The quiet month between two seasons
Visitors who know Rajasthan only from winter photographs, all gold sand and blue skies, never quite believe what September looks like. After three months of rain the whole state is green.
The hills: the Aravallis are dense with scrub.
The fields of Marwar: full of bajra, pearl millet, and guar, cluster beans.
- Weather
- Warm, humid days, often the low 30s °C in Jaipur and Udaipur; first fresh evenings at the end
- Rain
- Tapering; heavy showers early, lighter and rarer later
- Crowds
- Very quiet, with excellent value
- Festivals
- Ganesh Chaturthi, Paryushan, Pitru Paksha, sometimes Navratri
- Best for
- Repeat visitors, craft and food lovers, photographers, couples
- Pack
- Light cotton, a compact umbrella, shoes with grip, space for crafts
- Even the desert: around Jodhpur it has a green tinge.
- Full lakes: the lakes of Mewar are at their fullest, and in a generous year they spill over their dams while families drive out just to watch the water.
- The rains taper: through the month, rather than stopping on a single day.
- Early September: still feels like the monsoon, warm and humid with heavy afternoon showers.
- The last week: clearer skies for longer, a first hint of freshness in the evenings, and light washed as sharp as it will be all year.
- Family lore: we say the first cool night of the year arrives at the end of September, and we are usually right.
- Quiet above all: the international season hasn't started, the Indian holidays are still a few weeks away, and palace hotels, monuments and bazaars are at their calmest.
- A month for: long lunches in haveli courtyards, unhurried mornings with craftsmen and slow afternoons by a full lake.
- Rajasthan at rest: if you have been before and want to see it this way, this is the month.
Two Septembers: the humid start and the clear finish
The desert dries first: the monsoon withdraws from the north-west first.
- Retreat: in a normal year the rains begin to leave western Rajasthan in the second half of September, though the timing varies a great deal.
- The full pattern: our weather and climate guide has it.
The first half, still the rains
Days: warm and humid, often in the low 30s °C in Jaipur and Udaipur and hotter in the west.
- Showers: in heavy bursts on some afternoons.
- Lush: waterfalls still run in the gorges around Bundi and Chittorgarh, and the hills are deep green.
- How we plan: it is beautiful but sticky, so sightseeing goes in the mornings and evenings.
The second half, the clearing
Rain: lighter and rarer, with longer sunny spells and humidity slowly falling.
- Days: still warm, and the desert can feel hot at midday.
- Evenings: pleasant, and the last week can be lovely.
- Views return: at Mount Abu, washed and long, and the light on the forts is crystal clear.
How it differs by region
Udaipur, Bundi and the south-east: greenest longest, with full lakes and late showers.
- Jaipur: dries out in the second half.
- Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer: warm and drying, with green-tinged scrub after a good rain year. Jaisalmer and the west are best left until late in the month or October.
Festivals and holy days in September
Moving dates: the Hindu calendar is lunar, so September's festivals can fall in late August one year and mid-September the next.
- 2027: the almanacs place the start of Navratri at the very end of September, which shifts the whole autumn festival season earlier than in 2026.
- Check first: let us check your dates before you book.
Ganesh Chaturthi, late August or September
Ganesh's birthday: the elephant-headed remover of obstacles.
Jaipur's biggest crowd: the largest single crowd of the year comes to the Moti Dungri Ganesh temple, where devotees queue through the night.
- Laddoos: sweet shops build towers of his favourite sweet, and every shop and car gets a small offering.
- Ranthambore: pilgrims climb in their tens of thousands to the Trinetra Ganesh temple inside the fort at Ranthambore.
- How we do it: we visit Moti Dungri on an ordinary morning instead, and keep Ganesh Chaturthi for watching the city celebrate.
Paryushan, August or September
The most important Jain days: eight or ten days of fasting, prayer and reflection.
- Forgiveness: they end with a day on which Jains ask forgiveness of everyone they may have hurt, with the words micchami dukkadam.
- Full temples: at Ranakpur, Dilwara, Jaisalmer and in the old cities.
- Visitors: welcome, with quiet respect, modest dress and no leather.
The fairs of Bhadrapad
When: the bright half of Bhadrapad, often late August or September.
- Ramdevra: the shrine of Baba Ramdev near Pokaran draws pilgrims who walk for days carrying flags.
- Tejaji: the folk hero is honoured at village fairs across Marwar.
- Faith, not spectacle: we visit only with a guide who knows the community.
Pitru Paksha, the fortnight of ancestors
When: the dark fortnight before Navratri, set aside for remembering the dead.
The rites: families offer food and water to their ancestors.
- Pushkar: Pushkar is one of the great places for them, with priests on the ghats at dawn.
- Subdued bazaars: many families avoid weddings, big purchases and celebrations in these days.
- Cameras: we ask guests to be especially discreet on the ghats.
Navratri, late September or October
Early years: in some years, 2027 among them, the nine nights of the goddess begin at the very end of September, with music, fasting and dancing.
- Deshnoke: the Karni Mata temple holds its autumn fair.
- Other years: Navratri falls wholly in October.
- Read more: our Navratri guide.
Where we send guests in September
- Early in the month: we still favour the green south.
- As the rains ease: Jaipur, Jodhpur and Pushkar come into their own, and a classic circuit becomes comfortable again, with the bonus of empty monuments.
Udaipur, with its lakes brimming
As the Maharanas imagined it: a ring of full lakes in green hills.
- Evening: a boat on Lake Pichola in the soft light, then Bagore ki Haveli for the evening dance programme.
- The dams: drive out to see the water spilling over.
- Where to stay: a lakeside palace such as the Oberoi Udaivilas, or Raffles Udaipur, on its own island in Udai Sagar.
Bundi, lotus and waterfalls
One of our secret times: late September.
- What you see: Jait Sagar thick with lotus, waterfalls pouring through the gorges around town and the cenotaphs at Kshar Bagh in green grass.
- The best of both: the monsoon landscape without most of the monsoon, and very few other travellers.
Jodhpur and the Bishnoi villages
Green with bajra: the countryside south of Jodhpur, with village ponds full.
- Blackbuck and chinkara: they graze close to the Bishnoi homesteads, protected by a community that has guarded trees and animals for five centuries.
- With a family we know: our Bishnoi villages experience.
- In the city: Mehrangarh is quiet at opening time.
Pushkar, the lake at its fullest
After a good monsoon: the lake rises to its upper steps and the hills around it stay green.
- Calm: the town is quiet before the season.
- Pitru Paksha: the dawn rites on the ghats are moving to witness from a respectful distance.
Jaipur, before the season
Best value: one of the best-value months of the year, with the ridge still green, the light clearing and monuments quiet.
- Craftsmen: the ideal month to spend real time with them, as below.
- Where to stay: Rambagh Palace or the Oberoi Rajvilas, with their gardens at their freshest.
Mount Abu, as the views return
The cloud lifts: the cloud that wraps the plateau through July and August begins to clear.
Greenest forest: with wildflowers along the paths and Nakki Lake full.
- Clear days: the views from Guru Shikhar run far across the plains.
- Quiet: one of the quietest months of the year on the mountain, outside weekends.
- Dilwara: the marble of the Dilwara temples is at its most luminous in the soft light, and during Paryushan the temples are full of Jain pilgrims.
- Pack a light layer: evenings on Abu are already cool.
Shekhawati, at harvest
Green to gold: in the painted towns of Shekhawati, the bajra and guar ripen.
- The havelis: utterly quiet, with the frescoes glowing under soft late-monsoon skies.
- Timing: still warm in the afternoons, so we walk the lanes early and late.
A month for craftsmen, food and long lunches
Deep rather than wide: we like September best for travellers who want this.
- Workshops back in swing: after the wettest weeks, when drying cloth and firing pottery are difficult, and before the season's orders arrive.
- Generous time: you can spend a whole morning with one family rather than ten minutes in a showroom.
- The families we work with: our crafts experience gathers them.
Block printing in Bagru and Sanganer
Chhipa printers: south of Jaipur, they stamp cloth with hand-carved wooden blocks and natural dyes, and dry the lengths in the sun on open ground.
- September: the riverbeds and drying fields are green around them.
- Make your own: we arrange a morning in Bagru to carve, print and dye a length.
Blue pottery and miniature painting
Blue pottery: Jaipur's blue pottery is made from quartz rather than clay.
- Miniature painting: the city's schools of miniature painting use brushes of squirrel hair.
- An unhurried morning: both reward one in a family workshop, and September is when the masters can give it.
Long lunches in havelis
The food of plenty: fresh corn, the last of the monsoon greens and the first of the festival sweets fill the kitchens.
- A proper feast: palace chefs have time to cook one.
- Afternoon-long lunches: in haveli courtyards, with dal baati churma, ker sangri, the desert beans and berries, and laal maas, the fiery mutton of the Rajput hunting camps.
- The dishes: our Rajasthani food guide explains them.
Birds return, and the forests prepare
Khichan: in this village between Jodhpur and Bikaner, families have fed wintering demoiselle cranes for generations.
First arrivals: the birds usually come from Central Asia towards the end of September, and by winter there are thousands.
- Cranes
- First arrivals at Khichan, late September
- Ranthambore core
- Reopens at the start of October
- Jawai
- Camps usually reopen late September
- Bharatpur
- Nesting storks and herons; ducks still to come
- The story: our journal piece on the cranes of Khichan.
- Across the Thar: other migrants begin to return to the tanks and grasslands, and raptors start to gather over the grasslands of Tal Chhapar.
- Tiger reserves: still closed. Ranthambore's core zones reopen at the start of October.
- Be among the first in: plan your arrival for the first days of October, when the forest is at its greenest.
- Jawai: at Jawai, camps usually reopen towards the end of September, and the leopards return to their favourite rocks as the scrub thins.
- Bharatpur: at Bharatpur the wetland is full and the great nesting colonies of storks and herons are busy, with the winter ducks and geese still to come.
The clearest light of the year
Photographers who come to us in winter often ask why their pictures look slightly hazy. Months of rain wash the dust out of the air, and by the end of September, before the harvest fires, the festival fireworks and the winter haze, Rajasthan's air is as clean as it ever gets.
Kumbhalgarh: from the ramparts of Kumbhalgarh you can see ridge after ridge into Marwar.
Nahargarh: the whole grid of Jaipur's old city lies sharp below you.
- True colours: the pink of Jaipur, the blue of Jodhpur and the gold of Jaisalmer, against a deep blue sky with white clouds.
- Forts in green: forts that stand on bare brown rock for most of the year rise out of green hills now, and the contrast is startling.
- Chittorgarh and Bundi: Chittorgarh's ruined palaces sit in long grass, and Bundi's palace looks down on a green valley.
- Jodhpur: the sandstone glows against scrub that will be brown again by December.
- Storm clouds: late-season storms still build dramatic clouds over the forts in the afternoons, and the first hour after a shower is magical.
- A photographer's day: forts and lakes at first light, a long rest in the bright middle of the day, and the old cities in the warm hour before sunset, when families come out onto the streets.
- Read more: our photography tips page, and our photographer's journey, which can be timed for exactly this month.
Getting around as the rains end
Roads recovered: by September the main highways between the cities are usually in good order after the heaviest storms.
Half-day drives: they feel longer in the humidity, so we keep them short where we can, with tea at a roadside dhaba or a village on the way.
- Flights: domestic flights between Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur save time on longer legs. Our getting around guide explains the options.
- Hill roads: allow a little slack in the Aravallis after a late storm, especially around Kumbhalgarh and Mount Abu.
- Fly the long legs: such as Jaipur to Udaipur or Jodhpur to Jaisalmer, if you are short of time.
- Harvest traffic: expect village roads to be busy with tractors and herds as the harvest begins.
- Weekday mornings: plan monument visits then. Weekends bring local families out to the lakes and forts.
Crowds, rates and the value of waiting
Quiet hotels: international visitors are few and Indian holiday crowds haven't started.
A fine month for a suite: or a room with the best view, which hotels are often happy to offer.
- Visitors
- Few from abroad, Indian holidays not yet begun
- Rates
- Among the gentlest of the year
- Still waking
- Some desert camps, Ranthambore lodges
- Late bonus
- Navratri, in some years
- No published prices: every journey is shaped by its dates, hotels and pace. Our guide to what a luxury Rajasthan journey costs explains what moves the price, and we quote after one conversation.
- Desert camps: a few open only at the end of the month or in October.
- Ranthambore: safari lodges prepare for the reopening.
- Restoration: heritage hotels sometimes finish their monsoon work in September.
- Honest checks: we check every property, and tell you if a terrace or pool will be closed on your dates.
- If Navratri falls in late September: as it will in some years, the last days of the month grow livelier, with music in the temples and families on the move, a pleasant bonus rather than a crowd.
What to pack for September
Between two seasons: the September list sits between the monsoon and the cool season.
Light cotton and linen: for warm, humid days, with one long-sleeved layer for evenings at the end of the month.
A compact umbrella: especially for the first half of the month and the south of the state.
- Footwear: comfortable shoes with grip, and sandals for the lanes.
- Temple clothes: modest clothes with a scarf, and socks for warm or wet marble floors.
- Sun protection: the clear light after the rains is strong.
- Mosquito repellent: still important while the ponds are full.
- Space in your bag: September is the best month for unhurried craft shopping.
- Every month: our full packing guide covers them.
A sample week in September
- The route: west and south through the cities, finishing in Udaipur, which is greenest longest.
- Early in the month: we can reverse it and finish in Jaipur as the city dries out.
Days 1 and 2: Jaipur and Bagru
Arrive: and spend the first evening on a rooftop in the old city.
- Next morning: Amber at opening time.
- Afternoon: Bagru, with a family of block printers.
- Dinner: a long, slow feast in a haveli.
Days 3 and 4: Jodhpur and the villages
Getting there: fly or drive to Jodhpur.
Morning: Mehrangarh at opening time.
- Afternoon: the Bishnoi villages, green with millet and full of blackbuck.
- Evening: mirchi bada in the old city, and the fort lit up from a rooftop.
- Where to stay: Umaid Bhawan Palace or RAAS Jodhpur.
Day 5: Ranakpur
The drive: south through the green Aravallis, about four hours.
- Paryushan: if it is on, the temple is full of devotees.
- Overnight: nearby, or at a rawla in the Godwar villages.
Days 6 and 7: Udaipur
The drive: about two and a half hours.
- On the water: a boat on Pichola as the lakes brim.
- Morning: the City Palace in the cool.
- To finish: a sunset drink above the water, then fly on from Udaipur.
Who will love September
Who will love it: repeat visitors, craft lovers, food lovers, photographers and couples looking for calm.
First-timers: they can enjoy it too, especially in the second half, as long as they accept warmth at midday and closed tiger reserves.
Either side: for the opening of the season, read Rajasthan in October, and for the height of the rains, Rajasthan in August. Our best time to visit guide compares every month.
- Come in the second half if you can: the weather improves almost day by day.
- Order the route: start in the drier north and west and finish in the green south, or the reverse if you travel early.
- Long mornings with craftsmen: rather than many short stops.
- Ranthambore timing: arrive in the first days of October, not the last days of September.
- Pitru Paksha: keep cameras discreet at the ghats and cremation grounds.
- Keep an umbrella in the car: until the very end of the month.