Fair share of Pushkar

For five days, Rajasthan steals the spotlight. It is the annual Pushkar Fair…

November 13, 2014 03:32 pm | Updated 03:59 pm IST

Closing ceremony: Artists perform the Gair Dance. Photo: PTI

Closing ceremony: Artists perform the Gair Dance. Photo: PTI

Every year, the town of Pushkar, Rajasthan, comes alive with bright colours and wonderful sights and sounds. For five days, the holy city transforms into a bustling spot of activities. Locals gather with their cattle and wares, and tourists from around the world come to see and experience the extravagant affair — the Pushkar Fair.

It is also the largest camel fair in the world, where thousands of camels are bought, sold, decorated and raced. Besides buying and selling of camels, there are a number of activities that sets this festival apart. Some of the major attractions are the camel races, cattle beauty contests, camel safari, matka phod and longest moustache, among other things. A more recent must-do in Pushkar is a ride in a hot air balloon. Get a bird's eye view of the town, the camel race and the fair. Many makeshift bazaars also spring up selling colourful outfits, souvenirs, jewellery and interesting exhibits. Watch out for the enthralling folk performances by local artists.

The Pushkar Lake stands (rather flows!) witness to this five-day grand fair, which is now a major tourist attraction. It is held during the month of Kartik , from Ekadashi to Poornima , in the Hindu calendar. This year, the fair was held between October 26 and November 6.

Let Pushkar capture your imagination. It is a fascinating experience and the vibrancy of the festival will keep you enthralled.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.