Pushkar Mela - A Colorful Affair

The world's largest camel trading event happens once a year in Pushkar and is full of the throbbing culture and rituals of Rajasthan. In the fairground stadium on the outskirts of town, spectators can watch camel races, moustache competitions, turban tying, and the camel decorating contest. It's a colorful spectacle, a big slice of Indian culture, and of course an incredible photo op. It is a day-trip from Jaipur that I didn't want to pass up.

Up to 50,000 camels make the trek each year to Pushkar to be traded.

Camels are highly decorated in hopes to win the contest.

The competion takes place in the stadium, and is surrounded by thick crowds.  Just to the right of the center red tent, you can see the dancing camel's head over the crowd. 

We explored a small piece of the massive dusty fairgrounds. Our driver warned us not to do any shopping but I spied a camel necklace I've been needing. A white, English-speaking lady was in the middle of bartering so I eased-dropped to see what I could get it for. I tried to talk to her but she would have nothing to do with me. So I followed her. Of course the next booth she went to was willing to meet her price of 350 rupees. "Sold, for 450 rupees!" she said when she saw me.  Completely appalled she had to lie to me, I handed the guy 350 rupees and walked off the happy owner of a camel necklace.

The most serendipitous thing happened next - in the tremendous fairgrounds holding hundreds of thousands of people, I saw Philip. I met Flamboyant Phil from San Francisco in Udaipur a day earlier. We were obviously destined to meet again because my journey there involved a flight to Jaipur and a 2 1/2-hour drive to Pushkar. In the wealth of India's humanity, seriously, what are the odds?!

Flamboyant Phil from San Francisco

Normally Pushkar is known as a prominent Hindu pilgrimage town that devout Hindus should visit at least once in their lifetime. Having a holy dip in Pushkar Lake is equivalent to doing meditation and prayer for a hundred years.  While there, the pilgrims also visit the 2000-year-old Temple of Brahma, Hindu's Creator. In all of India there is only one temple devoted to Brahma. 

Pushkar is famous for its pickpockets and scams pulled on tourists, so our driver insisted on walking with us to the lake. 

The shores of the lake are holy; you must walk without shoes on.

The temple dedicated to Brahma is one of 3 in the world

Pushkar's main street is one long bazaar. 

In the evening, back in Jaipur, we went nearby to Bapu Bazaar, the go-to marketplace for binge shopping traditional textiles, various local artistry, accessories and exquisitely beautiful handloom products - just to look. A "friendly" man engaged us in conversation. "Can I ask you a question? Why do foreigners come to India and ignore us? Isn't talking to the locals the best way to learn the culture?"  I explained that we have no way of knowing the stranger's motives and they may just want to lead us down an alley somewhere. No joke, hardly a minute later he invited us to follow him to his shop, and became very pushy. Classic!!

At dinner Greg was trying to teach me how to eat with one hand (not utensils). It is very awkward to rip bread (naan) with only a few fingers of one hand!  Somehow he picked it up very quickly. A lefty by birth, which is taboo here, he even managed to switch to his right hand with ease. I break the rules and use a utensil in my left hand; nobody here cares but Greg. 

For our 3 nights in Jaipur we are staying in the luxurious Umaid Vilas overlooking the City Palace.  The home-stay (not a hotel) grants us 3,500 sq. ft. of space plus a boy who sleeps outside our room who is available to us 24 hours a day.  The warm and friendly hosts treat us like special guests.  There are pictures around the apartment of the father with the current 19-year old King of Jaipur as well as Prince Charles.

The huge room at Umaid Vilas reflects the state's rich cultural heritage.