September vs November

Strong option

Monsoon tapering — green landscape lingers, conditions improving, the shoulder window opens.

• ↑September sees the monsoon begin to withdraw from Rajasthan. Rainfall drops from July–August peaks, sunny windows extend through the morning and increasingly the afternoon, and temperatures begin their gradual descent toward the ideal October–March range. The Aravalli hills remain deeply green — the post-monsoon landscape of Jaipur in late September is its most lush and photogenic.
• ↑Jal Mahal (the Water Palace, set in the middle of the monsoon-filled Man Sagar Lake on the road to Amber) is most beautiful in September and October when the lake is full to its steps. The palace exterior — only the rooftop portion is accessible — surrounded by full water on all sides is the iconic Jaipur image that most photography doesn't capture in winter because the lake is lower.

Best match

The best month — Pushkar Camel Fair, perfect weather, and Jaipur firing on every cylinder.

• ↑The Pushkar Camel Fair (Kartik Mela, 5 days in late November determined by the Hindu lunar calendar, held at Pushkar 145km from Jaipur) is one of the world's great spectacles: 50,000+ camels, 200,000 traders and pilgrims, camel races, cattle trading, and the sacred Pushkar Lake ghats with their evening aarti ceremonies. The combination of the trading fair and the religious festival — Pushkar is one of India's holiest cities — makes this an unrepeatable event. Jaipur is the natural base for most visitors attending Pushkar.
• ↑November weather is the pinnacle of Rajasthan travel conditions. At 27–28°C highs and 12°C comfortable evenings, every monument, every bazaar, and every rooftop restaurant is accessible in ideal conditions. The Hawa Mahal in the pink morning light of November, the Amber Fort courtyard in the late afternoon sun — these are the images that define Jaipur photography and November delivers the light quality that makes them.