INDIA: Annual Pushkar fair opens in Rajasthan bringing together cattle, Hindu devotees and tourists
- 00:00:09
- ITN Source
INDIA: Annual Pushkar fair opens in Rajasthan bringing together cattle, Hindu devotees and tourists
Holy dips, camel rides and quirky competitions--the annual Pushkar fair offered something for everyone amid Rajasthan's picturesque desert landscape. Hundreds of thousands of devout Hindus, foreign tourists and cattle traders converged on the sand dunes of Pushkar in India to participate in one of the world's most colourful festivals. The annual Pushkar fair, which takes place 375 kilometres west of India's capital, is a mix of three diverse fairs --- an annual cattle fair, a religious festival for Hindus, and a tourist attraction for foreigners. Each year under the full moon of the Hindu month of Kartik, nomadic tribesmen camp out on the surrounding sands for a week of serious camel trading. Tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims come to bathe in the holy waters of Pushkar Lake. Hindus believe Lord Brahma, the creator in the trinity, wished to perform a sacrifice following his long years of penance. During his sojourn in search of a suitable place to perform a sacrifice, Brahma dropped a lotus from heaven, which created the lake Pushkar. It is believed, on this night, a drop of sacred nectar fell in this lake, making it sacred. Pilgrims flock from all over India to be in Pushkar at this auspicious time. Ram Chander Parahsar, a priest at the holy town on the edge of Rajasthan's Thar desert, said: "A holy dip taken here today means more than any other act of goodness done at any other pilgrimage. People come to Pushkar to take the holy dip on this day to absolve themselves of all their sins." But the convergence of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in a small town poses a serious security challenge for the policemen. This time the security was beefed up, following serial blasts in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh just a couple of days earlier. On Friday (November 23), simultaneous explosions from homemade bombs planted outside courts in three Indian cities killed at least 14 people, including nine in Varanasi, one of India's most sacred Hindu pilgrim centres. Another 59 were wounded in the blasts that government officials said were terrorist strikes. Usually thousands of foreign tourists also come, to experience the spectacle described by the Lonely Planet Guide to India as "one of the planet's most incredible events." Hundreds of artisans and weavers from the neighbouring regions put up their stalls by the big roads and small alleys of Pushkar selling colourful dresses, ornaments for camels, and house decor items to tribal jewellery. Till the early 1970s, the fair was largely a rural affair where thousands of nomads and cattle owners used to come to buy and sell camels. But over the years it evolved into one of India's biggest tourist attractions with tourists from across the world mix with dusty villagers and their animals. Xinha, a tourist from China, said she was still breathless after a highly entertaining tug of war competition with local women. "Oh very nice this competition you know, I think the local women are much stronger than us," said Xinha, a software professional. For many of the villagers, the fair provides the only window of entertainment in an otherwise dreary life on the harsh sands of Rajasthan where regular droughts prevent any substantial rise in the standard of living. Apart from being a major tourist spot, the fair attracts hundreds of traders and buyers from neighbouring states also. Ram Niyas, a camel buyer from Nagaur region in Rajasthan said the fair provided the perfect opportunity for the region's natives to buy and sell their cattle, especially camels. "We look at the teeth of the camel, how many teeth it has, two teeth, four teeth -- that tells us the age and the physical condition of the camel and that is what decides the price," Nyas said. He managed to get 500 U.S. dollars (336 euros) for a camel--considered a bit on the high side. Organisers say nearly 22,000 cattle exchanged hands at this year's fair. Camels are a major attraction for foreign tourists as they enjoy rides on camels or camel carts.
ITN Source | December 3, 2007
