Bundi Utsav

A cultural carnival spotlighting Hadoti heritage through classical arts, mustache pageants, and river lamp floating.

Rajasthan Tourism organises the festival to celebrate Bundi's rich historical identity and promote its miniature paintings and stepwells (baoris) to the world.

The festival opens with a grand shobha yatra of decorated elephants, horses and folk artists. Deepdan (lamp-floating) is held on Nawal Sagar lake, and the night ends with fireworks.

In the central ritual, married women carry earthen lamps on their heads and float them on Nawal Sagar (deepdan) to please the water deity. Traditional turban-tying and moustache competitions are also held.

Local folk belief holds that floating lamps on Nawal Sagar keeps the town from ever running short of water, and that honouring the stepwells keeps the groundwater healthy.

Bundi was the capital of the Hada Chauhan rulers, and its distinctive culture is widely admired. The state tourism department has grown the festival into a major cultural showcase for visitors.

Two days in Bundi in late autumn, with Algoza flute and Chang drum going in the lanes. The evening worth being there for is the one when lamps go out onto Nawal Sagar with the Garh Palace lit behind the water. Bundi is small enough that the whole town is the venue.