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Original
information below, taken from : http://pchanez.club.fr/Pushkar/Pushkar.html
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Choomti's
Rajasthan - The
"" Experience
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India, a country of superlatives ... Rajasthan, a land of desert and colours.
Once a year, on the full moon
of Kartik Purnima, which corresponds to the month of November, the little town
of Pushkar, calm and quiet the rest of the year, is suddenly taken by a fever.
All the camel drivers of the Thar desert start to move towards the little blue
city, and meet there for the biggest camel fair of the world.
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The city of Pushkar, the lake, and on the left, the fair
ground with the cloud of camels.
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During the two weeks, almost
200,000 people and 50,000 camels gather near the little town.
Having so many people and animals in the same place requires a perfect
organisation. Fodder vendors cohabitate with dung gatherer, a watering through
service is organized, and the place is as active as an anthill from dawn to
dusk. And once the night has come, the conversations carry in the light of
campfires. Although it seems that chaos reigns, it's really not that chaotic at
all.
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Camels for as far as the eye can see !
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The camel fair is also an
excuse for a big funfair. Circuses, magic shows, carousels and a big wheel are
installed near the fair grounds. The fair ends with 4 days of a more official
part including camel races, horse races and a cattle beauty contest. All these
activities take place in front of a very attentive audience, in the middle of
the bright colours of turbans and sarees.
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A colourful fair
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During the big celebrations
at the end of the fair, during the 4 last days, camel races, horse races and
cattle beauty contests are organized. The winners get rewards, and their selling
price can go sky high.
You can watch people preparing their animals for the sale : they are petted,
lovingly combed and shorn. The better the camel looks, the higher the price.
But let's not forget that the camel remain the stars of the fair... These
animals are really proud, and if they let you take their picture, it's always on
their best angle...
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The camels remain the stars of the fair.
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And when they win the beauty contest, they can be really proud.
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Used to live in the middle of
the Thar desert during the rest of the year, the camel drivers also come to the
fair to meet their colleagues and friends, and they will share these moments of
laughter and joy with you.
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Randomly meeting people, you get to
know amazing persons.
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Everyone sets his camp, just
next to his herd, and is going to stay there for the whole duration of the fair,
sometimes just watching, but always looking out for a friendly chat.
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An unexpected meeting...
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During the fair, the most
exciting activity is simply wandering among camels and camel drivers, and to
watch people coming and going. Camel drivers are extremely kind people, and it
is quite common to to spend long hours chatting and having tea with them under
their tents. The camel drivers will
tell you the selling prices of the most beautiful and fastest camels.
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Unforgettable meetings...
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In India, every activity has
a spiritual side. The Pushkar camel fair coincides with a religious festival.
Pushkar is one of the only cities in India with a temple dedicated to Brahma,
the god of creation. The little lake of Pushkar is one of the holy lake of
India, and thousands of pilgrims come here for a purifying bath.
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The festival ends with a purifying ritual bath in the lake
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