Pushkar Mela – A festival of colors and culture in India

Pushkar Mela in India - India, a land of rich culture and heritage, is known to have some of the most vivacious and dynamic festivals that showcase the vivacity of this awesome land. One such festival is the Pushkar Festival, commonly known as ‘Pushkar Mela’. Popular not only in the state of Rajasthan, but the festival is also thronged by visitors from different parts of the globe. The fair, is organized on a large scale, is also included among the biggest tribal congregations and is held in the month of November (from Karthik Ekadashi to Karthik Purnima as per Hindu calendar). Apart from being an enormous cattle fair, the vibrant mela also promises a unique and mesmerizing travel experience as travelers to come here in good numbers to see the beauty, culture, and tradition of Rajasthan.

According to a research report, it has been found that nearly 400000 visitors come to the festival every year. The festival has some of the most engaging and interesting activities such as ‘The longest moustache’, ‘The bridal competition’, ‘Breaking the pot (matka phod)’ and many others. Let’s see the festival through various elements.

# Shopping

A wide assortment of cultural trinkets and mementos can be picked for purchase in Pushkar, particularly at the time of the fair. For example, silver wrist and arm bangles as well as earrings, beads for the wrists and the neck, embellished shoes and leather items, textile clothes in cotton, silk and chiffon, dupattas with colorful block prints on them, glass bracelets, jute bags and many more stylish items are available for sale at this fair. Ethnic jewelry from Rajasthan, particularly in lac, or fabrics in native embroidery can be considered for purchase.

The list does end here as there are lots of other items available to choose from like costume jewelry,turbans, bags and more.

# Style

The attires of both the traders as well as visitors reflect a sublime mix of Rajasthani and Gujarati region. Women from the region wear a long skirt called the lehenga or the ghaghra along with an odhni which is a big-size, rectangular cloth piece that is put over the head and a top that is known as the choli. Men from both states generally prefer wearing a dhoti which is nothing but a long piece of cloth put around the waist around the legs, complemented by a long or short jacket or kurta. However, there are elusive alterations in the cuts and fashioning of these costumes as well as the embroidery adorned on them. There are slight but distinct differences in the fashion decorations as well.

# The global appeal

Those days are gone when the reach of this colorful festival was only limited to adjoining towns and states as today, even visitors from other parts of the globe come here to witness the grandeur and liveliness of this great festival. From colorful clothes to fun activities, culinary delights, costumes, and people, diversity is something that prevails at large in this festival. The biggest culture gathering attractions millions of visitors from different corners of the world.

Here are some startling facts about the world-famous Pushkar Mela:

• The Pushkar Mela begins with a camel race.
• The last day of the festival is called Deepdan. On this day, the visitors start out hundreds of lit clay lams on leaf boats after sunset.
• Herders with their camels and livestock come to Pushkar and organize their temporary residences at least a week before the real start of the fair.
• In a bid to lure buyers, the camels are decorated and tattooed with paints as well as shaved in unusual yet attractive designs.