Pushkar
This was our
first journey into the state of Rajasthan, the culturally-rich desert region
of western India. Our trip was timed to see the annual Pushkar Camel Fair,
one of India’s famous cultural gatherings and religious pilgrimages. We
also took our first semi-long-range trip on the train in India – and
experience that opened up a whole new vista on the land and the culture. In
Pushkar we stayed in a tent camp arranged by an embassy-sponsored tour
package. It was a great way to be introduced to Rajasthan, but we will
stick to arranging our own travel for future visits. While in Pushkar we
visited the fair, complete with ferris wheels, carnival rides and games, and
blaring Indian music. But it is also an animal trading event for the local
Rajasthani shepherds, and there were camels, horses, goats, donkeys, and
many other kinds of livestock being inspected, ridden, bought, and sold. In
camp, we enjoyed great local food, as well as Rajasthani musicians and
dancers around the campfire after dinner. We were treated to a
fire-breathing display and a traditional puppet show, which the kids loved.
During the fair,
large numbers of Hindu devotees come to bathe in the sacred Puskhar Lake,
which is situated in town surrounded by stairs or ghats. This festival is
timed to occur on the day of “Kartik Purnima,” meaning the full moon (Purnima)
of the Hindu month of Kartik (normally coinciding with Oct or Nov on our
calendar). We visited Pushkar Lake, but were forbidden to take pictures out
of respect for the holy spot. Like many standing bodies of water in India,
it was not particularly clean, but the sincerity of the worshippers was not
in doubt as hundreds were gathered there for the event. On the first morning
there we joined a camel caravan through the desert and watched the sunrise
from atop our camels – a great family memory! The second morning we arose
even earlier and climbed the nearby hill which was crowned with a small
Hindu Temple. From that perch we took pictures of the town and fair below,
and again watched the sun rise over the Rajasthani Desert.
It was a magical time
and a fascinating event, and we highly recommend it to anyone.
Unfortunately, some of the only problems we faced were as a result of other
Americans travelling in our group! They were minor matters, but we will
probably arrange our own trip details with smaller groups of our making.
Still, the fair itself was a wonderful event in a beautiful setting. It is
an awesome opportunity to “step back in time” to experience a way of life
that has persisted in spite of the march of modernity.
