Date: 14th Nov to 23rd Nov.
Location : Pushkar
Pushkar fair aka Pushkar ka mela attracts thousands of tourists to the holy town of Pushkar in Rajasthan, every year. The Pushkar Fair is believed to be one of the world’s largest camel fairs! This camel fair is graced by the presence of over 50,000 camels and more than 100,000 global travelers. While many flock the place to catch a glimpse of the camels, there’s much more than just that to Pushkar. Here’s a list of 4 reasons why you should visit Pushkar.
1. The unique celebration: The Pushkar Fair takes place on the banks of Pushkar Lake. Apart from selling livestock, there’s a large exhibition of clothes, bracelets, jewelry, textiles and much more. The 5 day festival begins with a camel race, followed by music and songs to add to the merriment. It hosts unique competitions like ‘matka phod,’ ‘longest moustache,’ ‘bridal competition,’ and much more.
2. Camel Safari: One can try the camel safari in Pushkar, to visit the small villages around the town. Apart from visually enticing views, one can get a closer feel of the life in a small town and also notice the difference in culture.
3. Little Israel of India: Pushkar can rightly be called the little Israel of India. It is a lesser known fact that Pushkar has numerous Israelis, and many of the locals can speak Hebrew! Israelis have set up a ‘Chabad,’(Jewish Community Centre) here. Traditional Jewish delicacies like jachnoon, moussakas, cinnamon cakes have found a place in the menu books in Pushkar! So while exploring rural India, you will be treated by Jewish culture too!
4. Brahma Temple: The Brahma Temple or Jagatpita Brahma Mandir is one of the very few existing Brahma temples, dedicated to the Hindu creator, Lord Brahma. After taking a ceremonial sacred bath in the Pushkar Lake, holy men and sages enter the temple. Only ascetics are allowed to perform a puja at the temple, and one has to give the offerings to the priest, from the outer hall of the temple. If you visit the Pushkar Camel Fair, you should certainly visit this temple! Apart from these 4 reasons, we must add that Pushkar has quite a few other tourist attractions! If you visit the Pushkar Fair, don’t forget to share your experience!
One another important factor that lures travelers into this charismatic fair is the camel competition. An array of camels is adorned in the best way possible for awe-inspiring beauty content. The owners leave no stone unturned in making their camels look dynamic and eye catching as the one looking the best wins the prize. The sights of beautifully decked up camels with their owners sitting on the backs are just astonishing and leave many jaws drop out of fascination. In one of the competition, large numbers of people are made to sit on the camel’s back. The camel then lopes across the sand and throws its riders off its back, amidst cheers and jeers from thousands of spectators. The camel which succeeds in accommodating the maximum number of people on its back, wins the competition.
The grand occasion of Pushkar festival is definitely a priceless treat for those who wish to eye the vibrant cultures and traditions of Rajasthan. Travelers partaking in the festival get a lifetime opportunity of bagging some traditional Rajasthani souvenirs such as ornaments, garments, footwear, artifacts and a lot more. Ornaments of silver and bead necklace, patchwork, printed textiles as well the famous tie and dye fabrics from Ajmer are the main attractions of the Pushkar Fair.
In the past few years, the art of body tattooing has also become a trendy attraction in the Pushkar Fair. The locals have set up small tattoo stalls here making traditional Rajasthani tattoos which are extremely loved by the travelers.
Visiting Pushkar fair is a chance to please your hunger with delectable Rajasthani dishes cooked with rich Indian spices. Being a religious destination, one may find only vegetarian dishes served in this fair. All local dished here are cooked in pure ghee which oozes mouth- watering flavors. Dry fruits, traditional spices and homemade yogurt are used in most of the delicacies. Whether it is delicious dal baati or sugery churma and missi roti, travelers visiting Pushkar Fair always end up licking their fingers.
Many travelers flock at the Pushkar Fair to get the blessings of the almighty. The holy Pushkar Lake features 52 bathing Ghats which stay jam packed during the fair. It is believed that each of these ghats have their own unique features and powers to heal all kinds of sins and diseases. Being a spiritual destination, Pushkar is home to numerous small and big temples which are decked up with pleasing illuminations and painted with vibrant colors especially for the Pushkar Fair. Pushkar Fair is a great occasion to take a plunge into the blessings of divinity and attain the everlasting nirvana.