UK +44 (0)1367 850566

USA 1-855-216-5040

Pushkar Camel Fair

Pushkar Camel Fair lead.jpg

Colour is certainly veracity in the desert jewel of India, Rajasthan, which goes with the accompanied fairs and festivals. The effervescent and exuberant festivals of Rajasthan claim to be an integral part of its culture and heritage.

The province declares and commemorates its religious and social values through these fairs and festivals, which is a phenomenal enigma in India. Transforming the deserts’ monochrome backdrop to colour and merriment in Rajasthan, the fairs and festivals here are celebrated with grandeur and majesty, exhibits a wide range of local flavours and of course handicrafts.

Held each November at the time of the Kartik Purnima full moon, Pushkar Camel Fair is one of India’s most highly-rated travel experiences, a spectacle on an epic scale, attracting 300,000 people and up to 50,000 camels, cattle and horses.

Every November, the normally tranquil lakeside town of Pushkar changes completely thanks to the camel festival. At other times of the year the character is very different as the small town welcomes pilgrims who come to pay their respects by the sacred lake at the heart of the town.

Thousands of colourful Rajasthanis come to trade and race camels or to enjoy the annual celebrations as the desert transforms into a huge tented city. The festivities are concentrated during a one week period but the days preceding the fair are just as exciting as the participants arrive from all corners of Rajasthan.

People come from all over the world to see the fair and locals come from all over the region, some walking with their livestock for three weeks straight across the desert just to get there. Although the small town of 15,000 has many options for accommodation, these tend to fill up quickly.

The official fair lasts five days, although herders and traders begin arriving to the area with their livestock and wares about a week before. During this time the camels are dressed up, paraded, shaved, entered into beauty contests, raced and traded. Negotiations over the sale of camels, horses, and more take several days with the seller holding out for the best offer.

Interestingly, the best prices offered also happen to be in years when the monsoon has been good. Besides being one of the biggest traditional festivals in the world there are also many other events that take place during the fair. From longest-moustache competitions, camel races and musical performances and even a cricket match between locals and tourists. The Pushkar Camel Fair has also become known as a meeting place where marriages are quite often arranged.

Pushkar is also one of the oldest existing cities in India and is home to one of five sacred pilgrim sites of devout Hindus. They come to this festival to bathe in the holy waters of Pushkar's lake and be absolved of their sins. The two days around the full moon are considered to be the most auspicious time of the year for bathing in the lake.

Those who bathe on the day of the full moon are said to receive special blessings. Especially at night, the festival comes to life with numerous enticing traditional dances and folk music to make you feel that you belong to some other dynamic world. You are sure to get immensely delighted when this place showcases a divine spiritual feel with thousands of sparkling lamps lit on leaves and left on the Sarovar Lake to float, giving the impression as if the stars have come down on earth.

The Pushkar Fair is, undeniably, a feast for the eyes which should not be missed.


The Explorations Company, where no two journeys have ever been the same

Would you like to know more?

Our team can help prepare a unique itinerary that best suits your personal interests  – no pressure, just
support and advice. Please complete your information and we will be in touch in no time.

As a guide, the cost of our extraordinary and utterly bespoke journeys tends to start from $1200 per person per day excluding international flights.

Can we take your details

About your journey

30 years badge

How many people in your party?

Adult
Children under 12

Explore with The Explorations Company

By Marcela Kunova - 20th April 2017

Nicola Shepherd, founder and CEO of The Exploration Company, organises unusual trips for HNW and UHNW clients ranging from birthday parties at an Indian Maharajah's palace to reliving Sir Vivian Fuchs's 1950s expedition to the South Pole. Citywealth caught ...

View Forward facing arrow

Our Guarantees To You

Premium service from one of the world's most knowledgeable travel companies

24/7 contact number

Your holiday is fully protected by the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018

Flight-Inclusive Bonding: We are licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority and hold ATOL Number 7159

Flight-Exclusive bonding: Your holiday is further protected by our membership of ABTOT Membership Number 5197

logo