Camel caravans flock to Pushkar to trade and exchange.
Every year, the fair will be held for a week from late October to early November, according to the Hindu calendar. Herds of camels travel hundreds of kilometers, flocking to the desert, depending on the year, the number will fluctuate from 10,000 to 30,000. Pushkar Mela was originally simply a place to buy and sell camels between nomadic communities after a year of wandering and raising them; and gradually developed into the most unique cultural and spiritual festival in India. For Hindus, this is also the pilgrimage season to Pushkar Lake - a sacred lake with one of the very few temples of Brahma in India, where merchants always wish to bathe as a form of purification of body and mind and healing.
Nomads gather their camels in the sand dunes behind town.
Mela Ground Stadium is a place where entertainment activities, cuisine and agricultural stalls, household goods, jewelry, especially decorative accessories for camels. But the most attractive and exciting are still the camel decoration competition and camel driving performance.
The first sand dunes had only a few camels, which was enough to attract those who were exploring the nomadic life for the first time. I continued along the path covered with cactus bushes on both sides. In the distance, through the rolling smoke, herds of thousands of camels bobbed across the sand valley. In complete contrast to the bustling fair area were the mournful calls of the herds mixed with the whispering bargaining voices of buyers and sellers. There were no more colorful saris, but only three colors: yellow of sand, brown of camels and white of costumes.
Nomadic life at night
Only by spending the night here can one feel the endurance of the nomads, when the temperature drops from 34°C during the day to 16°C at night. Groups of 3-5 people gather around the fire with 2 tarps, one to lay on the sand, the other to cover - and so spend the night in the desert. At 4am, they gradually rekindle the fire from the ashes to prepare to make tea. In particular, each person always carries a copper teapot as an inseparable item, used to make Masala Chai - a traditional Indian milk tea that if tried once, will certainly never forget the characteristic flavor of black tea and herbs.
Modern life has made the camel trade less frequent. Year after year, the purchasing power is lower than the previous year, so camel owners often pack up and go home early. Each caravan trudges across the desert, leaving behind a trail of dust, while the legacy of nomadic life - the Pushkar Camel Fair - is still bustling and noisy, with its sounds echoing across the desert.
Pushkar Mela is more than just a market. It is a cultural, spiritual, and commercial intersection, a living legacy of nomadic life, a touchpoint of a traditional and evolving India, bustling yet nostalgic.
Source: https://heritagevietnamairlines.com/theo-dau-lac-da-ve-mien-hoang-mac/
Comment (0)