Pushkar Fair or Pushkar Camel Fair, as it is also known as, is one of those events when people from all over Rajasthan make their way to the small town of Pushkar. This is more so for camel drivers, people with a religious bent of mind and not to forget tourists from all over the world. For traders, it is a unique opportunity to meet traders from different parts of the state and earn some profit while for devotees, it is a means to purify their soul by taking a dip in the holy Pushkar lake.

Business in Pushkar actually begins a week before the actual fair starts. It is a good opportunity for those who wish to see trading in full swing, however, once the fair begins, business no longer remains so important. It is the festivity that takes over the commercial aspect of the fair.

Legend
Before going further, let's give you the background of the Pushkar Fair. As per legend, Lord Brahma (the creator of the universe) was once in search of a place to perform his holy yagna. During his search, a lotus accidentally dropped from his hand and lead to water sprouting from the place where it fell. Lord Brahma performed his yagna there. Today, the otherwise quiet town of Pushkar in known as housing the only Brama temple of the country. During Kartik Purnima, devotees come to take a dip in the water of the holy Pushkar lake (the place where the lotus fell).

The Festivity
The fair is replete with colours and joyous activities. Camels form an intrinsic part of these activities. There are camel shows, race and a competition for best decorated camel. Apart from this, folk dances of Rajasthan also draw huge crowd. Women have other attractions to look forward to inform of jewellery stalls. Few items that make for good purchase in the fair include woolen blanket, bead necklace, textiles,brassware. Tourists can pick up these items as memorabilia of the fair. For domestic visitors, saddles, ropes and other household items are also on sale.

Tourists should also make it a point to visit the 52 ghats of the Pushkar Fair and the only Brahma temple of the town. There are actually 400 temples in this small town. Tourists who do not like crowd and are allergic to dust must carry their medication. It is the same for those who have a problem with animal hair.

Pushkar date in 2008
November 5 – 13