Pushkar, Cattle, Fair, Camel, Rajasthan, Delhi, Brahma, Lake

Pushkar - In the Desert
Travelogue | Accomodation
Shivali Khungar

The Pushkar Mela is actually a combination of two melas happening at the same venue, the city of Pushkar in Rajasthan. Of the two melas that take place here at this time, one is the highest exaltation of the Lord of Creation, Brahma and the other is the world's largest Camel fair. Pushkar, incidentally, is famous for having the only temple in the world dedicated to Brahma. The Pushkar lake, which forms the centre of this small town, is said to take on magical powers during the Kartik Purnima, or the full moon during the Kartik month according to the Hindu calendar.

The Pushkar Lake at the centre of the town.
Click on the picture for a larger view
As the legend goes, taking a dip in the holy waters of the Pushkar Lake during this time, cures all ailments and purifies the body.
The second fair started out being only a camel fair but over the years began to include horses and bulls as well. The mela starts a week before the Kartik Purnima, and ends on the full moon night. Towards the beginning, the religious fervour is low and camel trading, the business of the hour. As Kartik Purnima approaches, deals are struck and attention shifts completely to Lord Brahma by the last day. Around the lake, pujas are performed almost continuously by priests, who guide people through the rituals of taking the holy dip in the lake.

My first glimpse of the Mela was at night. The road on which the festivities were taking place was blocked to all traffic except pedestrians. As one crossed the barrier and a number of policemen, the view was spectacular. Lights, people, noise, animals, smells, assaulting every sense in a way I had never experienced before. It took me a few minutes just to take in the scene before I could start registering the components of this magnificent spectacle. On either side of the road were stalls of every kind, some erected with great care, some on sheets on the road itself, some on hand carts, some in little thatched huts constructed in a rush. On sale was everything a villager could want from the city, along with every urban shopper's dream. Plastic and steel dishes, household implements, pitchforks and camel saddles, multicoloured costume jewellery, Rexene wallets, sports shoes and simple toys for the former. Puppets and silver jewellery, hand woven shawls and durries in bright colours typical of Rajasthan, for the latter.

Top - Taking his camel cart into the fair to pick up groceries (perhaps)
Middle - This horse is going to be sold in the fair, while a fruit seller occupies the foreground
Bottom - The Camel Fair starts. The traders start operning shop in the desert.
Click on the pictures for a larger view
The smells in the air were a combination of spicy food, typical of Rajasthan, being prepared at every other stall, mingled with the smell of camels and horses, and the desert itself. Mirch pakoras, Bati Churma, Gatte ki Sabzi, all being consumed with equal joy by villagers and visitors, despite the chillies and the dust. In the middle of all this, a bit to one side was the large stadium like "Mela Ground" where the races were held in the day. At this time of the night, this large and dusty arena of sorts was transformed in to a theatre, ablaze with light and sound. All night, performances by various groups from different parts of Rajasthan performed their particular style of folk entertainment. Women dressed in multicoloured Ghagras and bedecked with silver jewellery performed the Jhoomar dance in all it's various styles, while the men played instruments and sang along. A performance by a group of men beating a huge drum (app. Four feet high from the ground and with a diameter of the same size) called the "Nagara" was the height of the evening for me. The beat started slow and worked up to this feverish pace which had everyone within earshot enraptured.

The mela by day, was transformed into a frenzy of colour and activity against a brilliant backdrop of the desert sun. The day began at dawn and by 8:00 A.M., the crowds were already forming. This was the time to do business. Behind the fair ground was the area where all the animals were. As far as the eyes could see, the sand dunes were covered by camels, and horses, and people wearing colourful turbans.

The trading at the camel fair is picking up now
Click on the picture for a larger view

Buyers inspecting the animals, sellers pointing out the animals' assets and deals being struck. While the grown ups were busy, the children were at the circus, enjoying the clowns and acrobats and magicians, or taking rides on the gigantic Ferris Wheel.
At 12:00 noon the races began. The mela ground filled to bursting point with prospective buyers, tourists and officials conducting the races. Animals were lined up, paraded about, and the races began. Mostly Camel races, followed by a couple of horse races. This was the perfect opportunity for buyers to select the animal they wanted and meet the seller once the race was over, though not all animals participating in the races were up for sale. Some were participating just to uphold a family reputation or the reputation of a breeder for having the fastest and strongest animals. Once the races were over and more deals struck, the air of revelry returned. By five in the evening, business was over and people were back to just having a good time.
As the days went by the number of animals steadily decreased and you could see the focus shifting from the Mela ground to the holy lake and the Brahma temple. On the night before the full moon, people started to arrive in Pushkar by the hundreds. On camel carts, in buses, in trucks and on foot. At dawn the Ghats, or steps leading down to the lake where religious ceremonies are performed, were already full of activity. Thousands of people performed puja, took the holy dip in the lake and spent the day visiting various temples in Pushkar. At night, in the light of the full moon, the ceremonies continued as people continued to arrive. The lake itself was lit by the numerous Diyas that people had floated on leaves, as an offering to the Lord.
The sight of hundreds of lights floating on the lake; the religious fervour in the air; the feel of the desert night with the sound of animals in the far background; the colourful clothing of the Rajasthanis in contrast with the colours of the desert; And the large numbers of beautiful animals, together, in one place, are images that will remain embedded in my mind forever. But the spectacle is not the only thing I carried back from the mela. The attitude of the people of Rajasthan touched me in a manner difficult to describe. Simple people, with big smiles and even bigger hearts. Everywhere we went, we were greeted by a "hello" or a "how do you do", with children wanting to shake our hands. No one pestered us to buy something or to give them something other than a smile. I stopped to talk to many groups of villagers and they all seemed to have this half amused half shy approach to foreigners and city dwellers alike. They would laugh and giggle at my questions about their lives, but answer as best they could. At one point, a friend of mine was walking around with a turban on his head, which was tied very badly. Some villagers stopped us and offered to tie it for him in the Rajasthani style. When he let them, their happiness and friendliness took us by surprise. After that they spent half an hour talking to us in broken Hindi, describing why they were at the mela, where they were from and wanting to know about our lives, before they went their way and we ours. All in all, these interactions were a heart warming experience for me, specially considering the isolated lives we live in cities these days.
Places to Stay

Pushkar Palace,
Pushkar Palace, Pushkar-305022
Sarovar,
Ph:91-0145-72040

All text and photographs for the above article ©, 1998 Shivali Khungar.

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New Delhi, India

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Pushkar - In the Desert Travelogue \| Accomodation Shivali Khungar The Pushkar Mela is actually a combination of two melas happening at the same venue, the city of Pushkar in Rajasthan. Of the two melas that take place here at this time, one is the highest exaltation of the Lord of Creation, Brahma and the other is the world's largest Camel fair. Pushkar, incidentally, is famous for having the only temple in the world dedicated to Brahma. The Pushkar lake, which forms the centre of this small town, is said to take on magical powers during the Kartik Purnima, or the full moon during the Kartik month according to the Hindu calendar.
The Pushkar Lake at the centre of the town. Click on the picture for a larger view	As the legend goes, taking a dip in the holy waters of the Pushkar Lake during this time, cures all ailments and purifies the body. The second fair started out being only a camel fair but over the years began to include horses and bulls as well. The mela starts a week before the Kartik Purnima, and ends on the full moon night. Towards the beginning, the religious fervour is low and camel trading, the business of the hour. As Kartik Purnima approaches, deals are struck and attention shifts completely to Lord Brahma by the last day. Around the lake, pujas are performed almost continuously by priests, who guide people through the rituals of taking the holy dip in the lake.
My first glimpse of the Mela was at night. The road on which the festivities were taking place was blocked to all traffic except pedestrians. As one crossed the barrier and a number of policemen, the view was spectacular. Lights, people, noise, animals, smells, assaulting every sense in a way I had never experienced before. It took me a few minutes just to take in the scene before I could start registering the components of this magnificent spectacle. On either side of the road were stalls of every kind, some erected with great care, some on sheets on the road itself, some on hand carts, some in little thatched huts constructed in a rush. On sale was everything a villager could want from the city, along with every urban shopper's dream. Plastic and steel dishes, household implements, pitchforks and camel saddles, multicoloured costume jewellery, Rexene wallets, sports shoes and simple toys for the former. Puppets and silver jewellery, hand woven shawls and durries in bright colours typical of Rajasthan, for the latter.
Top - Taking his camel cart into the fair to pick up groceries (perhaps) Middle - This horse is going to be sold in the fair, while a fruit seller occupies the foreground Bottom - The Camel Fair starts. The traders start operning shop in the desert. Click on the pictures for a larger view	The smells in the air were a combination of spicy food, typical of Rajasthan, being prepared at every other stall, mingled with the smell of camels and horses, and the desert itself. Mirch pakoras, Bati Churma, Gatte ki Sabzi, all being consumed with equal joy by villagers and visitors, despite the chillies and the dust. In the middle of all this, a bit to one side was the large stadium like "Mela Ground" where the races were held in the day. At this time of the night, this large and dusty arena of sorts was transformed in to a theatre, ablaze with light and sound. All night, performances by various groups from different parts of Rajasthan performed their particular style of folk entertainment. Women dressed in multicoloured Ghagras and bedecked with silver jewellery performed the Jhoomar dance in all it's various styles, while the men played instruments and sang along. A performance by a group of men beating a huge drum (app. Four feet high from the ground and with a diameter of the same size) called the "Nagara" was the height of the evening for me. The beat started slow and worked up to this feverish pace which had everyone within earshot enraptured.
The mela by day, was transformed into a frenzy of colour and activity against a brilliant backdrop of the desert sun. The day began at dawn and by 8:00 A.M., the crowds were already forming. This was the time to do business. Behind the fair ground was the area where all the animals were. As far as the eyes could see, the sand dunes were covered by camels, and horses, and people wearing colourful turbans.	The trading at the camel fair is picking up now Click on the picture for a larger view
Buyers inspecting the animals, sellers pointing out the animals' assets and deals being struck. While the grown ups were busy, the children were at the circus, enjoying the clowns and acrobats and magicians, or taking rides on the gigantic Ferris Wheel. At 12:00 noon the races began. The mela ground filled to bursting point with prospective buyers, tourists and officials conducting the races. Animals were lined up, paraded about, and the races began. Mostly Camel races, followed by a couple of horse races. This was the perfect opportunity for buyers to select the animal they wanted and meet the seller once the race was over, though not all animals participating in the races were up for sale. Some were participating just to uphold a family reputation or the reputation of a breeder for having the fastest and strongest animals. Once the races were over and more deals struck, the air of revelry returned. By five in the evening, business was over and people were back to just having a good time. As the days went by the number of animals steadily decreased and you could see the focus shifting from the Mela ground to the holy lake and the Brahma temple. On the night before the full moon, people started to arrive in Pushkar by the hundreds. On camel carts, in buses, in trucks and on foot. At dawn the Ghats, or steps leading down to the lake where religious ceremonies are performed, were already full of activity. Thousands of people performed puja, took the holy dip in the lake and spent the day visiting various temples in Pushkar. At night, in the light of the full moon, the ceremonies continued as people continued to arrive. The lake itself was lit by the numerous Diyas that people had floated on leaves, as an offering to the Lord. The sight of hundreds of lights floating on the lake; the religious fervour in the air; the feel of the desert night with the sound of animals in the far background; the colourful clothing of the Rajasthanis in contrast with the colours of the desert; And the large numbers of beautiful animals, together, in one place, are images that will remain embedded in my mind forever. But the spectacle is not the only thing I carried back from the mela. The attitude of the people of Rajasthan touched me in a manner difficult to describe. Simple people, with big smiles and even bigger hearts. Everywhere we went, we were greeted by a "hello" or a "how do you do", with children wanting to shake our hands. No one pestered us to buy something or to give them something other than a smile. I stopped to talk to many groups of villagers and they all seemed to have this half amused half shy approach to foreigners and city dwellers alike. They would laugh and giggle at my questions about their lives, but answer as best they could. At one point, a friend of mine was walking around with a turban on his head, which was tied very badly. Some villagers stopped us and offered to tie it for him in the Rajasthani style. When he let them, their happiness and friendliness took us by surprise. After that they spent half an hour talking to us in broken Hindi, describing why they were at the mela, where they were from and wanting to know about our lives, before they went their way and we ours. All in all, these interactions were a heart warming experience for me, specially considering the isolated lives we live in cities these days. Places to Stay Pushkar Palace, Pushkar Palace, Pushkar-305022 Sarovar, Ph:91-0145-72040 All text and photographs for the above article ©, 1998 Shivali Khungar.