Fascinating Tours

In the month of Kartik each year, Pushkar in Rajasthan becomes a colorful spectacle of one of the largest cattle festival in Asia. You will find a number of camels, horses, cows, mules, goats and sheep accompanying their masters to participate in the Pushkar Festival. A seven-day festival is dedicated absolutely to these animals. Pushkar becomes bright with various hues of colors. Thousands of men in large bright turbans, women in pleated ghagaras wearing armful of colorful bangles and bejeweled and children complete the setting of the fair.


The first five days of the festival in Rajasthan are for selling and purchase of the cattle. The prospective buyer is attracted by the owner by praising his animal with long list of virtues. The buying and selling may take some time because of long-drawn negotiations and bargains. Once the deal is over, the animals are groomed and ornamented at the festival particularly the camel. After shearing and scrubbing, the camel is costumed and sometimes even perfumed Handmade saddles, long strings of cowries, beads, colorful saddle-straps, embroidered back-covers and boots are available for the camels.


Pushkar Fair is also the time when women folk go on a shopping spree. The stalls of trinkets, silver ornaments, chains, nose rings, necklaces, waistbands, anklets, toe rings, hairpins and the ivory bangles worn from wrist to shoulder are what attract the women in the fair. Garments of patchwork and tie-n-dye are also on sale. Tattoo stalls are also crowded with women getting a permanent beauty spot on their body.


The last two days of the fair are for fun and merriment. Various events are organized in which camels participate like the Camel Races, Musical Chairs for Camels, Camel Beauty Contest and Laadoo Oonth are to name a few.


The Pushkar Festival in Rajasthan comes to an end on the day of Kartik Purnima. On this day, ritual bathing on the ghats of Pushkar Lake begins at dawn. There is quite a scramble for getting a place on the bathing ghats. The water of the Pushkar Lake is believed to possess curative powers and also wash away the sins of a lifetime. After holy dip, the devotees visit the Brahma temple to get his blessings.


Pushkar Festival in Rajasthan attracts a large number of tourist from India and abroad. The entire village is arranged in blocks of tents named after the famous dances of Rajasthan and each having its own identity.