Pushkar Mela

While rather a slow little town the rest of the year, during the annual Mela, Pushkar is a sheer frenzy of colors, sounds and - well - smells. During the eight lunar month of the hindu calendar Kartika thousands of camels are herded to Pushkar for the famous camel fair while at the same time tenthousands of hindu pilgrims come here to bath in Pushkar's holy lake.
The little town is jam packed with people of all kinds.
Wild looking Rajputs wearing wicked turbans and scary mustaches, Jogi-style guys with dread locks, wildly painted faces and bare chests, women dressed in beautiful saris in crimson, pink, yellow and orange wearing all the gold juwelery they own. And off course tons of tourists causing hotel prices to triple.


Strolling around the fair grounds is some sight. Though the camel fair is practically over by now there are still more camels in one spot than I have ever seen before. I am told there were ten times as many animals in town at the beginning of the fair on Monday of last week.


There is a constant movement through the tigny streets of the village. People coming and going to the Ghats at the lake to bath. Pilgrims visiting the local temples or getting something to eat at one of the many food stands.

I will stick around for two more nights. It's almost full moon and with the waning moon the pilgrims will vanish. And wioth them the hords of tourists like myself. And then Pushkar will once again be a sleepy little town until the whole frenzy will start all over again at the end of Kartika 2010.