purana names Saraswati’s curse on Brahma after the Pushkar yajna marriage to Gayatri; the curse decreed Brahma’s worship would not become widespread. The historical layer is that the trimurti system of Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva, although theologically symmetrical, did not produce a strong Brahma-devotion sect in classical Indian religion the way the Vaishnava and Saiva traditions did for Vishnu and Shiva. The Pushkar Brahma Temple is the principal exception and the canonical pilgrimage for Brahma darshan.
One limitation worth noting
Pushkar Fair dates by the Gregorian calendar shift each year; the 2026 dates above are the commonly published Rajasthan Tourism schedule. Camel population at the fair has declined steadily in recent years as motorised transport replaces camels in rural Rajasthan; the fair’s character is shifting from primarily livestock-trade to a cultural-tourism event. The Brahma Temple’s afternoon closure and aarti times are revised periodically; check the on-site notice board for current slots.
For background see Pushkar Fair on Wikipedia and the Rajasthan Tourism portal.
