Pack your bags to  make merry at Pushkar Camel Fair

The exuberant annual Pushkar Camel Fair turns the beautiful holy town of Pushkar, situated in the north Indian state of Rajasthan come alive with the peculiar sight of an old traditional-style Indian festival witnessing explosions of color, song, and dance including camel trading, carnival rides, and holy rituals. Held in the month of November, or the Hindu month of Kartik, this 2016 the popular Pushkar Camel Fair is organized from 8 November to 15 November.

The festival beholds the large masses of Cameleers and Rajasthani farmers who come to the town to attend the fair and gather to buy and sell their camels, cattle, and horses and additionally enjoy the most thrilling formal program of activities arranged by Rajasthan Tourism. The camel action trading is completed during the first few days of the festival, after which the focus shifts to heightened religious celebrations and competitions.

Starting from watching the shaved and dolled-up camels, entering into beauty contests, camel races, or either made to dance, or participate in an exciting competition where the camels are tested to bring items and visitors riding upon them, the fair also holds in numerous other joyous events and competitions  on the festival ground.

The Longest mustache contest for the men showcasing meters long mustache curling against the face, weight-carrying contest and the turban-tying contest for foreigners, including tug-of-war face-offs and a lively cricket match between the Pushkar club and a team of brave tourists are fun to watch. While for Women, the Bridal competitions where young women are dolled up in traditional Indian bridal dresses to outdo each other and compete for the most beautiful brides to be are organized.

Other traditional entertainment witnessed throughout the fair includes, musicians singing vibrant folk music, performing magicians, dancers, acrobats, snake charmers, fortune tellers to entertain the crowd. Pushkar Camel Fair has innumerable stalls selling authentic traditional cuisines, food and snacks, trinkets, jewelry, apparels, carpets plus a wide selection of handicrafts items to gaudy livestock tassels and vintage gypsy accessories.

The final day when the Pushkar Camel Fair comes to an end tourists’ visit the pilgrimage center, Lake Pushkar to bathe in the holy water to wash away their sins and then visit Brahma Temple, the only temple in India dedicated to Lord Brahma to receive special blessings from the lord of creation. The fair witnesses a large number of tourists coming from around the world to enjoy the air of leisure enveloped by a spiritual element.

To get here comfortably at this world famous Camel fair, the closest railway station is Ajmer while alternatively; the nearest airport is in Jaipur, around two and a half hours away. From where you could further hire a taxi up till Pushkar. For accommodations it’s recommended to book either simple guesthouse, luxury tented camps set up in the desert especially for the festival, heritage hotels, well in advance because due to the influx of visitors during the camel fair, the prices increase accordingly.

Pack your bags and head towards the enthusiastic annual Pushkar Camel Fair to enjoy the globally famous annual religious and exciting cattle fair.