Ganesh Chaturthi marks the birth of Lord Ganesha and is celebrated all over the country. In Sawai Madhopur, the festival is rather special. The temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha is located in the fort of Ranthambore, about 12 kms from Sawai Madhopur and it is one of the most important Ganesha temples in the State.

There is always a lot of activity at the temple because people believe that the first invitation to a marriage should be sent to Lord Ganesha. As a result, hundreds of invitations pour in everyday from all over the country inviting Lord Ganesha to attend the marriage. Some people also enclose money to enable Lord Ganesha to pay for his fare.

This temple is the site for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations attracting devotees from all over to join in the singing of devotional songs. Markets spring up in the area, allowing the people to do their shopping as well

Brij Festival

The Brij Festival takes place a few days before Holi, the festival of colours. Held in honour of Lord Krishna, this festival is marked by verve and zest. Villagers, in gay, multihued attire, can be seen singing and performing the Raslila dance-the immortal love-story of Radha and Krishna. All of Bharatpur comes alive to the sound of folk melodies on this festival held on the eve of Holi.

Men and women, young and old, rich and poor-all are touched by the spirit of this festival. Boisterous revellers spare no one during this festival and delight in splashing colour on everyone around

Prime attraction
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Once the royal hunting reserve of the princes of Bharatpur, it is one of the finest bird sanctuaries in the world, inundated with over 400 species of water birds.