Holi special trains to Mathura: what to know
For most travellers heading to Braj for Holi, the journey begins on a train. Mathura Junction is one of the […]
City Guide, Fairs & Festivals, Uttar Pradesh
City Guide, Fairs & Festivals, Uttar Pradesh
Two days of Braj Holi, not a week of chaos
Many people assume that doing Holi in Braj properly means taking a week off, chasing every event from Laddu Holi […]
Editorial, Fairs & Festivals
Editor’s Letter: In Praise of the Desert’s Empty Hour
Our editor on festivals, crowds and the quiet hour that makes a desert trip worthwhile.
Fairs & Festivals, Gujarat, Rajasthan
Desert Festival and Rann Utsav 2026: Dates and What to Know
The two great desert festivals of western India overlap this winter. Here are the announced 2026 dates for Jaisalmer’s Desert Festival and Gujarat’s Rann Utsav, with the planning notes that matter.
Fairs & Festivals, Gujarat, Rajasthan
Issue 82: Desert Festivals — Jaisalmer and the Rann of Kutch
February 2026: our desert issue. Jaisalmer’s Desert Festival, the White Rann of Kutch and quieter ways to meet both.
Fairs & Festivals, Gujarat
The Rann at the Edge of the Tent City
The tent city at Dhordo is where most visitors sleep. The real Kutch starts where its last lantern ends: craft villages, a black hill, and a salt desert that asks you to slow down.
Fairs & Festivals, Rajasthan
Sam Sand Dunes Jaisalmer
A practical guide to the Sam Sand Dunes near Jaisalmer: when to go, how to choose a camp, quieter ways to enjoy the sand and what to expect during the Desert Festival.
Fairs & Festivals, Gujarat
The Hour the White Desert Is Empty
At sunset the White Rann belongs to everyone. Before sunrise it belongs to almost no one. A case for setting the alarm.
Fairs & Festivals, Rajasthan
Jaisalmer When the Fort Is Still a Neighbourhood
Most forts in India are museums. Jaisalmer’s is still home to families who sweep their steps at dawn. Here is how to visit it as a neighbourhood, not a backdrop.
Rajasthan
Camels Are Optional: The Thar Desert Without a Safari Package
The camel ride is the postcard. But the Thar is more than a ride into the sunset, and some of its best moments happen on foot, in villages, or simply sitting still.
