The
Pushkar Fair is an unique opportunity for the
discerning tourist to catch a glimpse of the real
magic, beauty, and mystery of India,
when a quiet sleepy village hamlet is transformed into a
fiesta of spectacular colour, unforgettable scenes and
sounds, creating an experience which will lure you back
year after year.
Every
November the sleepy town of Pushkar in Rajasthan State,
India, comes alive with a riot of colours and a frenzied
burst of activity during the festival of Kartik
Purnima. This spectacle has lured people from the
world over since times immemorial. Very few, if at all
any fairs in the world, can match the liveliness of the
Pushkar Fair, considered to be one of the oldest
continuous human gatherings in the history of mankind.
Most people associate the Pushkar Fair with the
world's largest camel fair. But it is much more than
that. It is an occasion for villagers from far and near
to collect together and enjoy in dazzling style and
colours a welcome break from their harsh life in the
desert. It is also an occasion for Hindu pilgrims to
converge for a holy dip in the sacred Pushkar Lake
and pay obeisance at the only temple in the world of
Lord Brahma, the Creator of the Universe.
Features of this beautiful temple are its red spire, the
image of the swan (considered sacred to Lord Brahma),
the silver doors in the sanctuary, a marble gateway, a
carved silver turtle, decorations of silver coins and
walls adorned with graceful peacocks, the celestial
vehicle of Goddess "Saraswati" (The Goddess of Wisdom
and Consort of Lord Brahma.).
In fact, Pushkar which means a lake created by flowers,
was formed when Lord Brahma dropped a lotus flower on
the earth to determine a place for his yagna, a holy
sacrifice.
The festival lasts 10 days and is divided into 2 parts,
the first part being the cattle fair where
thousands of cattle, camels and horses are brought to
Pushkar to be bartered for and sold.
This year, 2008, the cattle fair commences from 5th
November. The second part is a religious fair,
starting from 10th November and where people come to
celebrate around Pushkar's holy lake.
The luxury tents (with en-suite bathrooms) make
for an idyllic stay in the tranquil countryside. Comfort
and hygiene are the hallmark of Raj Resorts. Our team of
Chefs will prepare delectable vegetarian meals to suite
all palates and exclusive traditional entertainment by
dancers and musicians is provided every afternoon during
lunch and in the evening.
Fun & Frolic
"As the tempo of business goes down, the men folk turn to merriment, for the day of the camel sports is at hand. Camel races are the first event. Usually a lumbering beast of burden, the camel all decorated in finery, imagines itself to be an ostrich, and rushes through the race like one. Then comes the event analogous to musical chairs. Here, as the music stops, the camel is supposed to manage to stick its long arching neck between two poles, each camel owner guiding its entrant by means of a silken cord attached to its nose ring.
