Ajmer's three seasons
- Cool season
- October to March
- Most comfortable
- November and February
- Hot season
- April to June, often above 40°C
- Monsoon
- July to September
- Biggest gathering
- The Urs, in Rajab
The cool season, October to March
Our choice: when we bring most guests, and when Ajmer is most comfortable.
October: begins warm, with the hills still green from the rains.
- November: clear and golden.
- December and January: chilly mornings and evenings, a shawl on the Ana Sagar embankment and a jacket for the drive back from Pushkar after dark, but bright, mild days.
- February: perhaps the loveliest month of all.
- Late March: the heat begins to build.
- Crowds: the dargah is busy throughout, and these months are also the peak of domestic travel.
The hot season, April to June
The heat: it rises quickly from April, and May and June are often above 40°C, with hot winds and dust in the afternoons.
- Burning marble: the dargah courtyards burn bare feet by mid-morning.
- Pilgrims still come: faith does not wait for the weather, but foreign visitors are few.
- If you travel now: see the shrine at dawn and after dark, rest at midday in a hotel with a pool, and drink far more water than you think you need.
The monsoon, July to September
Arrival: usually late June or early July, bringing relief, greenery and soft light.
Heavy bursts: rain rather than all-day downpours, and between showers the hills around Ana Sagar turn a startling green.
- A good year: the lake fills and the evening crowds on the embankment are joyful.
- The downsides: high humidity, roads that flood briefly and muddy lanes in the old quarter, so pack sandals you can wash.
- Underrated: a peaceful time, with lower hotel rates.
Why the dargah's calendar moves
A lunar calendar: Islamic months begin at the sighting of the new moon, so the year is about eleven days shorter than the solar year.
The Urs moves: held over six days in Rajab and ending on the sixth, it falls about eleven days earlier in the Western calendar each year.
- Islamic year
- About eleven days shorter
- Urs 2025
- Late December
- Urs 2026
- December, a little earlier
- From about 2028
- November
- Pushkar fair
- Always in Kartik
- So do others: Ramadan, the two Eids and Muharram. A festival that falls in January one decade falls in summer a decade or so later.
- Fixed by the moon: the exact days are set only when the moon is sighted, so we confirm them with the dargah committee's announcements a few weeks ahead.
- The six days: our page on the Urs at Ajmer Sharif explains how they unfold.
- Hindu festivals stay put: their lunar calendar is adjusted to the sun, so they stay within the same season each year.
- The fair: the Pushkar Camel Fair always falls in Kartik, usually October or November, and Diwali comes about two weeks before its full moon.
- When they meet: if the Urs and the Pushkar fair fall close together, as they can in these years, the whole district is very busy and hotels fill months ahead.
Ajmer month by month
January, crisp mornings and kites
Weather: the coldest month, with chilly mornings and evenings and bright, clear days perfect for walking.
At the dargah: the dawn visit is cold on bare feet, so wear socks.
- Makar Sankranti: on 14 January kites fill the sky over the old city's rooftops, as they do in Jaipur.
- Flamingos: out at Sambhar Lake, they are often at their most numerous.
- In Jaipur: late in the month the Jaipur Literature Festival draws book lovers to the Pink City, two and a half hours away.
- Crowds: busy and popular, so book ahead.
- Small pleasure: misty drives over Nag Pahar, and roadside tea poured from a height into a clay cup.
February, the gentlest month
Weather: warm days, cool nights, clear light and none of the summer haze. Our favourite month for Ajmer.
Good for: the drive up to Taragarh and long sunsets at the Baradari on Ana Sagar.
- Ramadan: in 2026 and 2027 it begins in February, and the dargah quarter takes on a special atmosphere after dark, when the fast is broken and food stalls stay open late.
- Holi: it sometimes falls at the end of the month.
- The wider region: our Rajasthan in February guide.
March, warmth, colour and Eid
Weather: pleasant at first, warm by the end. In the last week, sightsee in mornings and evenings.
- Holi: usually in March. Pushkar next door celebrates with great energy, while in Ajmer it is a joyful, messy neighbourhood affair.
- Eid al-Fitr: in 2026 and 2027 it falls in March, at the end of Ramadan, filling the dargah with families in new clothes.
- Gangaur: the women's festival of Parvati can begin late in the month.
April, the last comfortable mornings
Weather: hot by midday but bearable at dawn and dusk. By month's end we start at six and are back at the hotel by eleven.
Mahavir Jayanti: the birth of the last Tirthankara, in March or April, when the Jain temples at Soniji ki Nasiyan and Nareli are busy and beautifully decorated.
- Ram Navami: Rama's birthday also falls in spring, and the temples of Pushkar fill with devotees.
- Crowds: tourist numbers fall, rates soften and the dargah is calmer in the mornings.
- Good for: flexible travellers who do not mind heat. Early April can be very rewarding.
May, heat and early starts
Weather: very hot, often above 40°C, with afternoons made for staying indoors.
- Crowds: pilgrims still come in large numbers, especially in the school holidays.
- Eid al-Adha: in 2026 and 2027 it falls in May, when families gather for prayers and feasts.
- If you must travel: the dargah at first light, the middle of the day by a pool in Pushkar, and qawwali after dark. Our Rajasthan in May page explains how we plan summer journeys.
June, dust storms and the first rain
Weather: it begins as the hottest month, with hot winds and sometimes aandhi, dust storms that turn the afternoon sky yellow.
- First rain: pre-monsoon showers arrive towards the end, and the smell of rain on hot earth, which Rajasthanis love more than any perfume, fills the air.
- Muharram: in 2026 and 2027 the first Islamic month begins in June, and Ajmer marks it with processions of decorated tazias, models of the tomb of Imam Husain.
- Good for: travel only if you have a good reason.
July, the hills turn green
Weather: the monsoon arrives properly, with heavy but usually short showers and soft, beautiful light between them.
- The change: the brown Aravallis turn green almost overnight, and Ana Sagar begins to fill.
- Teej: the festival of the monsoon and of married women, in July or August, with swings hung from trees and women in green and pink leheriya, the wave-dyed cloth of the rains. Our page on Teej explains the customs.
August, rain, Teej and Janmashtami
Weather: the heart of the monsoon, humid and green.
Crowds: quiet for travellers, with some of the lowest hotel rates of the year.
- Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami: celebrated across the region. In Pushkar and Kishangarh, where Krishna devotion runs deep, Janmashtami is especially lovely.
- Paryushan: Jain families observe eight days of fasting and reflection in August or September.
- Pack: a light rain jacket and washable sandals.
September, the quiet month
Weather: the rains taper off, and in a good year the lakes are full and the countryside lush. Humid, with some heavy showers.
- Navratri: late in the month or in early October, nine nights of the goddess begin, with music and dancing in the neighbourhoods.
- Crowds: very few visitors. A hidden pleasure for those who dislike crowds and do not mind warmth.
- Peaceful hotels: you may be the only guest on a lakeside terrace at Phool Mahal in Kishangarh, watching the full Gundolav lake turn rose at sunset.
October, the season begins
Weather: warm days, pleasant evenings, and hills that keep a little of their monsoon green.
- Dussehra and Diwali: they often fall this month, and Diwali night, with lamps on every rooftop and fireworks over the lake, is beautiful.
- The fair: in some years the Pushkar fair begins at the end of the month.
- Crowds: hotels begin to fill, so book ahead. Our Rajasthan in October guide has more.
November, the fair and the finest weather
Weather: one of the most comfortable months, with clear skies, warm days and cool nights.
- The Pushkar fair: often this month, with camel and cattle traders first and pilgrims for the full moon of Kartik after.
- Crowds: Ajmer becomes the gateway for vast numbers, its station and roads are busy, and every good room in the district is taken.
- If not for the fair: come in the weeks either side. Our Rajasthan in November page explains the season.
December, the Urs and the winter light
Weather: cold mornings and clear days.
The Urs: in 2026 it falls in December, and in 2027 around the turn of November and December.
- Those six days: the lanes become a slow river of pilgrims from across South Asia, the silver Jannati Darwaza is opened, and qawwali goes on through the night.
- Choose: to witness it, plan carefully and go with a guide. For calm, avoid the Urs week and the days around it.
- Holidays: Christmas and New Year bring crowds to the whole region. Our Rajasthan in December guide has more.
The weekly rhythm of the dargah
Thursday evenings: the largest qawwali gatherings and dense crowds. Wonderful for the full experience, hard work if you do not want it.
Fridays: the congregational prayer at midday fills the dargah's mosques and packs the lanes. Avoid prayer time.
- Calmest
- Early weekday mornings
- Most intense
- Thursday evenings
- Avoid
- Friday midday prayer
- Family crowds
- Weekends and holidays
- Weekends: families come from Jaipur, Delhi and Gujarat, especially in the cool season and the school holidays.
- Early weekday mornings: soon after the gates open, the calmest time in every season.
- Holidays: public holidays and long weekends crowd the dargah, Pushkar and the roads between. We check the calendar for your dates before we plan.
A city of many calendars
Muslim festivals: the Urs, Ramadan, the two Eids and Muharram, all moving with the moon.
Hindu festivals: Holi, Teej, Janmashtami, Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali, with the Pushkar fair just over the hill.
- Muslim
- Urs, Ramadan, two Eids, Muharram
- Hindu
- Holi, Teej, Navratri, Diwali, the fair
- Jain
- Mahavir Jayanti, Paryushan
- Christian
- Christmas in the old cantonment
- Jain festivals: the community that built Soniji ki Nasiyan and the Nareli temples keeps Mahavir Jayanti in spring and Paryushan at the end of the rains.
- Christmas: the old railway and cantonment quarter, a legacy of the British province of Ajmer-Merwara, still has its churches, with carols and midnight services.
- Something every week: almost any week of the year has something to see, if you know where to look.
- Sudden crowds: the city fills at short notice when a Hindu holiday meets a long weekend, or Eid meets a school vacation.
- Our calendar: we keep one for the district and check every faith's festivals against your dates, not only the famous ones.
- Read more: our page on faith and temples in Rajasthan explains each community's main festivals.
Crowds, prices and how far ahead to book
An ordinary cool-season week: a month or two of notice is usually enough for the Pushkar resorts and the palace at Kishangarh, though the best rooms go first.
The Urs and the fair: we book six months ahead or more, because every hotel in the district fills, rates rise steeply and many set minimum stays.
- Ordinary cool-season week
- A month or two
- The Urs
- Six months or more
- The Pushkar fair
- Six months or more
- Summer and monsoon
- Easy, lower rates
- Sweet spots
- Early April, September
- When they coincide: in years when they fall within weeks of each other, as they can in the mid-2020s, the whole season tightens.
- Summer and monsoon: rooms are easy, rates lower, and you may have a resort pool almost to yourself, in exchange for heat or humidity.
- For flexible travellers: early April and September, when the weather is manageable and the crowds have not yet arrived or have just left.
- The wider picture: our guide to the best time to visit Rajasthan.
Fitting Ajmer into the season of your journey
In winter, with the desert
November to February: continue west from Ajmer and Pushkar to Jodhpur and the Thar.
- Why: the desert is at its best then, with mild days and cold, starry nights in the dunes.
- Our route: the Royal Rajputana journey links central Rajasthan with the desert cities.
In spring, with the tigers
- March and April: as the heat builds, tiger sightings in Ranthambore improve as animals come to the water.
- The loop: Ajmer, Pushkar and Ranthambore from Jaipur, with early starts in each place.
In summer, with the hills
- May or June: keep Ajmer to a single early morning and evening.
- Then south: to the cool plateau of Mount Abu, Rajasthan's only hill station, for a few nights of fresh air.
In the monsoon, with the lakes
- July to September: pair Ajmer's green hills with the lakes of Udaipur, fullest and most beautiful after the rains.
- Our route: the Monsoon in Mewar journey is built for this season.
Seasonal pleasures around the lakes
After a strong monsoon: boats go out on a wide, full Ana Sagar in the evenings, and from the water the pavilions and hills fall into proportion.
Any evening: families walk the embankment after dark, when the heat has gone, for kulfi and roasted corn.
- Ana Sagar
- 12th century, by the Chauhan king Arnoraja
- Baradari
- Shah Jahan's marble pavilions
- Foy Sagar
- Built in 1892 as famine relief
- Daulat Bagh
- Jahangir's lakeside garden
- Early mornings: Daulat Bagh, the garden Jahangir laid out below the embankment, is popular with families and morning walkers.
- Foy Sagar in winter: the smaller lake on the western edge of the city, built in 1892 when the government paid hungry families to dig it, is quieter and framed by hills.
- Clear winter nights: in the garden of a resort outside town, the sky over the Aravallis is surprisingly dark.
- A good winter at Sambhar: India's largest inland salt lake, north-east of Ajmer, fills with flamingos.
Light, haze and the best hours
After sunrise: the hour lights the arched screen of Adhai Din ka Jhonpra beautifully.
Before sunset: the last hour turns Ana Sagar silver and the hills violet, and the Nareli Jain temples glow gold.
- Clearest air
- November to February
- Haze
- April and May, by mid-morning
- Drama
- Monsoon skies
- Winter mist
- Ana Sagar and Foy Sagar
- Long views: from November to February the air is usually clear, and the view from Taragarh runs far over the hills.
- Heat haze: in April and May it softens everything by mid-morning.
- The monsoon: towering clouds over the Aravallis and sudden shafts of light across the lake.
- Still winter mornings: mist can lie on Ana Sagar and Foy Sagar.
- At the dargah: no photography in the tomb, and always ask before photographing people in the courtyards. Our photography tips for Rajasthan explain more.
Who should come when
First-time visitors
- When: mid-October to early March, outside the Urs week and the busiest days of the Pushkar fair. November and February are ideal.
- Why: comfortable weather for the dargah, the monuments and the lake, and calm enough to enjoy them.
Pilgrims and lovers of Sufi music
- The Urs: come with a guide to experience one of the great gatherings of South Asia.
- Calmer qawwali: an ordinary Thursday evening in the cool season, or any other evening of the week.
Photographers
- When: the Pushkar fair combined with Ajmer, or the monsoon for skies and greenery.
- Add: winter mornings at Sambhar Lake, with flamingos.
Travellers on a budget of time rather than money
- When: the monsoon or early April, when hotels are quieter and rates lower.
- How: an early start and a long midday rest, and you see everything without crowds.
What to pack for Ajmer in each season
A head covering: a scarf, stole or cap, for men and women alike. Required inside the shrine and useful against the sun.
Modest clothes: loose and covering shoulders and knees, cotton or linen in summer and layers in winter.
- Slip-on shoes: plus socks for hot or cold marble.
- December to February: a warm jacket or shawl for early mornings and the evening drive back over the ridge.
- April to June: a sun hat, sunglasses, a refillable bottle and rehydration salts.
- The monsoon: a light rain jacket, a small umbrella and sandals you can wash after the lanes.
- For the dargah itself: very little. Leave bags, cameras and valuables in the car. Our guide to what to pack for Rajasthan has the full list.
