Pushkar Camel Fair 2019 is scheduled for 4th November -12th November and is the biggest cattle fair of India. It's worth mentioning that this festival is organized during the holy Kartik Purnima i.e. full moon in the Hindu lunar month of Kartik. Originally, the festival was meant to attract local camel and cattle traders to do business during this auspicious time of the year. With time, the concept of the Pushkar Camel Fair has changed, and now some local cultural fete, along with formal programs, are also orchestrated by Rajasthan Tourism to attract and entertain the tourists.
Significance of Pushkar Camel Fair:
The history of this festival goes down to the 18th century and is celebrated to mark the Kartik Ekadashi to Kartik Poornima, which according to the Hindu Mythology, is one of the most auspicious times of the year. It's not only an annual multi-day livestock fair but is also an important pilgrimage season for the followers of Hinduism to visit and bathe in the Pushkar lake to get rid of their sins. With time, it has become a notable tourist attraction for domestic and international tourists. According to the Rajasthan Tourism Department, the Pushkar Fair 2018 attracted more than 200,000 tourists. The festival also comes with plenty of cultural events and competitions like - Tug of War between men and women teams, the Matka Phod Competition, Longest Mustache Competition, Bridal Competition along with world-famous Camel Race.
Major Attractions Of the Pushkar Fair:
Earlier, the Puskar fair used to witness more than 50,000 camels and cattle, but, with time the number has significantly decreased and has lost the ancient touch to some extent. Nowadays, it's more of a commercial display to attract tourists. The ancient camel race is still a major attraction for tourists, along with the newly added comical beauty contests, featuring elaborately adorned and shaved camels. Apart from these, dancing, folk and fusion music concerts, heritage walks, and arts and crafts bazaar are some other fascinating spots at the event. In recent times, the concept to watch fair from upwards through hot air balloons is getting popular with tourists of all kinds. The exhilarating balloon flights are available in Pushkar during the early mornings and evenings to watch the mesmerizing beauty of the fair from the sky.
How to Get There and Where to Stay in Pushkar?
To reach Pushkar, the closest Railway station is the Ajmer and tourist can aboard on The Ajmer-Pushkar Passenger at 9.50 AM, which arrives Pushkar at 10.50 AM. The fare for this train is just Rs. 10. To go by road, one can avail Buses from the Ajmer bus stand for mere Rs. 20 that passes through the mesmerizing Nag Parbat to reach Pushkar. Local buses are readily available from time to time to commute the visitors to the Pushkar Fair. Apart from that, private taxis are also available at the cost of Rs. 500 - Rs. 600. Further, App-based taxi services like - Ola and Uber are also available for visitors of Pushkar fair 2019.
During Pushkar Camel Fair, an influx in the tourist number may lead to accommodation problems. So, it's better to book the hotels in advance, either online or by reaching there a couple of days before. Accommodations are available in the local hotels, heritage hotels, and temporary luxurious desert tent camps.
Many Government and private Rajasthan tour operators are also there, with different packages for the stay during Pushkar Camel Fair. It is highly advised to all tourists to understand the complete tour package before booking to avoid any mishappening in the future. The tour packages also come with accommodation and food facilities at the local and heritage, and desert tent hotels of Pushkar. Some operators also provide the facility of local sightseeing along with a complete event tour.
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