Jaipur, Rajasthan's Pushkar attracted more than 1.32 crore domestic tourists and 68,327 foreign visitors in 2025, with the upcoming annual fair set to offer international visitors an opportunity to participate in traditional rural games alongside locals, officials said on Sunday.
The Pushkar Fair, scheduled from November 17 to 24, will feature traditional sports, cultural performances and religious events, while a food and handicrafts festival will showcase Rajasthan's culinary and craft heritage.
According to Tourism Department data, Pushkar received 76.42 lakh domestic and 59,951 foreign tourists in 2023. The figures increased to 1.24 crore domestic and 74,726 foreign visitors in 2024.
In 2026, more than 70.88 lakh domestic tourists and 31,459 foreign visitors had arrived in Pushkar till August, the department said.
Tourism Department Joint Director Ajay Sharma said foreign tourists would participate in traditional rural games such as Langdi Tang, Sitoliya and Gilli-Danda during this year's fair.
A football match between local participants and foreign tourists is also proposed, besides tug-of-war, kabaddi, volleyball and inter-panchayat samiti rural sports competitions.
The fair will also feature camel races, camel and horse dances, turban-tying and moustache competitions, women's pot races and musical chairs.
{{/usCountry}}The fair will also feature camel races, camel and horse dances, turban-tying and moustache competitions, women's pot races and musical chairs.
{{/usCountry}}Pushkar Fair nodal officer and Tourism Department Joint Director Dalip Singh Rathore said the Food and Handicrafts Festival would be inaugurated at Shilpgram on November 20 and continue till November 23.
The festival will showcase traditional Rajasthani cuisine and handicrafts, providing local artisans and craftsmen a platform to exhibit and sell their products, he said.
Religious events, including Maha Aarti and Deepdaan at the ghats of Pushkar lake, will also be organised. Folk artistes from Rajasthan and other states will present traditional music and dance performances.
Cultural programmes will begin with the fair's inauguration on November 17, while a mega cultural event, prize distribution for various competitions and the closing ceremony will be held on November 24.
Sharma said the fair's identity was rooted in religious faith, folk traditions and rural life, adding that introducing new tourism experiences alongside traditional events would further expand its international appeal.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.