The unique fair of Pushkar
The Pushkar fair is a unique celebration of the beauty of their coveted “ship of the desert” – the camel along with some other cattle. It is estimated that more than 2 lakh people from around the world visit this unique fair, which mainly focuses on trading cams and cattle, camel racesThe scene is set if you have flipped the pages of a history book back to a few pages – large arid desert fields dotted with crowds of excited people in all their magnificent glory, dressed with colorful saddles and bejeweled with embellishments. This is the setting of the world’s largest fair that is held at Pushkar around 10 km away from Ajmer in Rajasthan, at the edge of the Thar Desert.
The Pushkar fair – Rituals at the Pushkar Fair
The Pushkar fair is also a holy pilgrimage for Hindus, held for 5 days every year from Kartik Ekadashi to Kartik purnima. Pilgrims that visit Pushkar how to take a holy dip in the Pushkar Lake and offer prayer to the deity residency in the temple at Pushkar, Lord Brahma. This is the only temple of the country, which makes it an important pilgrimage spot for people of faith. The two full moon days are worthy of special calls for special rituals and prayers to the deity.
The Pushkar fair – Attractions at the Pushkar Fair
Most of the activities and celebrations at the fairgrounds, which is a huge mass of arid land at the intersection of the Brahma Temple Road and the National Highway 89. The main attractions at the fair, needless to say are the camels. We are dressed up with colorful saddles, jewels and other embellishments and exhibited for trade, like shaving camels, camel races, beauty pageants, camel parades, camel dance and the enthralling auctioning of these magnificent animals that form an integral part of Rajasthan’s livelihood in the desert. From the unique show of the crowds of Pushkar. Several cultural performances of music and folk dance with unique performances by magicians and snakes charmers can be witnessed at this bohemian celebration of coexistence between man and animal.
The Pushkar fair – Camel Safari
This is an exciting feature of the Pushkar Fair; tourists can take a ride of camels around the fairgrounds which is a unique experience with the undulating sand dunes and the desert terrain. The views of the dunes especially during sunsets and sun rises are mesmerizing and one of themost beautiful activities one can partake in during the festival.
The Pushkar fair – Camping
This isn’t camping as you know it, camping at the Pushkar Fair is a decadent affair complete with large spacious luxury tents, equipped with all the necessary amenities and even coming with butler services. tent cities is the main spot where there is a line-up of tents to choose from, the tranquil desert setting after dawn under the full moonlight is a romantic experience worth the money.
Hot air balloon ride
See the fair from a bird’s eye perspective while on a giant hot air balloon kilometers up in the sky. This isn’t an activity for the faint hearted, but is a thrilling experience that offers unmatchable panoramic views of the fair and the surrounding desert land.
What to stay away from
Since the fair attracts a mix of different people, there may be several money-making scams so keep your eyes open and avoid offers that seem too good to be true, chances are they are for a reason. There may also be beggars and gypsies at the fairgrounds but a stern no should be enough to dissuade them from pestering you.
How to reach Pushkar
Ajmer is the nearest railway station to Pushkar and has train coming from all the major cities of the country. One can also choose to drive to the venue, which is a picturesque drive from the nearby Snake Mountain of roughly 30 minutes. There is an airport located at Kishangarh which receives frequent flights from major cities like Delhi and other surrounding cities of Rajasthan.
