One of the most popular and colorful fairs of the Thar desert is the Pushkar fair, which begins on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi & goes on for five days till Kartik Purnima. The time of the fair coincides with the bright half of the moon during the months of October-November. The picturesque lake of Pushkar is set in a valley just about 11 kilometres northwest of Ajmer, surrounded by hills on three sides and sand dunes on the fourth. Pushkar forms a fascinating location and a befitting backdrop for the annual religious and cattle fair. Turbaned heads of men, and colorful veils and skirts of the women, bring alive the arid desertscape. The village women dress in their best colourful clothes and finery for the five-day mela.

Pushkar is also recognized as a major well of souvenirs in the state of Rajasthan. Shopping is a delightful experience in Pushkar fair, wide range of Handicraft items are displayed on road side stalls. A bewildering variety of Souvenirs, curios, and trinkets are up for sale. The beads, bangles, embroidered shoes, clothes, shiny glass, brass utensils, belts and many more are on a display.

Pushkar occupies an important place in Rajasthan as a source of souvenirs and visitors who visit this holy town definitely go the bazaars to purchase textiles, clothes with elaborate embroidery, ethnic jewellery which is a specialty of Rajasthan, alluring miniature paintings, leather goods, lovely brass utensils, mesmerizing puppets and pottery. Pushkar is considered to be one of the most interesting places in Rajasthan to buy costume jewellery and embroidered clothes.

Shopping in Pushkar can be truly exciting especially during the annual Urs Festival or Pushkar Festival .At these festivals, folk artisans and craftsmen display an array of traditional items which include silver and beaded jewellery, embroidered fabrics ,brass utensils ,miniature paintings and Rajasthani puppets.

Pushkar's narrow main bazaar is lined with an assortment of absorbing little shops. Here you'll come across everything from late'60s-timewarp clothing to Rajasthani turbans, from statues of Ganesh to the novels of Salman Rushdie. Particularly good buys include costume jewellery, glass lamps, embroidered fabrics such as wall hangings and shoulder bags, Rajasthani puppets and traditional music. Much of the stock comes from the Barmer district south of Jaisalmer and other tribal areas of Rajasthan. You'll have to haggle, as Pushkar has long been exposed to tourists with money to burn and little time to burn it. There's the usual nonsense about 'last price' quotes that aren't negotiable take your time and visit a few shops. There are number of bookshops in the main bazaar selling a tremendous range of secondhand novels.

A popular Pushkar shopping destination is the Pushkar fair. The fair is an ideal venue to shop for items such as embroidered beads, brass utensils, lovely colourful bangles, leather goods, unique embroidered clothes, camel cover, and much more. Major shopping areas in Pushkar are Sarafa Bazar, Baza Bazar and Kedalganj bazaar.