Vautha Mela

Vautha Mela is an exciting animal trade festival of Gujarat. Weird as it may sound, but this is where you’ll watch many camels and donkeys decked up with ornaments and paints. This isn’t merely a fair, people even consider this event more pious than Diwali, as the location happens to be where seven holy rivers converge.

Many families leave their house for few days to live in tents near the fair venue. Everyday a different sweet dish is made; khichu is particularly popular. The river is lit by floating diyas in the evening and one can enjoy shopping in local stalls all through the mela.

Where: Vautha, Gujarat

What to expect: Beautifully decorated animals, stalls selling everything from handicrafts to machineries, Hindu traditions being performed on river bank, tents and delicious local cuisines

When is Vautha Mela celebrated: This five-day festival falls on the full moon night of Kartik month of Hindu calendar (November)