The month of the hot wind
Towards the end of May, farmers and grandmothers begin to talk about nautapa, the nine days of fiercest heat. They say that if nautapa burns properly, the monsoon will be good. Nobody complains about the heat in those days, because it is a promise of rain.
The lunar months: May is mostly Vaishakh, running into Jyeshtha.
One of the two hottest months: along with June.
- Weather
- Very hot days, around 40°C in Jaipur and Udaipur and often 40 to 45°C in the desert; warm nights
- Rain
- Very little; dust storms, and very occasionally a pre-monsoon thunderstorm
- Crowds
- Few international visitors; Mount Abu at its busiest
- Festivals
- Akha Teej, Buddha Purnima, Maharana Pratap Jayanti
- Best for
- Tiger lovers, wildlife photographers and experienced travellers
- Pack
- Very light, loose, covering cotton, a hat, scarves and swimwear
- Afternoons: in Jaipur and Udaipur they are often around 40°C, and in the Thar, around Jaisalmer and Bikaner, they regularly reach the mid-forties.
- Nights: they stay warm.
- Aandhi: in the afternoon, dust storms can roll in from the desert and turn the sky yellow or brown in a few minutes, then blow out as fast as they came.
- The odd thunderstorm: very occasionally a pre-monsoon storm cools everything for an hour.
- When nautapa begins: by old reckoning, when the sun enters the constellation of Rohini, in the last week of the month.
- Not for a first visit: but not a month to fear either.
- A thousand years of heat: the people of the desert have built their houses, food, clothes and daily rhythm around it.
- The reward: travel the way they live, and May shows you a Rajasthan winter visitors never see, with the forts, palaces and forests almost to yourself.
How Rajasthan lives with the heat
Thick walls, small windows: the old houses of any walled city open onto shaded inner courtyards rather than onto the street.
Jaali: the stone lattice in the windows breaks up the glare and speeds up the breeze as it passes through.
The palace of the winds: the 953 small windows of Jaipur's Hawa Mahal funnel air through the whole building, which is how it got its name.
- Deep courtyards: in the havelis of Jaisalmer and Shekhawati, they stay in shadow for most of the day, and the women of the house worked there in the coolest hours.
- Stepwells: the great baori were cool places as well as wells, where people sat on the lower steps through the hottest hours.
- Gardens of water: palace gardens such as Saheliyon ki Bari in Udaipur were built around fountains and channels for exactly this season.
- Khus screens: in older homes, screens woven from the roots of vetiver grass hung in the doorways and were splashed with water, so the hot wind came in cool and smelling of earth.
- The matka: drinking water is still kept in round clay pots, which cool it by evaporation.
- The daily rhythm: the bazaars open early and close after lunch, and families sleep through the afternoon on the cool stone floors.
- Sleeping on the roof: in many houses families sleep there at night, under the stars, where the air finally moves.
- Dress: men keep their heads covered with a turban, women with an odhni, and both wear loose cotton.
Akha Teej, the Buddha's full moon and Pratap's birthday
Akha Teej, Bikaner's birthday
When: the third day of the bright half of Vaishakh. In 2027 it falls on 8 or 9 May, depending on the calendar used, and we confirm it before we plan.
Why it matters: one of the most auspicious days of the year, when anything begun is believed to last, and a great day for weddings across Rajasthan.
- Bikaner's birthday: the day on which Rao Bika is said to have founded the city in 1488.
- How Bikaner marks it: the whole old city goes up on its rooftops to fly kites, then eats bajre ka khichda, millet cooked with lentils, with tamarind water.
- Read more: our Bikaner guide.
Buddha Purnima and the Mount Abu Summer Festival
The full moon of Vaishakh: the day of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing.
- The Summer Festival: on Mount Abu, Rajasthan Tourism has held it beginning on this full moon, with processions to Nakki Lake, boat races, folk dance and qawwali in the evenings.
- The Garasia: the tribal community also gathers on the mountain at this time.
- Dates: in 2027 the full moon falls in the second half of May. We confirm the festival dates each year.
Maharana Pratap Jayanti
Who: Maharana Pratap, the hero of Mewar's long resistance to the Mughals, usually said to have been born on 9 May 1540.
- When: his birth anniversary is celebrated by the Hindu calendar, in May or June.
- Where: processions and gatherings in Udaipur, Chittorgarh and especially Kumbhalgarh, where he is believed to have been born.
- In Udaipur: families garland his statue on its horse at Moti Magri.
Eid al-Adha
When: in 2026 and 2027 it falls in May. The date follows the moon and is confirmed only shortly before.
- What happens: families gather for prayers and feasts.
- Ajmer: the dargah quarter of Ajmer is busy with pilgrims.
Tigers at the water, and an empty forest
Gold and grey: in May the forest of Ranthambore has lost its leaves, and dust hangs in the low morning sun.
Every animal comes to the water: the only water left is in the lakes and the larger waterholes.
Tigers half submerged: they lie in shrinking pools to stay cool, with only their heads and shoulders above the surface, while herds of spotted deer wait nervously at the edge.
- Water
- Only the lakes and larger waterholes
- Best hours
- First light and the last hour
- Tented camps
- Usually close around mid-May
- Visitors
- Domestic holidaymakers, few from abroad
- Bring
- A wet scarf
- Others at the water: sambar wade into the lakes, and sloth bears and leopards come out in the evening.
- For a photographer: this is the clearest view of the forest all year.
- The price is the heat: morning drives begin in warm air and are fierce by ten. Afternoon drives are hot until the last hour, when the light turns golden and the forest wakes again.
- Fewer foreigners: Indian school holidays bring domestic visitors, but far fewer international ones.
- Lodges narrow: the tented camps close as May goes on, usually around the middle of the month, so air-conditioned rooms, deep shade and a pool become essential. We confirm which lodges are open before we book.
- Jawai: in Jawai, some camps close, and those that stay open drive at first light and at dusk, when the leopards are often very visible on the evening rocks.
- Sariska and Kumbhalgarh: in Sariska and the Kumbhalgarh sanctuary, the dry forest and the waterholes give the best chance of sightings all year.
- Plan it: our safaris page explains how we plan drives, and our Big cats and birds journey can be built around this season for committed wildlife travellers.
Where to go in May, and where to avoid
Mount Abu, the cool mountain
Several degrees cooler: Rajasthan's only hill station has pleasant mornings and evenings and green forest around Nakki Lake.
- Busy: families from across Rajasthan and Gujarat come up in their thousands in May, the lake shore is crowded and the roads jam at weekends.
- How we do it: come midweek, stay in a house with big grounds, and see Dilwara and Guru Shikhar at dawn.
- Where to stay: our palace stays in Mount Abu page has the options.
Ranthambore for the tigers
- Who it suits: serious wildlife lovers who handle heat well.
- How: book several drives, rest through the day and choose a lodge with good cooling and a pool.
Jaipur from a palace pool
Very hot: but a resort with deep shade and a large pool, such as The Oberoi Rajvilas, makes it work.
- At dawn: Amber and the City Palace.
- Evenings: rooftop dinners. Let the afternoons go.
Udaipur in the evenings
Afternoons: around 40°C, and the lakes may be low, especially after a poor monsoon the year before.
- Evenings: lovely by the water.
- Sitting out the heat: a lake palace such as Taj Lake Palace is a fine place for it.
- City Palace: plan it for the first hour of opening.
Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur at dawn
A little gentler: the hill is kinder than the plains.
- The fort: see it at sunrise and again at dusk.
- Ranakpur: visit the marble halls early, and stay somewhere with a pool.
Where we would not go in May
Brutally hot: Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Shekhawati and Kutch, often above 45°C.
- Closures: many desert camps close, and some flights to Jaisalmer stop for the summer.
- Shekhawati: some smaller haveli hotels reduce their services.
- If you must cross the desert: keep each stop to one night, with a dawn walk and a sunset drive.
The dawn hours worth waking for
Summer dawns in Rajasthan have a softness that winter visitors never see. Milk is delivered, temples ring their first bells, and old men walk briskly around the lakes. Join them, and you will understand why Rajasthanis say the day in summer is over by nine.
The summer haze: it blurs the hills into layers of blue and grey, and the stone is still cool from the night.
- Busy cities: people do everything they need to do before the sun gets high.
- Mehrangarh at opening: the ramparts are in shadow and the blue city below is just waking. Our Mehrangarh guide explains the route through the palaces.
- Fateh Sagar at six: a walk in Udaipur with the families who come for the breeze off the water.
- The first game drive at Ranthambore: as the sun comes up over the lakes and the deer move down to drink.
- Amber Fort in the first hour: before the courtyards heat up, while the Sheesh Mahal is still cool and dim.
- Nakki Lake on Mount Abu: before the summer crowds arrive, when the water is still and the rocks around it glow in the first sun.
- The ghats of Pushkar at sunrise: with pilgrims bathing and the temple bells ringing across the lake.
The gentlest rates of the year, and the hill-station rush
Few visitors from abroad: most of the great palace hotels offer their gentlest rates of the year.
A suite within reach: one that is out of reach in December may be possible now, and the staff have time for long conversations.
- Rates
- The gentlest of the year
- Book ahead
- Two to three months; earlier for Mount Abu
- Busiest
- Mount Abu, in the school holidays
- Monuments
- Nearly empty in the early morning
- Empty mornings: you may have a whole courtyard of Mehrangarh or the City Palace to yourself at opening time.
- The cool places are the exception: Indian school holidays begin in May and run into June, and families head for the hills.
- Mount Abu: at its busiest and most expensive.
- Udaipur and Ranthambore: both get domestic visitors on holiday.
- When to book: two to three months' notice is usually enough, except for Mount Abu and the best Ranthambore lodges, which we book earlier.
- Season and cost: our page on what a luxury Rajasthan journey costs explains how the season shapes a quote.
Mangoes, kulfi and the food of a hot afternoon
The heart of mango season: the fruit comes up from Gujarat, Maharashtra and the north, sold by variety and argued over by everyone.
Aam ras: in many Rajasthani homes mango is eaten as thick pulp served with hot puris, a meal in itself on a summer afternoon.
Aam panna: the cooling drink of roasted raw mango is still on the table.
- Chhach: the thin spiced buttermilk that every Rajasthani believes protects you from the loo.
- Kulfi: in the evenings the sellers come out. It is dense frozen milk, flavoured with cardamom, saffron or pistachio and set in small clay or metal moulds, the taste of a Rajasthani summer night.
- Makhaniya lassi: in Jodhpur, ask for it, thick, sweet and flavoured with saffron and cardamom.
- Light meals: kadhi, cool raitas and khichdi.
- Ker sangri: the dried beans and berries that keep without spoiling in the heat.
- Read more: our Rajasthani food guide, and our Jaipur food guide for the best lassi in town.
Staying well in the heat
This is general advice from people who live here, not medical advice. If you have a heart condition, are pregnant, take regular medication or are travelling with small children or older relatives, talk to your own doctor before planning a May journey.
Official advice: read official travel-health advice for India. Our page on health and safety in Rajasthan has more.
- Drink steadily: through the day, and take electrolytes if you are out in the sun. Your driver will keep cold water in the car.
- Stay out of the sun: between about eleven and four. Plan sightseeing for the first and last hours of light.
- Cover up: your head, neck and arms with light cotton. A wet scarf around the neck helps a great deal.
- Eat light: freshly cooked food, and avoid alcohol in the heat of the day.
- Know the signs of heat exhaustion: headache, dizziness, nausea and heavy sweating. If you feel unwell, get into the shade, drink and tell your guide at once.
- Parked cars: never leave anyone, or anything you care about, in one.
What to pack for May
Loose cotton and linen: in white and pale colours, with long sleeves and long trousers or skirts.
Sun protection: a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses with good UV protection and high-factor sunscreen.
- A cotton scarf or two: to cover your head and to wet in the afternoon.
- Hydration: electrolyte sachets and a refillable insulated bottle.
- Shoes: light, breathable shoes and sandals that slip off easily for temples.
- Swimwear: every afternoon will end at the pool.
- A light cardigan: for air-conditioned rooms and for the evenings on Mount Abu.
- More: our packing list.
A May week: palace pools, tigers and the mountain
- The shape of every day: out at dawn, back by eleven, rest until four, out again until dark.
- To avoid the heat altogether: look at a monsoon journey such as Monsoon in Mewar instead.
Day one, Jaipur
Arrive: in the evening, when the heat breaks, and dine on the terrace of your palace hotel.
- Next morning: Amber Fort at opening time and the City Palace straight after.
- By eleven: back for lunch and the pool.
Days two to four, Ranthambore
The drive: about three and a half hours after the morning's sightseeing, arriving for a late lunch and a rest.
- Game drives: five or six over three days, mornings and afternoons, waiting at the lakes and waterholes for tigers to come down to drink.
- Afternoons: rest through every one.
Days five and six, Udaipur
Getting there: return to Jaipur after a final morning drive and take a short flight, or make the long drive of about six hours in a cool car.
- Morning: the City Palace at opening.
- The day: rest by the lake.
- Evening: a boat in the last hour of light.
Day seven, up to Mount Abu
The drive: about three and a half hours, climbing out of the heat into the forest.
- Evening: a walk around Nakki Lake.
- Next morning: the Dilwara temples early, before the crowds of summer visitors arrive.
- Onward: drive down to Udaipur to fly out, or continue into Gujarat.
What we tell our own family about May
Let the hotel staff guide your day: they know the heat better than any forecast.
Cold water in the car: ask your driver to fill it before every outing.
- Plan nothing between eleven and four: read, swim, sleep and eat mangoes.
- Temples early: marble and sandstone courtyards burn bare feet by mid-morning.
- Watch the afternoon sky: if a dust storm comes, go inside and close the windows. It usually passes within an hour.
- Before you come: read our journal piece on summer in Rajasthan.
Who will love May, and who should not come
Who will love it: wildlife photographers and tiger lovers.
Experienced travellers: who want empty palaces, quiet staff and the gentlest rates of the year, and are happy to spend the afternoon by a pool.
- Indian families: who want the hills will love Mount Abu.
- Who should not come: we do not recommend May for a first visit, for small children, for older travellers or for anyone who finds heat difficult.
- Less heat, quiet palaces: Rajasthan in March or Rajasthan in April, and the season from October onwards is kinder still.
- The month before the rains: read Rajasthan in June.
- Every month compared: our best time to visit Rajasthan guide.