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 =

| 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,
Hindu pilgrims,
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 city in Ajmer district in (Rajasthan, India). The fair starts with the Hindu calendar month of Kartik and ends on the Kartik Purnima, which typically overlaps with late October and early November in the Gregorian calendar.{{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}} In 1998, over 1 million visitors came to Pushkar throughout the year. The Pushkar fair alone attracts over 200,000 visitors.

{{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.{{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]}}[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)

}}

The Pushkar fair{{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 }} 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. 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.[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){{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 }}{{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}}

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.[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. 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 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.{{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}} Pushkar Railway Station is connected to Ajmer Railway Station.