Monday 8 October 2012

Pushkar Camel Fair 2012

With festivity in the air, time on hands, and leisurely mood on mind, people cross various borders to reach the highly celebrated Pushkar Camel Fair, or Pushkar Mela as it is known locally in the country, to dive into the extravaganza, kicking away their worries at least till the festival lasts. The festival shakes up the sleepy town of Pushkar in Rajasthan annually into liveliness brought about by the brightly attired traders, devotees, womenfolk and children alike. The celebration begins on Ashtmi (the 8th day of lunar calendar), and continues till Kartik Purnima (the full moon day of the auspicious Kartik month)

 The legend!

As per the legend, Lord Brahma’s children were slain by the demon Vajra Nabha, who, in turn had to face Brahma’s wrath and was struck by His weapon, the Lotus flower. The demon died, and the petals of the flower he was hit with fell at 3 places, one of them being the sacred town of Pushkar. It is believed that a lake (Pushkar Lake) sprung into existence at that spot, and soon Brahma performed a sacrifice there on Kartik Purnima. The town hence consecrated by Brahma Himself, came to be flocked by worshippers from near and far, who constructed a temple for worshipping the deity. This is the only Brahma temple to ever exist in the world.

Just a Camel Fair?

Though considered a camel and livestock fair primarily, a mere glimpse of the celebrations is enough to wash away such narrow views. In spite of what the name suggests, the festival invites people from all domains, and not just the traders who form the central attraction of the first 5 days of the fair, busy selling and purchasing their chosen animal(s). Various make shift stalls catering to womenfolk with their ornamental products skirt the region hosting the merrymaking. Camels have an equal prominence while being sold accessories craftily designed especially for them such as handmade saddles, embroidered back covers, beads, etc. They are decked up by their owners with as much concern as being given to themselves by the women. Other stalls like that for tattoo making are also present with the same theme of heavy bargaining being followed elsewhere.


The fair proceeds on to the day of camel sports raising the tempo of the fair with camel races, beauty contests – with special jury to decide upon the prettiest of the embellished camels –, and the interest invoking ‘ladoo oonth’, a competition set to decide on the toughest of camels who can carry the highest number of people – who don’t leave the opportunity to hang even on to its tail, if the camel permits that is, without kicking them away. Then comes the day of Kartik Purnima when people engage in ‘ritual bathing’ in Pushkar Lake at dawn. A dip in the sacred waters of this sanctified lake is expected to absolve you of your sins as well as rid your body of many diseases. Later they pay obeisance at the famous Brahma temple, hence culminating the ritual of spiritual cleansing.

The fair is flocked by thousands of devotees, musicians of various traditional genres; acrobats displaying their God gifted skills; folk dancers exhibiting the local culture at its best; traders; comedians, etc. Pushkar camel festival becomes a mini arena hosting every aspect of the life of Rajasthan. It becomes easy to anticipate the atmosphere in Pushkar at the time of the fair, owing to the bright lives gathered there.

To experience local art and craft at its best during the fair, visit the art and crafts exhibition cum sale organized at Shilpgram, RTDC (Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation) Tourist Village Campus.

Pushkar fair dates for `2012 are: 20th November – 28th November