Literally meaning 'Land of the Kings', Rajasthan is awash with majestic palaces and imposing hilltop forts set against rich and varied topography. However, Rajasthan is a compelling destination to many tourists thanks to the excitement generated by the flamboyant religious festivals of the state, celebrated with a tinge of local fervor.

Rajasthan is at its most dazzling during the fairs and festivals. These festivals are characterized by traditional singing, dancing to the accompaniment of folk music. Some of these festivals such as Jaisalmer's Desert Festival and Pushkar Fair attract foreign tourists.

Some of the important festivals celebrated in Rajasthan are below:

Nagaur Fair: Celebretaed during the month of February, Nagaur Fair is Rajasthan's largest livestock market after Pushkar. A weeklong affair, the fair draws thousands of camels, cattle, horses and donkeys and their owners to a lakeside location, which is 135km northeast of Jodhpur.

Desert Festival: Celebrated in the golden town of Jaisalmer, the festival falls I the month of February. A two-day event, the festival attracts thousands of tourists and feature camel races, folk dances and competitions.

Elephant Festival: Special to Jaipur, Elephant Festival is celebrated with much enthusiasm. Parades of caparisoned and brightly painted elephants don the streets of Jaipur to the accompaniment of drums and trumpets. The festival ends with an excellent "elephants versus mahouts" tug-of-war.

Mewar Festival: Corresponding to the months of March and April, the festival is identical to Udaipur by the Ranas.

Gangaur: One of the most famous festivals of Rajasthan, the Gangaur festival is celebrated throughout the state. Women pray for their husbands, and unmarried girls wish for good ones. The festival is at its most exuberance in Jaisalmer. Mt Abu also witnesses this festival in a dazzling manner, where effigies of Gauri (Parvati), the consort of Shiva and Isa (Shiva) are carried through the streets amid joy and festivitiy.

Rani Sati Mela: Falling in the month of August, Rani Sati Mela in Jhunjhunu (northern Shekhawati) attracts thousands of people. They indulge in prayers to commemorate the memory of a merchant's widow who committed sati, sacrificing her life on her husband's pyre, in 1595.

Urs Mela: One of the most well known festivals in Rajasthan, the fair in Ajmer attracts devotees from all over the world. Attended by the people of all faiths, the fair is held to commemorate the life of the famous Sufi saint and teacher Muin-ud-din Chishti, who died in Ajmer in 1236.

Diwali: The festival of lights celebrated all over India. It is of particular significance to the merchant community, especially in Shekhawati region. It marks the beginning of the financial year and includes a day of worshipping to Lakshmi, goddess of wealth.

Pushkar Camel Fair: The largest and most colorful festival of Rajasthan draws tens of thousands of people and approximately 50,000 camels. A sacred dip in the waters of the Pushkar Lake is considered to be sacred for the Hindus.

Chandrabhaga Fair: generally falling in the months of November on the full moon of Kartika, the fair is celebrated in Jhalawar at the temples on the banks of the Chandrabhaga, and devotees take a bath in the river.