There is no greater agony than sitting on the desk and watching the wallpaper of places from around the world, changing in front of your screen. The greatest joy comes when you take your time off from the ordinary life to witness something extraordinary.

This list of festivals and fairs in Rajasthan will entice you enough to apply for leaves, book your tickets, call your friends, dust off your camera, pack your belongings and set off on the road to explore.

1. Jaipur Kite Festival- 14^th January

The Jaipur Tourism Development Corporation organizes the Kite Festival at the Jaipur Polo Ground to observe the day of Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan. The people take a holy dip in Galtaji (pilgrimage) and pray to Sun God for good health, wealth and crop. The entire pink city turns colorful as people shut their shops and participate in the auspicious kite flying festival.

The flavors of Til ke Laddu, Gajak and Feeni adds on to the joyous mood. The Kite War Session and the Friendly Kite Flying Session fill the day after which the winners are awarded at Umaid Bhawan Palace. Amid the cultural performances, the special illuminated kites known as Tukals are flown at night.

2. Jaipur Literature Festival – 21^st to 25^th January

Also the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival is an annual program that is organized in Jaipur annually, as Asia-Pacific’s largest free literary festival. At the historic Diggi Palace Hotel in Jaipur, Nobel Laureates, Man Booker Prizer Winners, acclaimed novelists and authors of India and the world gather at the venue for a series of discussions, readings, and Q&A sessions.

The range of stalls selling from food to handicraft, outdoor lounge bar and musical performances in the evening is an extravagant affair for all literary minds. Plenty of socialites and celebrities gather at this 5 day event.

3. Vintage & Classic Car Rally- 24^th & 25^th January

The 17^th Vintage Classic Car rally is an annual event that is held in Jaipur at the auspicious Jai Mahal Palace. Organized by Rajputana Automotive Sports Car Club, it provides an opportunity for people to transcend themselves in the past and witness the grandeur of automobile technology of the vintage era.

The event brings together a group of leading car owners and vintage car collectors from different parts of the country. Last year, around 114 vintage cars were kept for display. This year the event is expecting more participation for the car fanatics to see more vintage beauties.

4. Nagaur Fair or Ramdeoji Cattle Fair- 26^th to 29^th January

The Nagaur Festival is a joint effort of Dept of Animal Husbandry with Dept of Tourism, Govt of Rajasthan which is known to be the second largest cattle fair in India held at Nagaur district. The trading of cattle, bullocks, camels and horses etc. takes place resulting in almost 75,000 exchanges each year.

The famous and largest in India- Mirchi Bazar is the highlight of this festival along with competitions such as tug of war, came race, cock fight. The display of quality wooden items, iron crafts, headgears, fabrics and leather accessories plus the musical performances in the night are the reasons why tourists from around the world travel to this place.

5. Kumbhalgarh Classical Dance Festival- 28^th to 30^th January

This is the festival that pays tribute to Maharna Kumbha, the patron of the best of Indian martial and fine arts, architecture and learning. To promote Kumbhalgarh as a tourist destination, the Rajasthan Tourism organizes The Kumbhalgarh Classsical Dance Festival that brings together many of India’s finest artist, musicians and dancers against the backdrop of the glowing citadel.

The 3 day program organizes performances in the day as well as night time. Folk arts, dance recitals and classical music bedazzled with scintillating sound, light and color creates a spectacular ambiance.

6. Baneshwar Festival- 30^th Jan to 3^rd Feb

Baneshwar or the ‘master of the delta’ is derived from the revered Shiva Linga which is kept in the Mahadev temple in Dungarpur. The fair is held at small delta formed by the river Som and Mahi. A predominantly tribal fair, (more than half of the gathering consisting of Bhils) reveres Baneshwar Mahadev and Mavji.

Aarti is held in the morning at the temple, people sing traditional folk songs sitting around bonfire every night and perform folk dances, magic shows, animal shows, acrobatic feats with joy rides and swings.  The location of the fair is situated at a distance of 6.5 km from Sabla, a village on the Udaipur-Banswara-Dungarpur route which is 123 km from Udaipur. During the fair, the buses go right up to the bank of River Som.

7. Desert Festival- 1^st to 3^rd Feb

Amid the golden yellow sand dunes and moonlit winter night, the Desert Festival is organized by the Dept of Tourism in Jaisalmer. The three day long festival witnesses rich and colorful Rajasthani culture in form of music and dance. Turban clad men and women adorning bright costumes perform all kinds of Rajasthani dances and sing folk songs.

The musicians along with their traditional instruments outdo each other in their musical superiority. The camel races, turban tying competition, longest moustache and Mr. Desert competition further adds to the fun. The festival culminates with parachuting and Air Force display in the sand dunes.

8. Jaipur International Film Festival- 1^st to 5^th February

The fastest growing film festival of the world, the Jaipur International Film Festival is organized at Jaipur that promotes new filmmakers, exchange of knowledge, information, ideas & culture between India and other nations through the medium of films and documentaries.

In the sixth JIFF 2014, around 1587 films were screened from 90+ countries. For the upcoming film makers and movie buffs, this festival is a must visit.

9. Braj Festival – 2^nd to 4^th February

The Braj or the Brij festival epitomizes the Raslila dance which is said to have performed by Lord Krishna and Radha in moments of deep affection. The villagers not only perform this extremely pleasing dance echoing with the sound of folk melodies but also celebrate the event with colors.

The villagers splash colors on each other and paint their houses in different colors. The vibrant and traditional festival is a major attraction for tourists who visit Brij (in the district Bharatpur) and witness the saga.

So, what are you waiting for? You know the dates, you know the venue and you know the details. Let the first two months of 2015 be spent unraveling the beautiful culture of Rajasthan, arts, people and much more.

Stay tuned for more festival updates from March onward!