October Rajasthan is a special time of the year in India. There are a lot of unique festivities which are made available during this time. On top of that, the summer heat that plagues the entire city will slowly be moving away while the cooler air settles in. This means you can walk around more without having to sweat so much. Meanwhile, the clear blue skies and the picturesque scenery of the surrounding sites and festivities will make the whole trip worthwhile.
In total, you will find 4 major festivals in Rajasthan during October. The culture of Rajasthan can be attributed to ancient traditions which took place there. The people of this state have these festivities in October for the purpose of simply celebrating life. You don’t necessarily have to be a spiritual or religious person to appreciate this kind of celebration.
The biggest celebration which takes place between October 24th and October 28th is the Rajasthan International Folk Festival in the city of Jodhpur. Here you can listen to lots of cultural folk music that is unheard of outside the state. Most of the musicians perform at the Mehrangarh Fort, starting at dawn and ending at dusk.
If you’re in an adventurous mood, Rajasthan has an Adventure Festival in the city of Kota from October 18th to November 5th. When you’re idle, you can watch the beautiful Chambal river and the massive acreage around it. But then, you’ll be partaking in various fun and exciting activities such as windsurfing, rock climbing, trekking, water skiing, gliding, and more. This will give you a chance to see the real countryside of Rajasthan that you’ve never seen before.
Then, at night time during these 3 days in Kota, you can witness the Hindu Navaratri festival known as Dussehra Mela from 9th to 18th October. This is basically a celebration of good conquering evil and features an effigy of the mythical demon king known as Ravana. This effigy is 75 feet tall and is filled completely with crackers. At the end of the festival, the effigy is lit on fire.
From October 23rd to October 24th in Jodhpur, there is the Marwar Festival. This celebrates the historical rulers of Rajasthan who are considered heroes to the people there. Tourists might not appreciate this particular meaning but they will be attracted to the folk dancing and music that takes place on the streets during this time. The romantic lifestyle of these celebrated heroes is the main theme of the dancing and music that you witness. You can find the festival celebrated at the Mehrangarh Fort, the Umaid Bhawan Palace, and the Mandore Gardens.
When going to these events, it is recommended that you arrive a few days early just in case there are flight delays. You just start in the city of Jodhpur and then travel by train to Kota. It may be hard to find flights to Kota because they only have one small airport that just goes to Jaipur. That’s okay because the train ride to Kota will give you a chance to truly see the Indian countryside like you have never seen before.