Every year, on the occasion of the full
moon or Kartik Purnima in November, a fair
is organized in Pushkar and it is a major
tourism attraction. People bathe, worship
and delight in the dazzling wares of roadside
stalls. Camels are bought, sold, beautified,
raced and parade. Most unusual are the small
groups of men and women seen busy tattooing
their hands and other parts of the body.
Dance music and colourful shops spring
up during this fair. Also on sale are mouth-watering
traditional delicacies. Colourfully attired
village folk enhance the fun of the occasion.
Rituals
These five days are a period of relaxation
and merry-making for the villagers, despite
being the busiest for them, as this is one
of the largest cattle fairs in the country.
Animals, mainly camels, are brought from
miles around.. Camels at the Pushkar fair
are decorated with great care. They wear
jewelry of silver and beads. There are silver
bells and bangles around their ankles that
jingle-jangle when they walk. An interesting
ritual is the piercing of a camel's nose.
Races and competitions are organized. An
interesting event is the camel beauty contest,
where they are adorned and paraded. The
camels preen before the crowds, enjoying
every moment of the attention they get.
It is believed that for five days every
year, all the gods visit Pushkar and bless
the devout. This accounts for the unbelievable
number of devotees who flock to the lake
to wash away their sins.
The Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation
(RTDC) puts up a tourist village during
the fair.. It has a Coffee Shop and Dining
Hall which can cater to 1 500 guests at
a time.The village is arranged in blocks
of tents, each with its own identity, being
named after the famous dances of Rajasthan.
The village also has huts with attached
western style toilets and running water.
How to
reach
Air :
Jaipur at 146-km is the nearest airport.
Rail :
Ajmer at 11-km is the nearest railhead from
Pushkar. Road :
Pushkar is well connected by road and is
11-km from Ajmer .
