Pushkar Camel Fair

Facts & Figures
Population of Pushkar : 14,000
Population of Pushkar (During the fair): 200,000
No. of Camels in the fair: Around 50,000
Best time to visit : October to March
Highlights: Camel trading, folk performances, body tattooing, ethnic shopping, puppet shows, acrobatics, best breed contest, moustache competition, bridal competition etc.

Introduction
Also known as Pushkar ka Mela, Pushkar Fair, is the world's largest camel fair held in the holy town of Pushkar in Rajasthan. Pushkar Fair is undoubtedly the world's largest camel fair and it also makes it world's largest cattle fair in general. Competitions such as the "Matka Phod", "moustache", and "bridal competition" are the main attractions of this fair which attracts thousands of tourists. A spotlight of one's holiday in India, the festival hosts around 50,000 camels which are sold, decorated, shaved and raced. From a mere 14,000 to a massive 200,000! This is how the population of Pushkar swells during the Pushkar Fair.

History & Legends
Puskar has has the only temple of Lord Brahma in the country. Myth says that Lord Brahma was on his way to search for a suitable place to perform a 'Yagna' (a fire sacrifice) while contemplating, a lotus fell from his hand on the earth and water sprouted from that place. One of them was Pushkar where Lord Brahma performed "Yagna". Worship of Brahma was considered highly important at the end of the first millennium BC. The holy lake has 52 ghats and pilgrim taking a ritual dip in the lake is a common sight. Although a serene town, Pushkar bustles with life during the joyous celebration held on Kartik Purnima. Every year thousands of devotees throng the lake around the full moon day of Kartik Purnima in October-November to take a holy dip in the lake. Huge and colourful cattle fair "The Pushkar Fair", is also held during this time. Pushkar fair is well-known for it's camel trading and other attractive activities.

Cultural Significance
Umpteen number of traders gather here and and set up shops. These traders sell a lot of products like woolen blankets of Merta, bead necklaces of Nagaur, textiles printed in Ajmer and Jodhpur, brassware of Jodhpur and Jaipur etc. Saddles, ropes, and assorted household items are also on sale. Cultural shows and exhibitions are also organized in this fair to enliven the event. Movies are shown, competitions are arranged, bards and poets recite and sing tales of valour and heroism of bygone days. Animal races and other competitions also add the attraction.

Why visit the Pushkar Fair?

• It is the world's largest Camel Fair.
• You’ll visit the only Brahma Temple in the world.
• You’ll see the Holy Pushkar Lake with 52 ghats surrounding it.
• Pushkar offers around 400 temples to see.
• You can participate in numerous cultural activities
• Ethnic shopping items from all over the state are on sale.
• It’s a rare combination of religious fervour and cultural vibrancy in Rajasthan.
• You can interact with tribal folks and understand their culture.

Sarafa Bazaar in Pushkar

Sarafa Bazaar Pushkar is another popular bazaar in Pushkar. It is visited by almost all the pilgrims who come here for a visit. Since Pushkar is mainly a pilgrim spot with a lot of tourist interest, you can mainly get materials related to religion and spirituality.

Sarafa Bazaar Pushkar, you shall get an enormous quantity of items that includes textiles, garments and embroidered covers. The most coveted among the embroidered items are the textiles that are of very high value. Bangles, leather goods and covers are of principal interest to the people visiting there.

The Bangles are mainly made up of stony beads that dazzles with the light of the sun. You can simply enjoy wearing the ornaments and trying out to find your proper size. Sarafa Bazaar Pushkar is amply deigned so that tourists can visit here and pick up their favorite items among the rest. Camel covers of various shapes and forms are available here.

Some beautiful statues of gods and goddesses are also found here. You can have a choice from among the large and small statues that are abundantly available here. The clothes are enchanting in their own ways. If you come to Pushkar, then you shall obtain the twin fold opportunity of having a pilgrim tour on one side and a beautiful shopping time.

Pushkar Agriculture

Pushkar agriculture is influenced largely by the regional location of Pushkar on the eastern edge of the Thar desert in Rajasthan. It is because of this reason that Pushkar agriculture does not feature as the main economic subsistence of the town. Most parts of the land is under the government and are used as residential areas, for transportation, for public use etc. Pushkar agriculture thus is left with a meager portion of the total land area.

Agriculture in Pushkar is restricted to only a few areas in the region due to lack of sufficient amount of water and fertile and arable lands. The soil cover in Pushkar is of poor quality and does not allow the growth and cultivation of crops. Moreover, major parts of the town are residential areas and tourist sites. The remaining land consists of sand dunes. This fact coupled with the problem of soil erosion are major handicaps in agricultural production in Pushkar.

These drawbacks cannot prevent the cultivation of several crops in Pushkar. Irrigation acts as the main aid in the cultivation of crops in Pushkar. The principle crops grown in Pushkar are wheat, millets, maize and corn. Pushkar agriculture includes the growing of pink roses. These crops are grown as subsistence agriculture rather than commercial agriculture. The villagers use cattle and irrigation facilities to produce the crops. Women along with men also are involved in agriculture. The agricultural products in Pushkar are for mostly for consumption purpose. Few crops are sold in the markets.

The limited availability of quality water in the Pushkar region due to high content of nitrate and fluoride in groundwater is an impediment in agricultural production of Pushkar. Therefore Pushkar agriculture depends heavily on irrigation.

Climate Of Pushkar

Pushkar is a city situated in the state of Rajasthan in India. The state of Rajasthan is located in an area which is essentially hot and arid, being in close proximity to the Thar Desert. Due to this, the climate of the whole area is mainly dry and hot. The climate of Pushkar is also dominated by hot summer season. But surprisingly, Pushkar is not as dry and arid as the rest of Rajasthan. Pushkar is blessed with a prolonged rainy season that makes the climate of Pushkar very humid.

The temperature variation in Pushkar is on the hotter side, but, unlike other places in Rajasthan, the climate in Pushkar does not face great extremes in temperature. In other areas in Rajasthan, the winters are extremely cold, while in Pushkar, it tends to be more moderate. Average summer temperatures in Pushkar range from 25oC to 45 oC, while winter temperatures usually range from 8 oC to 22 oC.

Rainfall is abundant in Pushkar. The rain season usually begins in July and continues up to the middle of September. Pushkar experiences heavy downpours regularly during these months. The humidity levels are considerably high in Pushkar, usually hovering around 90%. The climate of Pushkar is therefore favorable for travel and tourism, and does not usually get as uncomfortable as some of the other areas in Rajasthan.

Sadhus In Pushkar

Sadhus in Pushkar form an integral part of the visitors thronging the holy town in Rajasthan. The small town of Pushkar near Ajmer is considered to be an important pilgrimage spot according to the Hindus. The holy men or sadhus come to Pushkar at the time of the Pushkar Fair.

Sadhus are holy men who have renounced worldly possessions and bondages to lead a free and simple life. The sadhus in Pushkar are holy men who have given up their routine existence and decided to spend their lives praying to god for salvation.

The sadhus are mostly seen during the Pushkar Fair held in November. The pilgrimage to Pushkar and a dip in the holy waters of the lake attract a large number of sadhus to the place. The ash-smeared sadhus on the fair grounds of Pushkar form an amazing sight.

Sadhus in Pushkar are very much respected by the pilgrims visiting the place for the blessings of god. The devotees offer food and quilts to the sadhus as a part of their homage and to seek blessings of the sadhus. This ritual of offering things to the sadhus in Pushkar is part of the religious practices.

The sadhus in Pushkar add to the charm of the place. They form a significant part of the whole ambiance of Pushkar. Dressed in saffron clothes and garlands of flowers, the sadhus in Pushkar, also attract the cameras of photographers interested in capturing the essence of Pushkar culture.