Pushkar Camel Fair « April « Somewhere in the world today…

All the very latest in camel fashion…

Pushkar camel fair by FouadUK, on Flickr

When: October / November every year, November 19th to 28th 2012.
Where: Pushkar, Rajasthan, India.

Every year, the usually sleepy lakeside town of Pushkar in Rajasthan turns into a riot of colour, noise and spectacle as the camel fair comes to town. Originally intended to attract camel and cattle traders to the town to do business during the Hindu Katrik Purnima full moon festival, the Pushkar Camel Fair has grown into a major mela with camel races, camel beauty parades and colourful markets selling the latest in camel fashion.

The Hindu festival of Kartik Purinama is on the last day of the festival, the full moon day. On this day thousands of pilgrims and brightly painted (and bizarrely bendy) sadhus (holy men), join the ever increasing bustle to worship in the many temples and take a ritual dip in the Pushkar lake, believed to have been created when the god Brahma dropped a sacred lotus flower to earth.

The Pushkar Camel Fair is held each October / November over 9 days running up to the Kartik Purnima (full moon). In 2011 the fair starts on October 31st and Kartik Purnima is on November 10th. In 2012 Kartik Purnima on November 28th.

Food & Drink

Since Pushkar is a religious site, non-vegetarian food as well as alcohol is strictly prohibited. Try our delicious recipe for Sabzi Kari (Vegetable curry).

Travel to India

Pushkar lies 11 km north-west from Ajmer, in the state of Rajasthan, on the desert fringe and along the bank of the picturesque Pushkar Lake. Sanganer Airport, in Jaipur, is the nearest airport connecting Pushkar to the rest of India and abroad, located at a distance of 146 km away from Pushkar. Book flights and hotels in Jaipur with ebookers.com. You may need to search for flights and hotels separately.

Dates / venues may be subject to change or cancellation. Distances may be straight-line estimates. Please verify information before booking.

From holiday reading and travel books on India to binoculars and sunglasses you can find everything you need for an amazing trip on Amazon. And don’t forget the camera!