India 2015: Pushkar, Rahasthan

Pushkar, Rajasthan
2015

Pushkar, which means lotus flower, is a small, quite pretty and rather touristy, town on Lake Pushkar. Our main reason for coming to Pushkar, and coming at this particular time, was to see the Camel Fair - one of the largest camel fairs in the world, and a huge tourist attraction. We got to Pushkar several days in advance to make sure we'd be able to find a place to stay. Even so, it wasn't easy. And after finding one place in a new - and unfinished - hotel, we ended up having to move, but fortunately to a much better place.

Pushkar ghats, all along waterfront

We spent our days of waiting exploring the town - wandering the streets, taking in the daily spectacle. Heading down to the ghats - the steps down into the water, where pilgrims come to bathe, and tourists come to sit and contemplate the lake.

Visiting the many temples, and going to the markets. Like almost everywhere in India, Pushkar is a very photogenic place. And everywhere you look there is something worth trying to capture in a photo.

One of many sleeping Saddhus

Pushkar hats

And then there was the 'Brash Band'.....

One day we decided to take a hike in the countryside just outside the town. On our way back to town we met up with an old guy, dressed in tattered rags, who sells water to the thousands of tourists and pilgrims who come here for the Camel Festival. He told us that he lived most of his life in the Himalayas were he was a guide. He's climbed pretty much all of the mountains that draw tourists, including Everest. Now he's into 'botanicals' - making medicines out of plants - and has his own garden of medicinal plants, in various containers as well as the ground, all right by his tent home, which is right beside the road. He spoke pretty good English, which he learned when he was a guide. He was fascinating character. We hung around and chatted for quite some time. These are the experiences I treasure when I travel.

The Camel Fair

We went to the fair a few times, walking through town to get to the large field well on the outskirts of town where the fair was held. The first time we went, the camel herders were just bringing the camels in from wherever they lived - great dusty herds of them winding their way down from the hills.

Once there the camels headed to the water trough while their herders set up rude camps, plastic-covered structures mostly just to keep the dust out.

Many of the herders spent quite some time grooming their camels, preparing them for the buyers they hoped would be impressed by their efforts, and maybe ignore the hungry looking, prominent rib cages and torn ears of their beasts.

Some used clippers to make elaborate designs in the camel's coat.

We watched as prospective buyers strolled around checking out the camels, stopping to look at some more closely, opening their mouths to take a look at their teeth.

In addition to camels, there were also many beautiful Arabian horses, also for sale. Their owners tended to have much nicer tents, and the animals were in much better condition than the camels.

We went back a couple of times when the fair was in full swing - hordes of locals and tourists - from India and abroad - enjoying the fair. Many were there more for the food and the circus attractions than the camels.