Pushkar Camel Fair |
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Fairs have always been a part of the rural countryside of India and one of the most famous fairs of India is the Pushkar Camel Fair. Located on the eastern side of the desert state of Rajasthan, Pushkar is one of the oldest Indian cities. According to the legend the city was created by Lord Brahma. The word Pushkar literally means ‘born of a flower’. Pushkar is one of the popular tourist destinations of India and a sacred place of the Hindus. The Pushkar Camel fair is held in the month of Kartik as pert the Hindu calendar. This unique and spectacular camel fair unwinds all its charm in Pushkar on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi and goes on for five days till Kartik Purnima (full moon). |
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During this time of the year Pushkar, the holy city dazzles below the shining full moon. Pushkar is located 11km north of Ajmer around the sacred lakes; it is surrounded by hills and sand dunes. There are three pious lakes namely Jayshtha Pushkar, Madhyam Pushkar and Kanishtha Pushkar around here and they are famous for their breathtaking and pristine beauty. Pushkar fair is one of the largest cattle fairs of the world. One will find thousands of foreign as well as Indian tourists visit this place to witness the fantastic fiesta of camels. It is a unique site to watch the camels being raced and paraded, while vendors sell their various wares. The owners of the camels decorate their camels with embroidered and mirror fitted clothes, so that they can participate in the camel race.
Both men and women visiting the fair often tattoo themselves. People from all over Rajasthan visit Pushkar to sell and purchase live stocks which includes camels, cows, sheep and goats. One will find a large number of handicrafts also available here along with much other stuff like bead necklaces of Nagaur, woolens blankets of Merta, printed textiles of Ajmer and Jodhpur, brassware of Jodhpur and Jaipur etc. There are many competitions also held here like the “Mustache competition”, “Makta Phod” (break the pot), “Bridal competition”, “musical chairs” and “tug-of-war” in which only the local ladies and female tourists can participate. In recent times an exhibition of cricket match between the local Pushkar club and a team of random foreign tourists has been included which is an added attraction at the Pushkar fair. As the Pushkar Camel fair is held on the onset of winter the weather is pleasant with cool winds from the south west. The golden sand dunes reflect various colors with every phase of the Sun; this natural color is added to already colorful dressed men and women or the shops selling various colorful goods, and also the decorated and bedecked Camel and cattle. The charm of the fair is that here the people spontaneously break into a song or a dance forgetting their daily miseries and struggles as they enjoy camel or cattle races.
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