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Pushkar Camel Fair
Amongst all the bartering is a celebration of madness and mayhem
At the time of the November full moon is the Pushkar Camel Fair. Although the main purpose of the event is the buying and selling of camels, it is a date with madness and mayhem. Camel drivers and traders gather from all corners of Rajasthan, in North West India, for a week of bartering, camel racing and general celebration. They camp in the thousands at the edge of the town, on the borders of the Thar Desert: ‘the adobe of death.’
The camel drivers look magnificent in their loose, desert clothing, fine turbans and exuberant moustaches. The latter appears to be a necessary condition for being a camel driver and no self respecting tribal elder is without one.
A fairground springs up, a large stadium for sporting events is conjured from the desert sands and fireworks light the sky at night. Guesthouses in Pushkar triple their prices. Pickpockets and hustlers look for easy pickings. The roads leading through town swell like monsoon rivers, rushing with beggars, holy men, tourists, merchants and camels drivers.
