Rajasthan's iconic 'Thar Mahotsav' returns to Barmer after 9 years

When we think about Rajasthan, we think about colours and vibrancy, celebrations and feasts, royalty and hospitality, music and dance, heritage and history, tradition and culture. And the experience of Rajasthan is not complete unless you have witnessed the myriad fairs and festivals that the state has to offer. Apart from major festivals of Rajasthan like Pushkar and Jaisalmer Desert Festival, this lesser-known Thar Mahotsava is also a colourful showcase of Rajasthan history and culture.

After a gap of 9 years, the Thar Mahotsav is all set to make a comeback in Barmer once again! As per the notification issued by the district administration of Barmer, this 6-day long celebration has begun from today, commemorating the Rajasthan Foundation Day and Thar Mahotsav.

Another tourist attraction in the desert state!

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Thar Mahotsava and the Rajasthan Foundation Day event will augment folk art, culture, history, tourism and handicraft of the state. In addition to the cultural groups from Rajasthan, artists from Mathura, Braj, Haryana and Gujarat are also expected to be a part of this festival. With an array of programmes scheduled for this six-day long event, it sure will attract tourists from all across the globe.

Check the program schedule here:

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Kick-starting the event, an Explore Thar Bikers Rally was organised from Bhagwan Mahaveer Town Hall Barmer to Redana via Kiradu at 7:30 AM today. Followed by a heritage walk in Kiradu at 8:30 AM. Meanwhile, a horse race, parasailing and other entertainment programs are also being hosted at Raidana Rann from 10:00 AM.

In addition to this, the administration will also organise Gangaur, Bediya Geet-bhajan and Zaiko Mhare Thar Ro at Nandi Goshala from 3:00 PM to 7:30 PM.

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On March 27, a live broadcast of the Ger dance by men from Barmer will be carried out from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM. Apart from this, a dedicated bhajan program along with other cultural events will be organized on the streets of Chauhatan from 7:30 PM onwards.

The Thar Mahotsava will officially kickstart with a Shobha Yatra from Gandhi Chowk in Barmer at 8:00 AM on March 28. Various competitions like Thar beauty contest, Grandfather-grandson race, husband-wife race, and other games like Panihari Matka race, tug-of-war, Safa Bandho, Rajasthani costumes and dhol playing among others will be organised on the same day.

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In this episode, Ger dance by artists will be organized at Adarsh Stadium at 6:00 PM followed by Virat Rashtriya Kavi Sammelan at 9:00 PM. Renowned national poets like Shailesh Lodha, Satyanarayan Sattan, Shabina Adeeb, Joni Bairagi, Dinesh Sindal, Sanjay Jhala, Ashok Charan, Vivek Pareek will be a part of this cultural affair.

March 29, will witness various other cultural events like Mandana, painting, rangoli and henna competitions at Bhagwan Mahaveer Town Hall at Barmer. Sports competitions like cricket at SWML ground Kapurdi, badminton games will also be held at Police Line/Rajwest Township Barmer. Moreover, handicrafts fair at Dak Bungalow Barmer, Zaika Rajasthan Ro will also be carried out at Saffron Barmer.

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In the evening, a dedicated Bhajan Sandhya and Pabuji Ki Phad will be conducted at Dhaula Akada Barmer at 7:00 PM. Later at the Balotra Celebrity Night, famous comedian Raju Srivastava is set to perform at the Thar Mahotsava. On the last day of the Mahotsav, Rajasthan Divas will be celebrated, with a special marathon run from Gadrarod Circle at 6:00 AM.

Games like Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Satoliya and other traditional games will be carried out at Adarsh Stadium on March 30. At 1:00 PM, the administrative officials will conduct a Youth dialogue at Town Hall Barmer. This cultural function will end with a set of cultural programs that will be organised at Mahabar Dhor from 7:00 PM onwards.