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Published: November 27th 2008
In a word... WOW... Each year the sleepy desert town of Pushkar is transformed into an enormous fair ground and trading post. Pushkar is one of the oldest cities in India and home to the only Brahma temple in India. Brahma is the Hindu god credited for creating the world. Each year nearly half a million Hindus make the pilgrimage to Pushkar to bathe in the Pushkar lake at one of the 52 ghats in order to wash away their sins and assure themselves a place in Heaven. The festival is known as Kartik Purnima, which happens right in time with Pushkar's Camel fair. Yes some 50,000 camels, cows and horses all brought here from around Rajasthan for trade (all walked here). So add 50,000 camels with hundreds of thousands of people and you have one big party, except there is no booze or meat! Curses. There are even rules for tourists to follow. My favourite was no public affection between couples, yet Indian men walk around hand in hand. Kind of the opposite back in Alberta!
OK the fair. From soot covered holy men (one even with his cell phone), to 5 and 6 legged cows (the extra legs
coming out of their shoulder blades), to snake charmers, to beggers, deformed beggers, leppers and yet more beggers, to beautifully clad Rajasthani women in complete attire. This place has it all. I love the cows here. They are all healthy looking, get fed chipaties and rice. I see them eating garbage, heads right in the dumpsters, or eating flower offerings off of car windshields! The inbred cows with extra legs are with holy men who parade them around for money. I think they actually try to breed them like this for the cash. Why is it holy? I don't know. Weird or different so must be blessed? Haven't a clue.
The camels are always funny. Just weird creatures, some quite tall here. Just the 1 hump camels around Rajasthan. Some have designs shaved into their wool, others are painted up, and some have earings and bangles. They are quite camera shy. They seem to know when you are going to take a picture as they always turn. I also learned that the camel turds are collected up, sometimes still steaming, and gathered to dry in sun, then mushed up and made into big patties to sell in market as
Photo 29
5 legged cowfire fuel. Burns quite well!
One piss off here is if I ask to take someones picture they may ask for money in return after. That's fine b/c I asked. Here all holy men, Rajasthani women, snake charmers and kids will ask and plead to have their pictures taken. It is all so they can get money. No, you asked me for the picture!
The streets of Pushkar are narrow and were packed solid by the final day of festival. Like uncomfortably crowded. Had a couple attempted pick pockets here, got nothing. Joanna is quite popular as she has been boob grabbed a couple times in a crowd, with me right beside her, but we could never figure out who it was. We have talked about it with some Indians who have said it happens to Inidan women in the big crowds as well. So ladies watch out!
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