Pushkar Camel Festival In 2012
The Pushkar "camel & cattle fair" - a festival of sound and colour - is held annually on the banks of Lake Pushkar. Traders and pilgrims flock to Pushkar for livestock trading, camel racing, and other festivities; and to the westerners, it is perhaps, one of India's most famous fairs of Rajsathan. Situated at the edge of the Thar Desert, this small place transforms itself from a peaceful, rural community, into a vast tented village with a lively, colourful and noisy market.
The world's largest camel fair (the annual event) at Pushkar is a true spectacle, a riot of colour and a cauldron of ancient tradition. This small town in eastern Rajasthan, on the edge of a beautiful small lake, boasts 400 temples and 52 ghats (bathing platforms). What once was a simple trade exhibition has morphed into one of India's most outrageous festivals. The event now hosts camel beauty contests, camel races, camel cart rides and even (camel-less) moustache competitions. Intermixed among the camel brokers, snake charmers, sadhus and soothsayers wander across the parade grounds, always eager to pose for traveler pictures. Shoppers can delight in visiting a variety of shops hawking elegant rugs, fabrics, jewelry, and saddle-straps. Just because you're not actually buying a camel doesn't mean you can't window shop like you are.
The beauty of this place is because of its location in the Arravali ranges. It is a dream for tourists; the kind of air that the city reflects is open. It defines the quiet of open spaces of the city and peace. The city is very well connected by train with Jaipur and Delhi.
Each year thousands of camel traders haggle through the day, before – towards the end of fair – they get down to the less serious business of camel racing. There is also a form of camel musical choirs and even a camel beauty pageant. The colour of the men's turbans and the pleated ‘ghagaras' (ankle-length skirts) of the women and the constant clamour and movement strike a memorable contrast with the sombre tones and the stillness of the desert. Many traders set up shops at Pushkar Fair, selling bead necklaces from Nagaur, woolen blankets from Merta, brassware from Jodhpur and Jaipur, saddles, ropes, and much more. During this festival, the population of Pushkar swells from 15,000 to over 2,00,000 and thousands of camels and horses are demonstrated, raced and sold.
Pushkar Fair Datesfor 2012' are: 20th November – 28th November
The world's largest camel fair (the annual event) at Pushkar is a true spectacle, a riot of colour and a cauldron of ancient tradition. This small town in eastern Rajasthan, on the edge of a beautiful small lake, boasts 400 temples and 52 ghats (bathing platforms). What once was a simple trade exhibition has morphed into one of India's most outrageous festivals. The event now hosts camel beauty contests, camel races, camel cart rides and even (camel-less) moustache competitions. Intermixed among the camel brokers, snake charmers, sadhus and soothsayers wander across the parade grounds, always eager to pose for traveler pictures. Shoppers can delight in visiting a variety of shops hawking elegant rugs, fabrics, jewelry, and saddle-straps. Just because you're not actually buying a camel doesn't mean you can't window shop like you are.
The beauty of this place is because of its location in the Arravali ranges. It is a dream for tourists; the kind of air that the city reflects is open. It defines the quiet of open spaces of the city and peace. The city is very well connected by train with Jaipur and Delhi.
Each year thousands of camel traders haggle through the day, before – towards the end of fair – they get down to the less serious business of camel racing. There is also a form of camel musical choirs and even a camel beauty pageant. The colour of the men's turbans and the pleated ‘ghagaras' (ankle-length skirts) of the women and the constant clamour and movement strike a memorable contrast with the sombre tones and the stillness of the desert. Many traders set up shops at Pushkar Fair, selling bead necklaces from Nagaur, woolen blankets from Merta, brassware from Jodhpur and Jaipur, saddles, ropes, and much more. During this festival, the population of Pushkar swells from 15,000 to over 2,00,000 and thousands of camels and horses are demonstrated, raced and sold.
Pushkar Fair Datesfor 2012' are: 20th November – 28th November
