Pushkar Fair: The Biggest Camel Fair

The most colourful side of Rajasthan can be seen during its fairs and festivals. One such important fair is the renowned 'Pushkar Fair', which boasts of being the largest camel fair in all over the world. The holy Pushkar City is regarded as the abode of Lord Brahma (the creator of the world). This city of over 400 temples and about 52 holy ghats is a prominent pilgrimage as well. The word Pushkar literally means 'a pond created by flower'. According to the popular myths, it is believed that the city along with the lake was created when Lord Brahma released a Lotus flower from his hands on Earth.

The Pushkar fair, which overwhelms your soul is held annually and holds much religious and spiritual significance. Devotees visit the fair in heavy numbers and bathe in the Sarovar Lake. They believe that taking a dip in the sacred water of the lake will lead to salvation. This seven day fair falls in the Hindu month of Kartika (October-November). It starts on the eighth day (ashtmi) and ends on the full moon day (poornima), as per the lunar calendar.

Activities
Camel and horse races are the major attractions of the fair. You can find a number of small shops/stalls in the fair, which sell the rarest of handicrafts and other interesting articles. People love to buy silver and beaded jewellery of Nagaur, textiles of Ajmer and Jodhpur, woolen blankets of Merta, brassware of Jodhpur and Jaipur and other embroidered fabrics. A few shops also have bed and cushion covers, Rajasthani puppets, folk music cassettes, books, saddles, ropes, mouth-watering traditional delicacies and many others assorted household items.

Apart from shopping, the Pushkar Fair is a wonderful destination to enjoy cultural performances by musicians, dancers, comedians, and puppet shows by the local folk artists. Storytellers, hypnotics, acrobats, snake charmers, monkey trainers, traders, sadhus etc. can be seen dressed in bright colors.

Over 200,000 people flock to Pushkar for the Camel Fair every year, bringing with them about 50,000 camels and cattle for several days of pilgrimage, dealing, and racing. Piercing of a camel's nose is an interesting ritual at the fair. As the place is a religious one, the consumption of alcohol and non-vegetarian food is prohibited.

By: SanjogKumar

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To enjoy the best of your Rajasthan tour, go through the Rajasthan travel guide and visit the legendary Pushkar Fair. This largest camel fair is an ideal option for the religious minded people and those who are seeking for the best of entertainment through the traditional folk music & dance performances. Pushkar travel guide helps you to make the best of you