Editing Pushkar Fair

{{Short description|Camel, horse, cattle trading fair with cultural events}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| native_name        = ''Kartik Mela''
| native_name_lang   = hi
| image              = (A) Camel Pushkar fair.jpg
| alt                = A camel cart
| caption            = A Camel cart at the Pushkar Fair
| status             = <!-- e.g. defunct, active, inactive ... -->
| genre              = Livestock, cultural festival
| date               = start of Kartik (month) to Kartik Purnima; Peak: last 5 days
| frequency          = Annually
| location           = [[Pushkar]], [[Ajmer district]], [[Rajasthan]], [[India]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|26.487652|N|74.555922|E|display=inline,title}}
| country            = {{Flag|India}}
| participants       = Farmers,<br>Hindu pilgrims,<br>Tourists (domestic, foreign)
| attendance         = > 200,000
| activity           = Fête, livestock show (camels, horses, cows), dance, rural sports, ferris wheels, competitions
}}
The '''Pushkar Fair''', also called the '''Pushkar Camel Fair''' or locally as '''Kartik Mela''' or '''Pushkar ka [[Mela]]''' is an annual multi-day livestock fair and cultural [[fête]] held in the town of [[Pushkar]] near [[Ajmer|Ajmer city]] in [[Ajmer district]] in ([[Rajasthan]], [[India]]). The fair starts with the [[Hindu calendar]] month of [[Kārtika (month)|Kartik]] and ends on the Kartik Purnima, which typically overlaps with late October and early November in the [[Gregorian calendar]].<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p539"/><ref name="Gladstone2013p179">{{cite book|author=David L. Gladstone|title=From Pilgrimage to Package Tour: Travel and Tourism in the Third World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bqOhCRKTEqcC|year=2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-07874-3|pages=179–186|access-date=24 October 2017|archive-date=3 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703164026/https://books.google.com/books?id=bqOhCRKTEqcC|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1998, over 1 million visitors came to [[Pushkar]] throughout the year.<ref name="Gladstone2013p179"/> The Pushkar fair alone attracts over 200,000 visitors.<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p539"/> 


{{multiple image|perrow = 2|total_width=300
| align=left
| image1 = (1) Pushkar Fair, Camel Festival, I love my camel.jpg | alt1=Livestock at the fair|width1=2607|height1=1741
| image2 = Giant wheels at Pushkar, Rajasthan.jpg | alt2=Fete|width2=480|height2=640
| image3 = Tug of war, at Pushkar Fair, Rajasthan.jpg | alt3= Sports |width3=350|height3=245
| image4 = (2) Faces and colours at Pushkar Fair.jpg | alt4=Ceremonies|width4=2816|height4=2112 
| image5 = Rajasthan, India (27637376753).jpg | alt5=Livestock |width5=3618 |height5=2456 
| image6 = Hot Air Balloon Ride by Sky Waltz.jpg | alt6=Hot air balloon|width6=4288|height6=2848 
| footer = Pushkar fair attracts nearly 200,000 visitors.<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p539">{{cite book|author=James G. Lochtefeld|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z|url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch |url-access=registration|year=2002|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-8239-3180-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/539 539]}}</ref><ref>[https://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2013/11/14/indias-camel-doctors/ Pushkar Fair] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024043510/https://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2013/11/14/indias-camel-doctors/ |date=24 October 2017 }} The Wall Street Journal (14 November 2013)</ref>
}}
The Pushkar fair<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.toptraveldestinationsindia.com/2018/03/puskhar-the-exotic-travel-destination-in-rajasthan/ |title=Pushkar Fair, Rajasthan |access-date=5 April 2018 |archive-date=7 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201207042240/http://www.toptraveldestinationsindia.com/2018/03/puskhar-the-exotic-travel-destination-in-rajasthan/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref> is one of India's largest camel, horse and cattle fairs. Apart from the trading of livestock, it is an important pilgrimage season for Hindus to the [[Pushkar lake]]. Pushkar fair has also become a significant tourist attraction for domestic and international travellers, given the cooler season, the abundance of colourful cultural themes.<ref name="Gladstone2013p179"/> Cultural events and competitions include dances, tug of war between women teams as well as men teams, the "''matka phod''", "longest moustache" competition, "bridal competition", camel races and others.<ref>[https://www.outlookindia.com/outlooktraveller/destinations/rajasthan-its-fair-time-in-pushkar/ RAJASTHAN: IT'S FAIR TIME IN PUSHKAR] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024152700/https://www.outlookindia.com/outlooktraveller/destinations/rajasthan-its-fair-time-in-pushkar/ |date=24 October 2017 }}, Outlook Traveller (26 October 2016)</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/photo-essays/2015-11-25/pushkar-camel-fair-lights-up-the-indian-thar-desert | title=Pushkar Camel Fair Lights Up the Indian Thar Desert | date=25 November 2015 | first=Tom | last=Lasseter | publisher=Bloomberg | access-date=10 December 2018 | archive-date=6 April 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406205246/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/photo-essays/2015-11-25/pushkar-camel-fair-lights-up-the-indian-thar-desert | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Desert Comes Alive Once Again... Pushkar Camel Fair 2011|url=http://www.efi-news.com/2011/10/desert-comes-alive-once-again-pushkar.html|access-date=31 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107171152/http://www.efi-news.com/2011/10/desert-comes-alive-once-again-pushkar.html|archive-date=7 November 2011|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

Thousands of people go to the banks of the [[Pushkar Lake]] where the fair takes place. Men trade their livestock, which includes camels, horses, cows, sheep and goats.<ref name=imp>[https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V21_007.gif Pushkar] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726131902/https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V21_007.gif |date=26 July 2021 }} [[The Imperial Gazetteer of India]], 1909, v. 21, ''p. 1.''</ref> Rural families shop at the handicraft stalls full of bracelets, clothes, textiles and fabrics. A camel race starts off the festival, with music, songs and exhibitions to follow. Between these events, the most waited for is the test of how the camel is able to bring the items. In order to demonstrate, the men go up on the group of camels one after another.{{cn|date=October 2017}}

Pushkar is in centre-east part of Rajasthan, on the western side of [[Aravalli Range|Aravalli mountains]]. The nearest airport from Pushkar is [[Kishangarh Airport]] in [[Ajmer]], about {{convert|40|km|abbr=on}} northeast. Jaipur is well connected with all the major cities in India. Pushkar is about {{convert|10|km|abbr=on}} from [[Ajmer]], connected via Pushkar road (Highway 58) which goes over the [[Aravalli Range]] mountains. Ajmer is also the nearest major railway Station.<ref name="Praveen2006p10">{{cite book|author=Ennala Praveen|title=Pushkar: moods of a desert town|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=824wAQAAIAAJ|year=2006|publisher=Rupa & Co.|pages=10–12|access-date=24 October 2017|archive-date=3 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703163959/https://books.google.com/books?id=824wAQAAIAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Pushkar railway station|Pushkar Railway Station]] is connected to Ajmer Railway Station.

==Crowd==
Around 500,000-600,000 people visit Pushkar during the main Pushkar festival.

==See also==
* [[Sonepur Cattle Fair]]
पुष्कर पशु मेला भारत का सबसे बड़ा मेला है। (स्रोत देनिक भास्कर)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.rajasthantourism.gov.in/RajasthanTourism]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIZx48teD5w A Journey to Pushkar Camel Fair]
*[https://www.ambassadorajmer.com/pushkar-mela-top-9-things-to-do/ Pushkar Camel Fair Festival]



[[Category:Festivals in Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Fairs in India]]
[[Category:Pushkar]]
[[Category:Animal festival or ritual]]
[[Category:Animal shows]]
[[Category:Camels]]
[[Category:November]]