Sikar Surpasses Jaipur To Become Rajasthan's Most-Visited District

Long associated with Jaipur's palaces, shimmering lakes of Udaipur and the endless sandy waves in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan's tourism map is witnessing a quiet shift, with Sikar emerging as a major domestic tourism hub on the back of religious travel and, increasingly, destination weddings centred around places of faith. Official tourism data for January-June 2026 shows Sikar recording 1.5 crore domestic tourist visits, the highest among Rajasthan's districts and nearly twice Jaipur's 81 lakh visits during the same period.

Chittorgarh stood second with 1.3 crore domestic tourist visits, followed by Jaisalmer (1.1 crore) and Ajmer (99 lakh).

"The numbers underline an emerging contrast in Rajasthan's tourism economy: while Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer continue to dominate the itinerary of foreign travellers, faith-based destinations are increasingly driving the much larger domestic tourism market," industry stakeholders said.

Ajay Sharma, joint director (marketing) of the Rajasthan Tourism Department, said the first-half figures presented a broader picture of the state's tourism potential.

"The large number of domestic tourist visits reflects the popularity of diverse tourism experiences available across different regions of Rajasthan, while foreign tourist visits continue to strengthen the state's international tourism identity," Sharma said.

He said the domestic numbers themselves showed the diversity of Rajasthan's tourism market -- from faith destinations such as Sikar and Karauli to Chittorgarh's historical heritage, Sawai Madhopur's wildlife, Jaisalmer's desert tourism and the natural and cultural attractions of Sirohi and Udaipur.

At the centre of Sikar's rise is Khatu Shyamji, one of north India's major pilgrimage centres. But district officials and tourism industry representatives say the growth is no longer confined to one temple.

Khatu Shyamji, Jeen Mata temple, Shakambhari Mata temple and Harsh Parvat are increasingly forming a religious tourism circuit, while the famous Salasar Balaji temple in neighbouring Churu district is also strengthening Sikar's position as a base and transit point for pilgrims travelling through the Shekhawati region.

"Sikar is getting popular because of religious tourism and the state government is seriously working to develop a tourism circuit," Sikar Collector Ashish Modi told PTI.

He said Khatu Shyamji, Jeen Mata, Shakambhari Mata and Harsh Parvat, which has an around 1,200-year-old Shiva temple, are among the district's prominent attractions.

The district administration has also forwarded a proposal to the Rajasthan government to develop Harsh Parvat for eco-tourism, Modi said.

The state government's January-June tourism data shows that Rajasthan received a total of 10.9 crore tourist visits during the first six months of this year. Of them, as many as 10.8 crore were domestic visits, while only 8.4 lakh were foreign tourist visits.

The foreign-tourist map looks markedly different.

Jaipur remained far ahead with 2.5 lakh foreign tourist visits, followed by Udaipur (1.84 lakh), Jodhpur (82,846) and Jaisalmer (66,433).

The contrasting figures indicate how Rajasthan is developing two distinct tourism streams -- an internationally recognised heritage, palace, wildlife and desert circuit on one side and a rapidly expanding domestic pilgrimage economy on the other.

Devendra Chaudhary, deputy director, Tourism Department, said tourism in the Shekhawati region is developing rapidly.

"Earlier, Shekhawati was primarily identified with its havelis. Now a large number of tourists are also coming to religious destinations in Sikar. Road connectivity is good, and people travelling to Salasar Balaji also pass through Sikar," Chaudhary, who is holding charge of Sikar, said.

Tour operators in Jaipur are witnessing this shift in travel itineraries as well.

Sanjay Kaushik, owner of Rajputana Holiday Maker, said many tourists visiting Jaipur now plan a trip to Sikar, primarily to visit Khatu Shyamji and other temples.

However, he pointed to a challenge that could determine how much economic value Sikar ultimately derives from its huge visitor numbers.

"At present, it largely remains a single-day visit," Kaushik said.

That gap between footfall and longer stays is also visible on the ground in Khatu.

R K Jain, owner of Shyam Leela Hotel in Khatu, said tourist footfall had increased manifold compared with previous years and continued to rise, but the economic value generated by those numbers was not being fully captured because of inadequate facilities.

"Despite high footfall, facilities are not improving and electricity supply is one of the issues. Proper infrastructure to cater to tourists is immensely needed to exploit the full potential," Jain said.

The surge is nevertheless beginning to reshape the district's hospitality sector.

Hotel industry representatives say new hotels and resorts are coming up in Sikar and around Khatu as pilgrim traffic grows and visitors increasingly combine religious trips with leisure and family travel.

Tarun Bansal, managing director of Jaipur-based Arya Hospitality and former president of the Hotels and Restaurant Association of Rajasthan, said religious tourism was emerging as an important driver for new hospitality investment in the region.

"Religious tourism is increasing and new hotels are coming up in Sikar. People visiting Jaipur are also increasingly travelling to Sikar for Khatu Shyamji and other religious places," he said.

Another trend is adding an unexpected dimension to Sikar's emergence -- destination weddings at religious places.

Rajasthan's destination wedding industry has traditionally revolved around palace hotels and heritage properties in Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Tourism officials, however, say Khatu Shyamji is beginning to attract families who want to combine a wedding with religious significance.

"There has been an increase in destination weddings in Khatu. People are increasingly preferring religious destinations for tying the nuptial knot," Chaudhary said.

The trend, industry representatives say, could open another market for resorts, banquet properties, hotels, caterers and other hospitality businesses in and around Khatu.

Unlike conventional destination weddings built around luxury and heritage, the attraction here is faith -- allowing families to hold wedding ceremonies close to a revered deity and seek blessings as part of the celebrations.

With more than 1.56 crore domestic tourist visits in six months but a substantial section of pilgrimage traffic still comprising day trips, industry representatives say better accommodation, civic amenities and tourism infrastructure could help turn footfall into longer stays and greater local economic activity.

Harsh Parvat could be part of that strategy.

Apart from its ancient Shiva temple and religious importance, officials see the hill area as having potential for eco-tourism, adding a nature-based experience to Sikar's predominantly pilgrimage-driven circuit.

The wider Shekhawati region also offers its celebrated painted havelis and architectural heritage, creating the possibility of linking faith tourism with heritage and rural tourism.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)