Pushkar camel fair and festival

Pushkar camel fair and festival is held every year at Pushkar, near Ajmer.

Once a year, on the full moon of Kartik Purnima, corresponding to november, this little town of Pushkar, calm and quiet the rest of the year, is suddenly taken by a fever. All the camel drivers of the Thar desert start to move towards the little blue city, and meet there for the biggest camel fair of the world. This is one of the most colourful cultural extravagenza.

During two weeks, almost 200'000 people and 50'000 camels gather near this little town Pushkar.The star of the fair is Camel!! Everyone sets his camp, just next to his herd, and is going to stay there for the whole duration of the fair.

The Pushkar fair ends with 4 days of a more official part including camel races, horse races and a cattle beauty contest. All these activities take place in front of a very attentive audience, in the middle of the bright colours of turbans and sarees.

During the big celebrations at the end of the fair, during the 4 last days, camel races, horse races and cattle beauty contests are organized. The winners get rewards, and their selling price can go sky high.

In India, every activity has a spiritual side. The Pushkar camel fair coincides with a religious festival. Pushkar is one of the only cities in India with a temple dedicated to Brahma, the god of creation. The little lake of Pushkar is one of the holy lake of India, and thousands of pilgrims come here for a purifying bath.The festival ends with a bath in the lake