Pushkar Camel Festival

I had heard about the annual Pushkar Camel Fair before arriving to India and had been looking forward to attending ever since.  My chance came when the embassy organized a group trip.  Upon arriving at the fairgrounds, we were immediately met by a swirl of sounds, colors, smells, and dust. We proceeded to the stadium to see if we could catch any of the popular contests such as camel dancing or longest mustache.  While there were lots of camels, horses, and people milling about, no organized activity was going on, so we left to see other parts of the fair.

Erica at Pushkar Camel Fair Stadium

The pathways of the fair were lined with vendors.  Some were selling the usual foods and souvenirs you'd expect.  Others were selling horses!  We inquired into the price of a horse named "Prince" and were quoted $300,000.  I'm betting that was the foreigner price!  There were also lots of stalls selling horse and camel accessories, like saddles, harnesses, and tassels.  While I declined decorations for my nonexistent pack animal, I did buy a small paper mache camel to use as a Christmas ornament. As we browsed the offerings, we had to be mindful of camels moving up and down the paths.  Camels definitely had the right of way at this festival.

A colorfully decorated camel

The highlight of the trip came the next morning.  We woke in the dark for a sunrise camel ride.  As we climbed onto the camels in pairs, we were also treated to the sight of hot air balloons being blown up for sunrise rides.  It was quite stunning for the darkness to suddenly be brightened by a literal blaze of color from the flames inside the balloons; they looked like light bulbs.

Karime and Erica ready to ride!

Once everyone was in the saddle, we proceeded on a tour through the slowly awakening fairgrounds. The venders and traders at this fair did not stay in offsite hotels; they pitched tents right on the fairgrounds.  As dawn broke, we watched as they came out of their tents to drink tea, eat breakfast, brush teeth, and go to the bathroom.  It's the reality in India that going to the bathroom does not always require an actual bathroom or anything besides the ground at your feet.

Camels dine at communal breakfast platter of grass and grains

We ended the ride in what felt like a camel parking lot.  Camels were all around - sitting, standing, eating, some gathered in groups.  Perhaps they were tailgating for the start of the festival day.  But it was a great opportunity for us to wander around and get our fill of camel photos.  You'll notice some of the camels have one front leg bent up and tied.  This is essentially a hobbling device to prevent the camels from running off.  Simple, yet effective.

Erica with the camels

While I never did get to see any quirky contests, I enjoyed the camel fair and another weekend trip to the state of Rajasthan.