PUSHKAR: RAJASTHAN

Unbridled joy

Besides watching the fascinating deals for livestock at the cattle fair, shopping, dance and music, desert safaris, horse and camel rides, serene sunrise and sunsets by the lake, food indulgences and
endless celebrations summarise the eight days of tumultuous times at Pushkar.

Text & Photographs: P Sindhuja

 

The blush of dawn may yet restore
our light and hope and joy once more.
Sad soul, takes comfort, nor forget
that sunrise never failed us yet.”
- Celia Thaxter (1835-94)

There is something very poignantly reassuring about watching the sunrise; vivid crimson light spread across dark blue clouds, consuming the darkness ever so subtly, and yet, ever so apparently. And what better than watching the sunrise over a calm lake, in the quaint old town of Brahma.

I was in Pushkar, watching the mesmerizing sunrise by the Varaha Ghat. Hours later I traversed through the many alleys and by lanes of this spirited town to reach the camel fair ground.

Pushkar is a collage; lazy terrace cafes, multi-hued market place, pious bathing ghats, gregarious
foreign backpackers, all forming an intercultural milieu and a tapestry of flamboyant colours. A place where the chai wala wishes you Guten Morgen and the temple pundit can give you lessons on Italian pizza.
Pushkar mela (fair) is rated as one of the best travel experiences one can get and it truly deserves it. I have visited Pushkar before and have revelled in its slow yet engaging life. This time again, I rediscover and fall in love with its quintessentially Indian yet global joie de vivre.

The town is situated by the Pushkar Sarovar (lake) and is surrounded by Aravalli ranges on three sides and sand dunes on the other.The lake’s history dates back to the 4th century BC. According to the Hindu mythology, the lake was created by lotus petals falling from the hands of Lord Brahma when he was looking for a place on earth to perform a Yagna. The lake is thus considered as one of the most sacred spots in the country and is called the ‘Tirtharaj’, the king of all tirthas (sacred places). It is believed that one dip in the lake on the occasion of Kartik Purnima is equivalent to performing yagnas for several hundred years.

The town has about 400 temples and 52 ghats, not to mention the very famous Gurudwara, and the Dargah of Moinudeen Chisti in the nearby Ajmer town. The mountain range Nag Parbat (snake mountain) separates the lake from the city of Ajmer.

Pushkar’s uniqueness lies in the fact of its historic-religious-cultural background. It has had a great strategic importance since historical times. Early in its history, it witnessed the Ghaznavid invasions. During the Mughal period it became one of the favourite residential places of the Mughal emperors. It was at Pushkar that the British ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe, met with Jehangir in the year 1616. In the year 1818, Pushkar came under the British, becoming one of the few places in Rajasthan controlled directly by the colonial power. Because of its old heritage, Pushkar bears a legacy of timeless architectural glory.

Pushkar fair is that time of the year when this lively town gets even more animated, and seems impassioned by a compelling purpose of festivity. The fair is essentially an annual eight-day camel and livestock fair, which brings together travellers from all over the world who become a part of this chaotic experience.
Picture a Brownian mixture of 300,000 tourists, 20,000 security personnel and 20,000 animals, an almost equal number of buyers and sellers of livestock, song and dance, transactions worth more than Rs 9 crore, sports and competitions, exhibition of handicrafts, etc. – that’s Pushkar fair for you. The travellers came from various nooks of the world such as Kenya, Korea, Israel, Australia, China, and several European countries this year.

When the fair starts, groups of camels, herders and traders travel through the desert for over two or three weeks to set up camp in the dunes around Pushkar. All over the dunes, groups of vendors and
purchasers gather around their animals with negotiators to arrange the deals.

Pushkar fair was started essentially for trading of camels and horses, and that still remains its prominent part. ‘Sundari’, a black pony with blue eyes, was the main attraction this year and the owner Sukhdev Singh from Punjab demanded Rs 1 crore for her. Last year, a horse was sold for Rs 40 lakh and two years ago a pony was sold for Rs 65 lakh. Camels were being sold for prices ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 5 lakh. With 20,000 such animals traded this year, one can easily see why Pushkar fair is one of the biggest cattle fairs across the world.

The first few days of the fair this year saw the following events on the programme list – camel dressing competitions, camel and horse dance shows, Indian Brides competition, and dance and music
performances. Camels are scrubbed, costumed and perfumed; handmade saddles, long strings of cowries, beads, colourful saddle-straps, embroidered back-covers and boots are then used to ornate the camels for the dressing competition. It’s quite a sight to watch the camel owners dress-up their camels in such fascinating colours and parade them with pride. What’s more fascinating is to see the camels responding to beats and dance to a cheering audience. The evenings are busy with cultural performances by different groups performing Sufi songs, Ganguar dances, Holi, and other dance dramas summarising the unique cultural heritage of Rajasthan.

Events that have over the years attracted many travellers include the ‘matkaphod’ (breaking of earthern pots), ‘longest moustache’, and ‘bridal competitions’. ‘Indian bride’s competition’ for foreign tourists especially is quite a hit with the locals and visitors alike. Fifteen women from different parts of the world spent a couple of days at local beauty parlours, learning to dress up like an Indian bride, trying to fit into heavy saris, ghaghras and get used to the kundans. The brides then walked the ramp to soothing old Hindi film music, gave charming answers to judge’s questions about Indians and went on to win many hearts.

Ferris wheels and midway entertainment spring up overnight all across Pushkar. Hawkers arrive from all over India to sell their wares – handicrafts, souvenirs, cooking pots, camel saddles, bridles and blankets. Women go on a shopping binge during the fair, and for good reasons. The unending stalls and shops of trinkets, silver ornaments, chains, nose rings, necklaces, waistbands, anklets, toe rings, hairpins and the ivory bangles worn from wrist to shoulder are too attractive for any woman to resist. And then there are the garments of patchwork and tie-n-dye work, and fabrics with such unique designs that you would seldom see elsewhere in the country. Tattoo stalls are also quite a hit with rural and foreign women alike.

One of the most exciting ways to see Pushkar is from the air. The international balloon festival serves to this ‘lofty’ purpose with large colourful hot-air balloons decorated with beautiful motifs, moving gently across the vast encampment on the dunes. The aerial view of the Thar desert strewn with camels and tents, presents a spectacular sight to tourists and participants alike during the early hours of dawn. Ballooning is a serene experience, enabling the traveller to see all of this ancient pristine landscape of Pushkar.

Through the eight days that I spent at the fair, there were other innumerable events at the cattle fair ground – games of kabbadi between locals and visitors, tug-of-war, traditional rural sports, wrestling, turban and moustache competitions. Shilpagram exhibits and sells traditional handicrafts which are quite in demand among foreigners. The night programmes at the cattle fair ground include traditional puppet shows, magic shows as well as performances from desert musicians and gypsy dancers. Some of the performers, coming from semi-nomadic communities who wander the desert landscape, camp outside the town.
The fair comes to an end on the day of Kartik Purnima. On this day, the ritual bathing on the ghats of Pushkar Lake begins at dawn. There is a great rush for getting a place on the bathing ghats, and amid loud cheer and banter women, children and men jump into the lake for that holy dip. The water of the lake is believed to possess medicinal powers and also wash away sins of a lifetime. After the dip, the pilgrims head to the Brahma Temple. Watching the maha-aarti (prayers) at night by the Varaha Ghat by school groups, is great way to end the day.

Shopping, dance and music, photography, desert safaris, horse and camel rides, serene sunrise and sunsets by the lake, food indulgences and endless celebrations summarise the eight days of tumultuous times at Pushkar during the fair.

 

Travel Tips

How to reach

By Air: The nearest airport is Sanganer Airport at Jaipur, 146 km from Pushkar. It is well connected with all the major cities which include Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Indore, Jodhpur and Udaipur.
By Rail: The nearest railway station is Ajmer, which is on the broad gauge and connected to all the metro cities of India like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Indore, Kanpur, Lucknow, Patna, Bhopal, Cochin etc. A broad gauge track is being laid from Ajmer to Pushkar.By Road: Pushkar is 11 km from main Ajmer bus stand. Rajasthan Roadways run very comfortable deluxe buses from Jaipur. There are buses from Jaipur to Ajmer, Indore, Nagda for every 15 minutes. Pushkar is about a 2-1/2 hour drive from Jaipur.
Remember: Consumption of liquor or meat is not allowed in the city. Please do not carry any liquor/ meat with you. It is also advised to dress conservatively – avoid off-shoulder tops or shorts while roaming within the city.