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Fairs & Festivals in Kutch, Gujarat
Kutch is known worldwide for Rann Utsav, the winter festival on the white Rann. Beyond it runs a year-long calendar of village fairs, kept by Hindu and Muslim communities at temples, shrines and dargahs across the district.
What is Rann Utsav?
Rann Utsav is the winter festival of Kutch, organised every year by Gujarat Tourism around the tent city at Dhordo, on the edge of the white Rann. It brings folk dance and music, craft shopping, camel safaris, bird-watching trips and horse rides, and full-moon nights on the salt flats draw the biggest crowds.
Dhordo, the village for the white Rann, is 55 km north-north-east of Nakhatrana in a straight line, so the festival is an easy day trip or overnight stay from town.
Which folk and tribal fairs are held in Kutch?
Beyond Rann Utsav, Kutch keeps a calendar of village fairs rooted in its many communities, Hindu and Muslim alike. The best known include Mota Yaksh, Hajipir, Dada Mekan, Shitla Saptami, Jesal Toral, Nag Panchami, Mamaidev, Matia Pir and Mai Bhambhi. Most centre on a temple, a shrine or the dargah of a saint.
| Fair | Village | Hindu calendar date | Usual month | Community |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mai Bhambhi | Mai | Maha sud 7–9 | February | Jat Muslim |
| Mahashivratri | Dhrang | Maha sud 13–14 | February | Ahir, Rabari, Hindu |
| Abdapir | Ramper | Fagan vad 1–2 | March | Rajput, Hindu |
| Hajipir | Sodrana | Chaitra sud 6–8 | April | Muslim, Hindu |
| Rukanshapir | Talvana | Chaitra sud 10–11 | April | Muslim |
| Jesal Toral | Anjar | Chaitra sud 14 | April | Hindu |
| Gulamalishah Pir | Kera | Chaitra sud 15 to Chaitra vad 2 | April | Khoja Muslim |
| Matia Pir | Gudthar | Chaitra vad 1–3 | April | Scheduled Caste, Hindu |
| Shitla Mata | Mandvi, Mundra | Chaitra vad 13 | May | Ahir, Rabari |
| Mamaidev | Traijar | Chaitra vad 14 | May | Scheduled Caste |
| Pathapir | Bhedi | Vaishakh vad 1–3 | May | Scheduled Caste, Lohana, Vania, Bhanushali, Muslim |
| Ravechi | Rav | Bhadarva sud 7–8 | September | Ahir, Patel, Rabari |
| Ramdevpir | Vijpaser | Bhadarva sud 10–11 | September | Ahir, Rabari |
| Sangwali Mata | Janan | Bhadarva 13–14 | September | Ahir, Rabari |
| Pankerser | Kabrau | Bhadarva vad 10 | September | Ahir, Rabari |
| Mota Yaksh (Yaksh 72 (Jakh Botera)) | Saira | Bhadarva vad 12–14 | September | Hindu |
| Jogniar | Sanger | Bhadarva vad 14–15 | September | Ahir |
| Habai Mata | Habai | Aso sud 7–9 | October | Ahir, Rabari |
Fairs follow the Hindu lunar calendar, so the lunar date stays fixed while the English date moves by a few weeks each year. Check the current year’s date locally before you travel.
Which of these fairs are close to Nakhatrana?
Two of the region’s best-known fairs are within a short drive of Nakhatrana. The Mota Yaksh fair, held in September at the Yaksh 72 temple, is 12 km south-east of town, and the Hajipir dargah, whose fair falls in April, is 39 km north. Both draw large crowds, so set out early on fair days.
See Yaksh 72 (Jakh Botera) and Hajipir for directions. For the seasons, Navratri and the walk to Mata no Madh, read the best time to visit Nakhatrana.
Frequently asked questions
When is Rann Utsav held?
Rann Utsav runs through the winter, usually from about November to February, when the white Rann is dry and the weather is cool. Exact dates change each season and are announced by Gujarat Tourism, so check them before booking. Full-moon nights are the busiest, so reserve tents and transport well ahead for those dates.
Why do the dates of Kutch fairs change every year?
Most Kutch fairs follow the Hindu lunar calendar, so each is fixed to a lunar month and day, such as Chaitra sud 6, rather than to an English date. Because the lunar year is shorter than the solar year, the English date moves by a few weeks from one year to the next. Check the current year’s date locally before travelling.
What do sud and vad mean in fair dates?
Sud is the bright half of a Hindu lunar month, from the new moon to the full moon, and vad is the dark half, from the full moon back to the new moon. The number that follows is the lunar day, or tithi. So Chaitra sud 14 is the fourteenth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra.
Who were Jesal and Toral?
In Kutchi legend, Jesal was a feared outlaw who was transformed by Toral, a saintly woman whose devotion led him to give up violence and follow a spiritual path. Their samadhis stand side by side at Anjar, and a fair is held there on Chaitra sud 14, usually in April, drawing devotees from across Kutch.
What is the Hajipir fair?
Hajipir is the dargah of the saint Haji Pir on the edge of the Banni grasslands, visited by Muslims and Hindus alike. Its fair falls on Chaitra sud 6 to 8, usually in April, and draws pilgrims from across Kutch. The dargah is 39 km north of Nakhatrana in a straight line.