Marwar Festival in Jodhpur: Maand songs, the Clock Tower and the Osian dunes

Marwar is the historical region of western Rajasthan around Jodhpur, the former princely state of Jodhpur, with the Thar Desert across much of it. Its festival grew out of the Maand Festival, named after Maand, the song form of the Rajput courts that was sung at the celebrations the maharajas held. Rajasthan Tourism describes it as held in memory of the heroes of Rajasthan, and the songs are about them: battles, courage, love and devotion.

Today it is a state-run cultural festival rather than a religious one. Folk singers and dancers from across the Marwar region gather for two days, and the programme mixes performance with the competitions that Rajasthani fairs are known for.

The exact schedule changes from year to year. These are the parts Rajasthan Tourism lists as regular.

Jodhpur. The first day centres on the Clock Tower in the old city, with part of the programme at Mehrangarh Fort, the hilltop fort above it.

Osian. On the second day the festival moves to the dunes at Osian, a desert town 69 km by road north of Jodhpur, off the Jodhpur–Bikaner highway. Osian is known for its group of Hindu and Jain temples from the 8th to the 12th century; it was a major religious centre of the Marwar kingdom under the Gurjara-Pratiharas. The temples can be seen on the same trip.

Day two at Osian is usually the high point. If you can only go to one part, choose by what you came for: the old city setting in Jodhpur, or song in the desert at Osian. Osian is a separate trip out of Jodhpur, so plan the car or tour in advance.

The festival follows the lunar calendar: two days around Sharad Purnima, the full moon of Ashvin, so it falls in October, sometimes as early as the first days of the month. Rajasthan Tourism publishes the dates years ahead in its fairs and festivals calendar and can revise them, so check the calendar a few months before you book. The dates on this page come from that calendar.