Pushkar Fair (Fairs of India)
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TOUR PACKAGE FOR PUSHKAR FAIR
PUSHKAR FAIR: FACTS & FIGURES
Location: 11 km north - west of Ajmer, Rajasthan
Time of the year: Oct - Nov
Duration: 5 days
Cycle: Yearly
PUSHKAR FAIR: THE FAIR
Rajasthan is at its colorful best during fairs and festivals. There are numerous fairs throughout the year in the state, which brighten the otherwise hard and dreary lives of the villagers of the deserts.
One of the most popular and colorful fairs of the Thar desert is the Pushkar fair, which begins on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi & goes on for five days till Kartik Purnima. The time of the fair coincides with the bright half of the moon during the months of October-November. The lake at Pushkar is one of the most sacred in India. From time immemorial, people have been gathering here annually during the month of Kartik to pay obeisance to Lord Brahma.
PUSHKAR FAIR: THE SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS
The picturesque lake of Pushkar is set in a valley just about 11 kilometres northwest of Ajmer, surrounded by hills on three sides and sand dunes on the fourth. Pushkar forms a fascinating location and a befitting backdrop for the annual religious and cattle fair. Turbaned heads of men, and colorful veils and skirts of the women, bring alive the arid desertscape. The village women dress in their best clothes and finery for the five-day mela.
In the afternoons, people crowd the stadium where camels, horses, and cows are paraded and raced. Camels are bought and sold during the Pushkar fair.
On the roadside, stalls of all kinds are set up to sell a cornucopia of items. Almost every household is engaged in setting them up as the locals try to capitalize on the massive influx of people. It is impossible to drive around because of the large crowds. Either you hire a camel or you walk. In this aspect, it is truly a rural bazaar.
An interesting part of the Pushkar Fair is the mass trading of camels. Of course, cattle and other livestock are also traded, but it's camels that hold center stage at Pushkar. Camel-traders and villagers from miles away converge to Pushkar with their humped beasts. Over 25,000 camels (and that's on the conservative side) are traded; making this world's largest camel fair.
Since Pushkar is a religious place alcohol and non-vegetarian food is prohibited.
PUSHKAR FAIR: RITUALS/TRADITIONS
Magha Saptami (January-February) heralds the occasion for performance of the Pushkar rituals at a beach three kilometers from Konark. The roots of this festival are traced to a mythical tale wherein Shambhu, the son of Lord Krishna, trespassed into the chamber of his parents when they were in a state of private bliss. Upon this, Krishna cursed his son with leprosy. Since the punishment was too acute for such an inadvertent act by Shambhu, Narad took pity on him and instructed him to seek a cure at the Pushkar River. The place where Shambhu is said to have meditated and worshipped the sun God after ablutions in the river for twelve years has become a sacred spot possessing curative properties.
Today, the river is not visible. What is left could be described either as a large pond or a very small lake. Yet, the faith in the cleansing powers of its waters is unquestionable. For, on this day of Magha Saptami, hundreds of thousands of people go through the bathing rituals. Those who do not find space, do so in the sea, which is just 100 m away. The ritual bathing takes place from 3 am onwards, commencing with the thakurs (priests) and followed by the rest. After purification, by dawn, a sea of humanity expectantly faces the Bay of Bengal with their eyes focused on a brighter section of the horizon.
After darshan (worship), nearly 80 per cent of the people begin the journey back home, stopping on their way for offerings at the local shrines on the beach and the thakurbari (home of the local priest) where ceremonies still continue. The scenario along the beach gradually changes at this stage. Small groups, mostly family members, can be seen gathered around pandas (priests) who perform pujas. After etching the outline of the Jagannath temple in the sand, small mounds of wet sand representing each family member are placed within, along with earthen lamps and flowers. This, accompanied by the panda's chanting, which is repeated by family members, is intended to usher prosperity. These rites last from fifteen to thirty minutes.
PUSHKAR FAIR: LEGENDS
Pushkar is the only place in India where there is a temple dedicated to Lord Brahma. A legend recounts how Brahma sought abode on earth. He sat on his hansa (his vehicle, the swan) and flew over the earth. He dropped petals of a lotus as he flew and lakes sprung up where they landed. He descended upon this site to perform a yajna, which however could not be performed, as his wife was not present. Narada was dispatched to fetch Savitri. She made preparations to arrive ceremoniously. Brahma, afraid that the auspicious moment would pass, asked Indra to "bring a wife from wherever you can". A young milkmaid, Gayatri was brought to the yajna and the puja performed. When Savitri appeared, she was so enraged that she put a curse upon Brahma-that he would not be worshipped anywhere except in Pushkar and that too only once a year. She then left for the Ratnagiri Hill and immolated herself. There is a temple atop this hill dedicated to Savitri.
Another legend has it that the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, who was a devout Muslim but intolerant other religions, once went to Pushkar to get the temples there demolished. On reaching there, the King went to wash his face in the Pushkar lake but recoiled on seeing that the reflection in the lake was that of an old man with gray hair et al. Taking this as a bad omen, Aurangzeb decided against having the temples demolished and went back to his capital Delhi.
PUSHKAR FAIR: GETTING THERE
Pushkar is 11 kilometres northwest of Ajmer, which is located on National Highway No, 132 kilometres west of Jaipur.. Ajmer is well connected with Jaipur and Delhi by road and rail. One can fly to Jaipur and then easily drive down to Pushkar, the site of the fair.
PUSHKAR FAIR TOUR ITINERARY
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