Pushkar Mela

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Bharatha is a land which has innumerable number of Fairs. Possibly you will find very few places apart from this country which has as colorful fairs as ours. Pushkar Fair in Rajasthan is one of them.

Pushkar, an ancient city in Rajasthan, is home to the only temple of Brahma in the world. Legend has it that Lord Brahma dropped a blue lotus flower to earth while performing a mahayagna, and the place where the flower fell came to be named Pushkar, the Sanskrit name for ‘blue lotus’.

The Pushkar Fair (Pushkar Camel Fair) or locally Pushkar ka Mela is an annual five-day camel and livestock fair held in the town here. It is one of the world's largest camel fairs. Its has a vibrant spiritual ambience.

 

The Pushkar Mela is one of India’s most highly-rated travel experiences - a spectacle on an epic scale that attracts more than 50,000 camels, horses and cattle, 8,00,000 tourists and 60,000 expats from across the world, to the tiny desert town of Pushkar, on the edge of the Thar Desert.

Images of silver bells making heart pleasing jingles, animals walking over sparkling sand dunes and beautifully decked up camels with their owners sitting on their backs has become the most fascinating norm at this stunning cultural retreat. A huge carnival is held, with an array of musicians, dancers, acrobats, snake charmers and carousel rides to entertain the world.

Thousands of people go to the banks of the Pushkar Lake where the fair takes place. With over 400 temples and 52 bathing ghats, very few places can match the religious fervor associated with this town.

Men buy and sell their livestock, which includes camels, cows, sheep and goats. The women go to the stalls, full of bracelets, clothes, textiles and fabrics. A camel race starts off the festival, with music, songs and exhibitions to follow. Between these events, the most waited for is the test of how the camel is able to bring the items. In order to demonstrate, the men go up on the group of camels one after another.

It is celebrated for five days from the Kartik ekadashi to Kartik Poornima, the full moon day (the 15th) of Kartik (October–November) in Hindu calendar. The full moon day is the main day and the day, according to legend, when the Hindu god Brahma sprung up the Pushkar Lake, thus numerous people swim in its sacred waters.

Thus, the grand occasion of the Pushkar Mela is definitely a priceless treat for those who wish to eye the vibrant culture and traditions of Rajasthan.

You can visit http://www.pushkarmela.org/ to know more.

INCREDIBLE BHARATHA