Jaipur, Dec 27 (IANS) Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and Tourism Minister Diya Kumari, on Saturday, formally inaugurated the five-day Sambhar Festival at Jhapok, declaring that Sambhar town in Jaipur district is steadily emerging as a global tourist destination.
The festival, being held from December 27 to December 31, 2025, is jointly organised by the Rajasthan Tourism Department, Jaipur district administration, and Sambhar Municipal Council.
The inauguration took place in the presence of former MLA Nirmal Kumawat, Additional District Collector Ashish Kumar, Sambhar Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rishi Raj Kapil, and Deputy Director of Tourism Upendra Singh Shekhawat.
After inaugurating the festival at noon amid a large gathering of tourists, the Deputy CM Diya Kumari visited craft and food stalls, interacted with artists and artisans, and encouraged local handicraft workers.
She also released special postal cards, and visited the kite exhibition and photography exhibition.
Congratulating the organisers and welcoming domestic and international tourists, Deputy CM Diya Kumari said that the Sambhar Festival is being organised on a much larger scale than last year, and will be expanded further in the coming years.
“The Sambhar Festival has now carved a distinct identity on the global tourism map. Sambhar is becoming a global tourist destination,” she added.
She highlighted that Sambhar’s biggest attraction is its unique natural beauty, adding that during winter, migratory birds from Europe and North Asia, especially Greater Flamingos, give Sambhar worldwide recognition.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the state government is continuously working to enhance tourist facilities and road connectivity to make travel more convenient for visitors.
Deputy CM Diya Kumari appealed to tourists to enjoy Sambhar’s scenic beauty, cultural attractions, and folk performances, and urged them to share photos and videos on social media to promote Sambhar’s tourism globally.
The festival features art and craft stalls, photography exhibitions, food court, fancy kite exhibition and special kite-flying activities, horse riding, camel riding, and camel cart rides.
At Jhapok, tourists were also seen participating in adventure activities such as parasailing, paramotoring, paragliding, jeep safari, ATV rides, balloon rides, and cycling.
Folk artists presented vibrant cultural performances throughout the venue.
Other highlights include jeep/car adventure rally, salt processing tour, bird-watching tour and Sambhar Salt Lake visit, train-based salt expedition and star-gazing activities.
From December 28 to 30, activities include heritage walks, cycling tours, adventure rallies, exhibitions, folk performances, and adventure sports.
Celebrity evenings include December 28 — Moti Khan, December 29 — Raperiya Balam and December 30 — Mahaveer Nath (Rajasthani folk evening).
On December 31, heritage walks, kite-flying displays, exhibitions, adventure sports, camel and horse rides, and street performances by folk artists are scheduled.
–IANS
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