Only 135 km north of Jodhpur, Nagaur was once situated on the important trade routes from the Arabian Sea ports to Delhi, and is one of Rajasthan's most historic cities. A medieval prize Nagaur has borne witness to almost every northern Indian dynasty of significance, including the mighty Mughals, and was an integral part of Marwar from the 17th Century.

The Royal Camp

The Royal Camp at Nagaur is pitched on an old polo ground within the historic walls of the Ahichattragarh Fort, a spectacular Rajput-Mughal bastion that dates as far back as the 5th Century. The tents themselves are stylish and luxurious, with attached baths, and the surroundings; a unique complex of magnificent palaces, airy pavilions and intricate waterways; truly magical. The Emperor Akbar visited Ahichattragarh more than once and to dine at his Akbari Mahal with candlelight and live music is an experience rare even for Rajasthan.

The Fair The best time to camp in Nagaur is during the famous annual live-stock fair, second only to the Pushkar Fair; in fact, perhaps in some ways superior to Pushkar because it is as yet "unspoilt". Thousands of camels and horses, and the famed Nagori Bull, which of all the Indian strains most resembles the one on the Mohenjodaro Seal, camp around the city which becomes a veritable market those few days. It is Rajasthan at its best and brightest.

The fair takes place sometime in January/February, the exact date ascertained by the Indian lunar calendar (see table below).

Monuments Nagaur is an extremely interesting little township with innumerable monuments tucked away in its charming streets and lanes. There are some lovely old Mughal mosques and the cenotaph of Amar Singh Rathore, who lived in Ahichattragarh and dared to defy the Emperor Shah Jahan himself, is a must see.

The Country The Royal Camp in Ahichattragarh makes an ideal base to explore the surrounding country. It is a land best seen on camel; rolling scrub, the occasional group of sand dunes and the rarer little lake, brilliant yellow mustard fields, herds of wild Chinkara (Indian Gazelle) and Black-Buck (Indian Antelope), glorious sun-sets...