The Pushkar Fair - Tourist Info about Pushkar Fair

Each year in the month of Karthik, a spectacular 10-day fair called the “Pushkar Fair" is organized by the State Government in the desert town of Pushkar. During this time huge numbers of camels, horses, cows, goats and sheep collect here and then are then traded by their owners. With the sudden appearance of these hundreds of men, women and animals in the otherwise quiet town of Pushkar, the desert seems to come alive and becomes filled with colour, music, laughter and enjoyment. Men can be seen wearing their vibrant traditional turbans that are an integral part of their attire and the women are equally decked up from head to toe in their multi-coloured lehengas with glittering bangles, necklaces, silver waistbands, anklets, and flamboyant chunnis.

The first five days of the fair are meant exclusively for animal trading and it is fascinating to see the negotiations carried out between buyers and sellers as the merits of different pieces of cattle are enumerated. Since camels are the most important commodities in the desert landscape, owners of the animals dress them up elaborately to make a good impression. Seeing these animals dressed in beads, decorated saddles, hand-woven saddle straps, embroidered hump-covers, and sometimes even perfumes one can’t help being awed at the effort, care and time that go into this entire ritual.

As the trading ends people start getting into the mood for merriment! This comes in the form of the camel sports in which there is even a beauty contest in which different camels are judged on the basis of their gait, their appearance, their obedience and other talents. Another thrilling event is the 'laadoo oonth' which tests the amount of weight the animal can carry. Loads of men clamber onto the animals back and it is not uncommon to see the entire façade topple over as the men come crashing down amidst laughter and shouts. And then of course, there is the quintessential camel race which is an all-time favourite.

Finally, Kartik Purnima, the day of the sacred bathing ritual arrives. It is believed that bathing in the pure water of the Pushkar Lake washes away a lifetime of sins and the scrabble for getting a place on the overcrowded bathing ghats begins right from dawn. The water is also supposed to cure all disease and once the bathing is over people go to offer prayers at the temple of Lord Brahma.

The grand finale however occurs on the full-moon night when hundreds of devotees set afloat oil lamps on little leaf-boats on the calm waters of the lake. As the flames flicker and are reflected by the water the scene looks almost too beautiful to belong to this earth. It is as if the stars themselves have descended on the waters making them come alive with magic.

And with this the Pushkar Fair comes to end. The next day the camels leave with their new masters and the desert city returns to its quite days till the fair returns again.

Pushkar Fair Dates

9 November to 15 November 2024