Pushkar Fair Part 2: World’s largest camel fair

The Pushkar Fair or Pushkar Mela is an annual five-day camel and livestock fair held in the small town of Pushkar. It’s a spectacle on an epic scale, where traditions and spirituality meet and one can experience the culture and grandeur of Rajasthan.

Pushkar camel fair panorama

Pushkar fair runs for five days and is one of the largest in the world, where people come from far off villages to trade cattle and enjoy with their families. Apart from buying and selling of livestock it has become an important tourist attraction with folk music & dance performances, rides, magic shows and various competitions for entertainment. Villagers come with their families and stay in tented accommodation. Camels are shaved, cleaned and adorned with colorful pom poms, silver & beaded camel jewelry, bells & other finery. Although other animals like cattle & horses are also traded, but camels take the show! There is a competition for the best-dressed camel too! 🙂

Dry camel dung is used as fuel to cook & for bon fires at night, as it’s quite cold in the desert at night. It’s an incredible experience to visit Pushkar during the fair and get a glimpse of the colorful rural Indian life. Sunrise is the best time to see all the activity at the camel fair grounds and evenings are great to sit by the tranquil Pushkar lake & the ghats. Men trade in livestock, while the women and children enjoy shopping, shows and other activities and entertainment at the fair. Read more about it in my earlier post – Pushkar Fair Part 1: The colorful rural life.

Sunrise at Pushkar fair grounds

 

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