Rajasthan is at its colorful best during its fairs and
festivals. Pushkar Festival is one of them.
One of the most popular and colorful fairs of the Thar
desert is the Pushkar Fair, which begins on Kartik
Shukla Ekadashi & goes on for five days till Kartik
Purnima. The time of the fair coincides with the bright
half of the moon during the months of October-November.
The lake at Pushkar is one of the most sacred in India. Special
Attractions -
Pushkar is
a town in the state of Rajasthan in India. Pushkar means
born due to a flower. In Hindu mythology it is said that the
gods released a swan with a lotus in its beak and let it
fall on earth where Brahma would perform a grand yagna. The
place where the lotus fell was called Pushkar. It is
situated 14 Km from Ajmer and is one of the five sacred
dhams (pilgrimage sites for devout Hindus.) It is often
called "Tirth Raj" - the king of pilgrimage sites - and has
in recent years become a popular destination for foreign
tourists.
The
picturesque lake of Pushkar is set in a valley just about 14
kilometres northwest of Ajmer, surrounded by hills on three
sides and sand dunes on the fourth. Pushkar forms a
fascinating location and a befitting backdrop for the annual
religious and cattle fair. Turbaned heads of men, and
colorful veils and skirts of the women, bring alive the arid
desertscape. The village women dress in their best colourful
clothes and finery for the five-day mela.
Like Varanasi, Pushkar is one of the sacred places for the
Hindus, with 400 temples of which the most important is
dedicated to Lord Brahma - the creator of the universe.
Fifty-two ghats bind the lake. During the days of the mela,
the otherwise tranquil lake is engulfed with religious
fervor. Thousands of devotees collect to take a dip, sadhus
descend from the Himalayas and people pray for salvation to
the sound of verses from the Holy Scriptures, which fill the
air. In the
afternoons, people crowd the stadium where camels, horses,
and cows are paraded and raced. Camels are bought and sold
during the Pushkar Fair.
On the roadside, stalls of all kinds are set up to sell a
cornucopia of items. Almost every household is engaged in
setting them up as the locals try to capitalize on the
massive influx of people. It is impossible to drive around
because of the large crowds. Either you hire a camel or you
walk. In this aspect, it is truly a rural bazaar.
An interesting part of the Pushkar Fair is the mass trading
of camels. Of course, cattle and other livestock are also
traded, but it's camels that hold center stage at Pushkar.
Camel-traders and villagers from miles away converge to Pushkar with their humped beasts.
Over 25,000 camels (on the
conservative side) are traded; making this world's largest
camel fair.
Pushkar Festival in one of the
Popular Festival in Tourist Map of Rajasthan, India.
Since Pushkar is a religious place alcohol and
non-vegetarian food is prohibited. |
