A Day At The Fair

As the sun peeks its saffron face over the horizon, the earth moves. Blue smoke hangs in the dusky pre-dawn air, and a sense of expectation envelopes you. Your eyes struggle in the pre-dawn darkness to make sense of it all. As the sun gains a foothold, the once-distant and gentle stirring grows exponentially, and the quiet dunes become a frothing sea of movement and activity. Welcome to the Pushkar Camel Fair.



In the Fall of every year, the holy town of Pushkar transforms from a sleepy village of 15,000, to a raucous party with 200,000 guests, and 50,000 camels. The rolling dunes outside town become a mass of animals, people, camel trading, camel races, camel parades, street theater, and other high-spirited festivities. There is nothing else like it in the world. Despite the carnival atmosphere, the camel fair is serious business for thousands of livestock traders from all parts of the Subcontinent. Animated business negotiations take place around campfires and over cups of chai, and the lavishly decorated camels are painstaking inspected by interested buyers.

Camels are shockingly large creatures, and tower over the men in charge of them. They are also surprisingly graceful and gentle, with an unexpected air of sophistication and charm. Camels have evolved a remarkable system of thermoregulation, and can elevate their core body temperature up to 10.8 degrees Fahrenheit without perspiring, thereby limiting water loss. As a result of this unique ability, camels can easily work in the scorching desert for up to 7 days without water.



As the heat of the day draws to a close, the desert sky transforms to a blazing curtain of orange. Camels are gathered and organized for the coming darkness, and an endless sea of humps is silhouetted against the brilliant setting sun. Soon, all will be calm again.

Enjoy the Pushkar Photo Gallery.

Enjoy the Camel Videos:

Singing Camel.
Camel Procession.
Camel Close-Up.