Famous Pushkar Fair of India

Pushkar Fair is the most famous religious fair of India, with its popularity crossing the expanse of the Indian territory. It is the world's largest camel festival. This annual fair takes place in a small town of Pushkar, located in the western part of Rajasthan. It witnesses crowds of pilgrims, of similar faiths, coming down from every corner of the world, to take a holy dip in the Pushkar Lake, on the most auspicious bathing day of the year, to attain God's blessings and salvation. The town becomes spirited and brimmed with zest, with the hustle bustle of activities taking place during the festival.

TIME AND DURATION:

Pushkar Fair takes place at the time of Kartik Purnima or the full moon day during the months of October-November. The festival extends for about a week.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:

The colorful city turns more vibrant during the fair which is also called Pushkar mela by the locals, with the cultural exhibitions, shows, cattle fairs, folk dances, animal races and other such competitions taking place on a daily basis during the week long festival. The town embraces thousands of people who come together, in colorful traditional attires and long turbans, near the Pushkar lake, which has got 52 ghats. The main attractions of the fair are the world renowned camel fair and the holy dip in the Pushkar Lake.

Camel Fair:

The largest camel fair takes place in Pushkar. Thousands of camels, bedecked with jewels are paraded on the ruthless sands by their owners sporting vivid turbans and long mustaches, to sell them to the rural folks, who come in large numbers to this fair in search of good breeds of animals and to convert their cash into assets. Buyers carefully examine the cattle and bargain prices. After purchasing the animal, the cattle accessories are also next in the line to be purchased, especially the saddles, handcrafted decorations and daggers.

Events and Recreation:

Many activities and events are lined up during the Pushkar fair, which includes exciting horse, donkey and camel races, folk dances and musical nights, cultural shows and tug of war. Various stalls of animal accessories, woolens, jewelery, home accessories, textiles, bags, brass ware, and tattooes create an attractive scene where rural folk seem to enjoy shopping to the hilt. Even tourists can pick amazing variety of accessories to gift someone back home.

Religious Significance:

A bath at the Pushkar lake on the day of Kartik Purnima, is considered to be sacred and a final step in attaining salvation. The devotion and belief of the pilgrims can be seen from the fact that people wake up early even before dawn to reach the Pushkar ghats. They take the holy dips in the lake and offer prayers according to the customs and rituals. After this religious practice, devotees visit the Pushkar shrines, and complete the ritual called Parikrama. At dusk, the holy lake illuminates with numerous diyas placed upon leaves and floated on the lake waters. The morning and evening Aarti is the main attraction of the puja, and crowds of pilgrims turn out to participate in the religious affair.

People of Rajasthan await the festival with full rapture and prepare well in advance by saving money to enjoy the fair, participate in the religious ceremony and shop for their cattle, for their house and for themselves. People also visit a special temple at Pushkar, devoted to the four headed Lord Brahma, the creator of Universe. It is one of the four temples devoted to Lord Brahma and is built in the Dravidian style prevalent in south India.

Mythological Relevance:

Pushkar literally means a lotus flower. Legend has it that Lord Brahma performed a Yagya at this place along with Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, forming the trinity of Hindu Gods. During the Yagya, a lotus flower fell at this site and a steam of water sprung up from the place, creating the Pushkar lake.

On the Varaha Ghat, Lord Vishnu's avatar is considered to have appeared. At the Gandhi Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed in the Pushkar Lake and the Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh read the sacred verses from the religious epic Guru Granth Sahib at the Brahma Ghat. The site also finds its name in the famous Hindu epic Mahabharata.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS:

Apart from the main Pushkar fair, the town is also famoous for some other religious sites including the important temple of Lord Brahma, Jagatpita Shri Brahma Mandir, the Savitri Temple, the Varaha Temple, the Ramvaikuntha Temple and the Mahadeva Temple.