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PUSHKAR FAIR (November)
Held at
Pushkar near Ajmer once in a year, better known by the name of
Pushkar Cattle Fair, is one of the most colorful festivals of India.
Thousands of pilgrims come to bathe in the holy water of the Pushkar
Lake. Legend has it that the lake appeared miraculously on the spot,
where the petals of the lotus fell from the hands of lord Brahma.
Pushkar has an atmosphere of an ancient town, peaceful and secluded
but for twelve days of the month of KARTIK (Hindu calendar), it
transformed into a spectacular fair ground.. The fair is
overwhelming in its magnitude and in its visual impacts. Vendors
peddle their dazzling range of wares in hundreds of roadside stalls.
RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES
People come from different parts of Rajasthan to worship lord Brahma
and take bath in the holy lake. Pilgrims start coming since early
morning in groups singing the religious songs dedicated to Hindu
gods to take bathe in the Pushkar Lake. The process continues
throughout the day to turn into DEEPDAN ceremony. The entire
atmosphere reverberates with the ringing of bells. At night,
hundreds of small oil lamps placed on green leaves set the lake
alight. Shopkeepers keeps their shops open for day and night for the
last three / four days to keep the city alive.
CAMEL AND CATTLE
Worlds largest number of camel gathering is a spectacular seen
that floods this area with thousands of tourist every year. The most
spectacular site besides the animals is the day-to-day activity of
the people who comes with the animals and spend the day and night
under open sky. Horse races, camel races and other animal based
events are organized by the organizing committee to choose the best
animal of the fair.
MARKET AND THE COLORFUL PEOPLE
The
temporary market created only for the fair period for the all kind
of material used by the villagers, agriculture goods, camel/ horse
saddles, ready made cloths, sweets, circus, magician and the people
with their colorful traditional dresses turns this small town and
surrounding area into a fairyland and paradise for the photographers
and tourist as well.
NAGAUR (February)
Nagaur
awakens to bustling life every year with thronging of cattle and
camels accompanying by their turbaned owners and eager buyers. This
cattle fair held yearly is supposed to be the largest in Rajasthan.
The Nagaury breeds of ox is renowned for their fleet-footedness and
therefore, attract buyers from all over the country. The day start
with buyers and sellers engaged in earnest bargain. Once the price
of an animal has been settled, the day draws to a close with fun and
festivity.
Nagaur fair is purely a fair for the agriculture community. This
fair is the biggest display of the range of wares used for the
agriculture. Villagers can be seen putting up their temporary stalls
to sell the fresh crop of red chilies. Camel is another attraction
of the fair. The local tribe Raika, who are very well known as the
camel and sheep breeders, comes with their herds of camel for the
treading.
JAMBHA (March)
A fair dedicated to the founder of the Bishnoi sect, held once in a
year for two days at a very small village Jambha, between the
triangle of the desert cities Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer.
Bishnoi people come in their traditional dresses – women wear
colorful Ghaghara, Choly and Odhani. Women also put silver and gold
jewelry and man folk wear white cloths and white turban. The Jambha
fair is purely a religious fair. A holy fire of Yagna continues for
two days, where all the Bishnoi people has to pay their tribute
after taking bath in the lake and before going to the temple of the
founder Jambeshwar. The temporary market sate for the fair is the
attraction for the local as well as the tourist. The colorful stalls
turn the desert land into a fairyland, where every side the colorful
women can be seen with their best outfits and jewelry. The group of
proud young men and women at shops teasing each other is a wonderful
sight of this fair.
BANESHWAR FAIR (February)
Held
once in a year in south Rajasthan, Baneshwar is the main religious
fair of the tribes living around the area. It is believed that the
fairs held on the day when the hidden stream of the Holly River
Ganges appears all of sudden to mix-up with the two local rivers (Som
& Mahi) flows in this region.
ACTIVITIES
1) A silver image of lord Kalki, the future reincarnation of Vishnu
is brought on horse back with the tribal people singing and dancing
around.
2) Selection of boys and girls for marriage.
3) Tribal girls and boys meat each other to choose their life
partners.
4) The last rituals of the people died in the last one-year.
ELEPHANT FESTIVAL JAIPUR (March)
Elephant festival held every year on the festival of colors Holly in
the month of March.
ACTIVITIES
1) Best decorated elephant competition.
2) Elephant races.
3) Elephant polo.
4) Holi: people (tourist and local both) play with colors while
sitting on the elephants.
GANGAUR FESTIVAL (March)
The most important local festival of Rajasthan, Gangaur, is
dedicated to the goddess Parwati, a symbol of conjugal bliss and
marital happiness. A festival of maidens and married women, it
begins on the day, the festival Holy is played with color, and
continues for eighteen days. Colorful wooden images of Parwati are
beautifully dressed and bejeweled. Offerings are made in each house.
The women add to the excitement by singing and dancing. Processions
are taken out with the town band playing the best music. The main
procession held in Jaipur and Udaipur, where the royal family of
each participates in organizing the festival. Escorts walk along
with their horses in the royal procession of Gangaur, followed by
the elaborate palanquins with the most decorated image of Parwati in
it. Groups of people sing and dance on the local folk. People come
to watch the procession make it more colorful with their traditional
costumes.
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