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Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2024 in Rajasthan

Jaisalmer – A place stands magnificently in a rugged landscape where the exquisite beauty of the desert glows with all its beams full-dazzling, where the rays of the twilight bring branched thoughts, new grown with thrill and excitement, where the magical golden sandcastle rises like a sun from Rajasthan’s Thar Desert and where the chill of the nightfall brings tranquillity in the fiery sand.

This atmospheric land is a melange of magnificent architectural wonders, old havelis, mystical Jain temples and enchanting maze-like lanes. It is difficult to grasp enchanted desert mysteries in its totality, one needs to embrace its unpredictability to embrace its soul. It is not wrong to say that Jaisalmer is the heart of Rajasthan Tourism.

To understand the true essence of the magical city of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan Tourism Department organises a three-day celebration – Jaisalmer Desert Festival, in the month of February every year. As the festival is around the corner, here is all the information for the Jaisalmer desert festival 2024.

Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2024 Dates: 22 to 24 Feb 2024

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About Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2024

Jaisalmer Desert Tourism Festival

Desert Festival in Jaisalmer is an annual event of three days held in the month of Magh (February), before the full moon with pomp and pride. The last day falls on the full moon day. This year the Desert Festival will be held on 22- 24 February. The festival has various programmes placed at different venues in and around Jaisalmer concluding at Sam Dunes which is 42 km from the city of Jaisalmer.

Jaisalmer Desert Festival is one of its kind and takes you on a mesmerizing journey of experiencing the city’s rich cultural heritage of performing arts, local artistry, beautiful wood carvings, and lip-smacking regional delicacies. Artists, musicians and dancers from various parts of Rajasthan paint Jaisalmer into a beautiful canvas of fun, thrill and excitement.

In these three days, you will be amazed to see the colours and contrast, the fun and the thrill of the golden city – Jaisalmer. The experience of witnessing such beautiful landscapes amid the barren lands of Thar may feel like a mirage but stays with you for a lifetime. It is one of the most popular cultural events of Jaisalmer which makes sightseeing in Rajasthan more interesting. The basic structure of the Jaisalmer Desert Festival remains the same every year with the occasional addition of some new events.

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Top Things to Do in Jaisalmer Desert Festival Rajasthan

Dance Jaisalmer Desert Festival

  • Tune into the blissful vibes and melodies of folk musicians under the beautiful starry night. Sooth your ears with a special folk song dedicated to camel’s necklace called Gorband.
  • Let the beautiful sunset and moonlight blow your heart away. To photographers Jaisalmer desert festival 2024 will be a wonderful opportunity to click the pictures of scenic landscapes of Jaisalmer.
  • Explore the vast desert on camels, an exclusive adventure activity of Jaisalmer tourism. Sights of the spectacular dunes of Thar desert is an experience of a lifetime.
  • Dance in the rhythm of folk dancers dressed in colourful costumes, The Gair Dance, Ghoomar Dance, Fire Dance, breathtaking Jugglery performance and gymnastic acts by kalabaz.
  • Engage in the thrill and excitement of beautifully dressed camels ready to win the best dressed camel competition. Camel polo, Camel dance and Camel race are the top things to do in Jaisalmer Desert Festival.
  • Enrich your experience of Jaisalmer Desert Festival by participating in unique events like Turban Tying, Mr Desert pageant and largest mustache contest.
  • Let the lip-smacking regional delicacies like Dal Bati Churma ,Gatte ki sabzi be the meditation to your mind. There are many local food stalls to tickle your taste buds.
  • Let the shopper in you feel excited by buying souvenirs, handicrafts, jewellery, Traditional Rajasthani attires, home decor, thread work, mirrors and many more.
  • Camp near the Sand Dunes in luxury camps under the starlit sky.
  • Display of Snake Charmers, Puppet Shows, Acrobatics, Panihari Matka Race will elevate your experience of Jaisalmer Desert Festival to an unparalleled level.

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A Brief History of Jaisalmer Desert Festival

Camel Safari Desert Festival Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer Desert Festival goes back to Hindu Mythology. It is said that Lord Krishna once said to Arjuna that one of the rulers of Yadava clan would build his kingdom on Trikuta hills. His prophecy became true.

Rana Maharaval Jaisal, who belonged to the Yaduvanshi Rajpur clan, did ruled here and made the Jaisalmer Fort on the Trikuta Hill in 1156 CE. The fort is one of the few “Living Forts” in the world and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Maharaval Jaisal belongs to the Yaduvanshi Rajput clan mentioned in the Rig Veda.

Visiting Jaisalmer will add much more to your experiences than the activities of Jaisalmer Desert festival. The spectacular sightseeing of the city itself elevates the experience to a different level.

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Other Top Tourist Attractions in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

Jaisalmer Fort Rajasthan

If not for the Jaisalmer Desert Festival in 2024, you can visit Jaisalmer for the spectacular sites it is packed with. Jaisalmer itself is a popular winter getaway in India and is also one of the exotic honeymoon destinations. Further, the city is dotted with traces of several sandstone heritage sites from the yore… revealing a wealthy history of the place. It also unfolds the indigenous Jain culture that reflects from carved walls and pillars of ancient Jain temples secluded within the Jaisalmer Fort. These temples exhibit the unique Dilwara style of paintings and architecture. Amongst the Jain temples, those dating back from 12th century to 15th century are dedicated to various Jain Hermits, locally known as Tirthankars. Further, the intrinsically carved works dilate various human and animal figures. Other major attractions of the fortress city, Jaisalmer, are the Royal Palace and Laxminath Temples. Moreover, the desert safari in Jaisalmer is one of the most demanded activities.

Best Places to Visit in and around Jaisalmer During the Desert Festival

Kuldhara Village – 21 km from Jaisalmer lays the ghostly, abandoned village of Kuldhara which looks magnificent even in ruins. These ruins left behind the mysterious stories of Palliwal Brahmins. The village is more than 200 years old and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. You can easily spend a couple of hours exploring. It is one of the top tourist attractions in Jaisalmer.

Jaisalmer Fort – This gigantic and alluring sandcastle rises like a sun from Rajasthan’s Thar Desert. The very vision of the desert fortress is enough to lure tourists. The Thar Desert set in the background gives it a magical and picturesque vibe. Jaisalmer Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is also known as Sonar Killa. It is one of the most visited destinations in Jaisalmer. Nearly one-fourth of the city population lives inside the walls of the fort making it the heart of Jaisalmer tourism.

Tanot Mata TempleTanot Mata Temple is located close to the Pakistan border. During the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, more than 3000 bomb shells fell near it but it could not even blemish it. This highly revered temple of the desert is dedicated to Hinglaj Mata and is one of the most visited spiritual attractions in Jaisalmer. The miraculous story of the temple also lures the tourists even more to pay obeisance to the goddess. The temple is maintained by the officials of the Indian Army.

Lodhruva – Lodhruva is famous for a Jain temple dedicated to 23rd Thirthankar Parshwanath and a wishing tree known as Kalp Vriksh. This architectural beauty of the temple will blow your heart away. It is also the ancient capital of Jaisalmer thus a significant part of Jaisalmer tourism.

Khuri Village – located 50 km from Jaisalmer, Khuri village is less crowded. The main attraction of this village is its mesmerizing sand dunes. It is one of the offbeat destinations in Jaisalmer. Get ready for a mind-boggling experience of spending a night in the desert under the starlit sky. Activities like camel race, camel polo, folk songs, Kalbelia dance and lip-smacking regional delicacies make Khuri village one of the best in terms of experience and a thrilling part of Rajasthan tourism.

Akal Wood Fossil Park– It is one of the top tourist attractions in Jaisalmer. One can see the remains of ancient flora of the forest in the form of tree fossils which are more than 180 million years old.  Akal Wood Fossil Park is a perfect destination for nature geologists, tourists and historians.

Vyas Chhatri – Despite being a cremation ground, the grandeur of Vyas Chhatri has been drawing tourists for ages. This is dedicated to the Sage Vyas who wrote the epic poem Mahabharata. Cenotaphs, intricately designed Chhatris, and carvings on the pillars make Vyas Chhatri an interesting site for tourism in Jaisalmer.

How to Reach Jaisalmer?

Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2024 venues are all set in and around Jaisalmer city. One can easily reach Jaisalmer by road from different cities in Rajasthan. The city also hosts its own railway station that connects to the farthest corners of India. Daily buses and trains ply from Jaipur, Udaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur and New Delhi to Jaisalmer which makes it an easy getaway for travellers. Further, Jaisalmer Airport, which is only operational between the months of October and March, has direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur.

“Enjoy the Desert Festival in Jaisalmer with the well-planned tour with Tour My India at an affordable price. Call +91-9212777223/24 for more information.”

Other Important Jaisalmer Tourism Links

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q.What are top adventure activities to do in Jaisalmer?

Some of the top fun and adventure activities to do in Jaisalmer-

  • Parasailing
  • Camel Safari
  • Quad Biking
  • Jeep Safari
  • Paramotoring
  • Boating at Gadisar Lake

Q.What are the top lip-smacking regional delicacies in Jaisalmer?

Some of the top lip-smacking delicacies in Jaisalmer are-

  • Dal Bati Churma
  • Mohan Thaal
  • Laal Maas
  • Kala Chana Kadhi
  • Pyaaz ki kachodi
  • Gatte ki sabzi
  • Ker Sagri

Q.Does Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2024 provide facilities for money exchange?

Yes, money exchange facilities are available in Jaisalmer Desert Festival. There are portable money exchange stalls in case you need to exchange currencies. Moreover, most of the shops accept credit, debit cards and mobile wallet payments.

Q.Where to stay in Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2024?

Varity of accommodation options will be available to the tourists for a comfortable stay. Accommodation categories like Luxury tents, En-suite rest rooms, Luxury resorts, Havelies are the best options to stay in Jaisalmer Desert Festival.

Published: 06 Feb, 2024

About the author

Pallavi Roy

She is a candle who burns and melts in the chaos of infinity, from where her visceral whistles and leaves an imprint of desire in her heart to know the map of an Island where there are different sunrises and sunsets. Her curiosity brightens to conquer the hearts unrelieved and sometimes mysterious. Her name is - Pallavi Roy - A traveller by soul and a writer by Profession.