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Home > Destinations > Far East > India > Pushkar Fair Extension (Northern India)
Pushkar Fair Extension (Northern India)
(Pushkar is a lunar festival occuring only in November.)
The small town of Pushkar is located in a valley,14 km from Ajmer in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. Surrounded by hills on three sides and the Thar Desert on the fourth, Pushkar is the location of Rajasthan's most important annual agricultural and religious fair, which attracts thousands of visitors from all parts of the world. The final day of the fair falls each year on the November full moon. Pushkar is among the five 'dhams' or pilgrimages held in high esteem by Hindus (the others being Badrinath, Puri, Rameswaram, and Dwarka). It is said that in battle lord Brahma killed the demon Vajra Nabh by touching him with a lotus flower. Three petals floated down to earth and each created a lake. The largest is Pushkar's lake. According to legend, at one point in history, Pushkar Lake was surrounded by 500 temples and 52 palaces, and several rajas and maharajas maintained palaces here to use when on pilgrimage. Today, the Brahma temple is the most important temple in Pushkar and is, in fact, the only Brahma temple existent in India. Unique in this respect, Pushkar is revered throughout India.
DAY 1 : PUSHKAR CAMEL FAIR
Arrive Pushkar from your Of Tigers & Palaces itinerary, your Udaipur Extension or your Varanasi Extension (see details below). Pushkar Fair falls a week after the festival of Diwali and lasts for seven days, ending on the Kartik Poornima or full moon. The fair is predominantly agricultural, with a gathering of camels, horses and cattle in their thousands for trade. It is one of India's most colorful and exciting events. It is also of great religious significance. Lord Brahma - The creator of the world, in his search for an abode on earth, performed the supremely spiritual Vedic Yagna at Pushkar, and Pushkar is the site of the only Brahma Temple in the world. In recent years, the attractions of Pushkar Fair have brought an increasing number of visitors, Indians, Asians and Westerners, and the official days of Pushkar Fair are crowded and hectic. By unspoken tacit assent, the locals have begun to arrive early and conduct their business in the three days leading up to the official fair dates, hoping to have much accomplished before the main crowds arrive. For this reason, traveling in small minimal-impact groups, we are scheduled to arrive in Pushkar with the locals, two days before the official beginning of the fair. By arriving early ourselves, we experience much more of the classic Pushkar Fair - local people engaged in local cultural and agricultural activities, and avoid the more commercial aspects that spring up as the many overseas tourist groups arrive. Overnight Pushkar Bagh & all meals. [BD]
DAY 2 : PUSHKAR CAMEL FAIR
Today, our escort will accompany us in roaming Rajasthan's most impressive cultural event, the Puskar Camel Fair. Pushkar Fair is primarily an agricultural festival; a gathering of the desert people to sell their livestock, to meet, perhaps exchange formal and informal requests for marriage vows, and to go on a pilgrimage to the temples atop several distinctive hillocks which rise like walrus tusks to the sky. There are tradesmen selling every kind of goods, from clothing and jewelry to horse shoes and medicine for camel ticks (which can grow to the size of a human thumb). But the main attraction is the desert camel sales. There are races and competitions, auctions and private sales. It is the most important agricultural and social gathering in the region. During the festival this quiet country town caters for up to 250,000 visitors and 50,000 camels. Overnight Pushkar Bagh & all meals. [BLD]
DAY 3 : PUSHKAR CAMEL FAIR
The whole day is free to explore the various activities of the Fair. Schedules of events are available from the information booth and through our accommodation. The fair is also a religious and propitious occasion. Legend has it that the demond that God Brahma struck down by brushing him with a lotus flower was threatening his wife. The demon was killed, but three lotus petals fell to earth, forming three lakes. One of them is the lake around which Pushkar has grown, and flocks of pilgrims come here to bathe in its holy waters. Even the massive carp in the lake are sacred, and woe betide anyone who catches one of them. As the festival has many auspicious aspects relating to women, a pilgrimage to the top of the several shrines is a must for the devout, and streams of graceful and colorful Rajasthani women can be seen climbing the many hills that dot the surrounding land. The fair is also a day out for the whole family. There are horse and camel races, Ferris wheels and other fair-ground attractions, and all the buying and selling, match-making and betrothing that has been common to such gatherings since time began. Pushkar also offers both the amateur and professional photographer a phenomenal range of opportunities. Overnight Pushkar Bagh & all meals. [BLD]
DAY 4 : DELHI
After a leisurely breakfast and some time for a last look around the Fair, we take lunch at our camp (included), before transfering to Ajmer railway station to board the Shatabdi Express for Delhi (first class A/C chair car tickets 15h50-22h45). On arrival in Delhi, we transfer to our hotel. Overnight Hotel Park. [BL]
DAY 5 : DEPART
Transfer to airport for the flight home. Services end. [B]
ADDITIONAL NIGHT IN DELHI For those with the time, it is possible to add an extra night in Delhi and have today free in the capital to rest up or shop prior to our international flights.
ADDING THE UDAIPUR OR VARANASI EXTENSION You can build your own itinerary by adding one or both of the two optional extensions (the Udaipur Extension and the Varanasi Extension) to the main Northern India itinerary - Of Tigers & Palaces. These can be added in any order, either before or after the main itinerary. The extesnions can also be added after or before the Pushkar extension.
| - Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services - |
Days: 5 | Grade: I (click for grades definition) | 2008 Price: From $850 per person. Land cost based on Group Size | 08-11 Nov 2008 | 2-3 | 4-5 | 6-7 | Of Tigers & Palaces | $950 | $890 | $850 | Udaipur Extension | $1195 | $1095 | $995 | Varanasi Extension | $1450 | $1395 | $1350 |
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| Single Supplement: $250 (click for info) | *Pushkar takes place in November only, on quoted dates. Above costs reflect costs for joining the Pushkar extension from named itinerary and extension.
The following additional costs apply:
FLIGHT for UDAIPUR EXTENSION
US$ 190
Single Supplements:
Of Tigers & Palaces: $290
Udaipur Extension: $430
Varanasi Extension: $520
| | | | | 2008 Departure Dates | | | Nov 8 - Nov 11, 2008
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| | | Included: Please note: Joining the Pushkar extension requires different arrangements for arrival, depending on the itinerary or extension you are arriving from; the Of Tigers and Palaces itinerary or the Udaipur or Varanasi extension. That said, all airport and railway transfers, accommodations and luxury permenant tented camps as noted; all private vehicles and local guides are included, as is all transport and entrance fees to sites for touring as noted; You are escorted throughout by a local escort guide; all meals as indicated [B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner]; and the services of inbound local ground operators and pre-departure services of Wildland Adventures. | | | Not Included: International flights; India visa fees; departure taxes; tips and gratuities; alcoholic beverages and bottled drinks; meals not indicated above; extra costs for optional excursions or services on own or to be paid direct; travel insurance; extra costs due to unanticipated changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control. We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance. | | | Trip Notes: Please ensure your dates of travel MATCH THE FIXED DATES OF PUSHKAR FAIR. If you are adding Pushkar as an extension to the Of Tigers & Palaces itinerary, or as an extension to either the Udiapur or the Varanasi extensions when building your itinerary dates you must calculate backwards from the Pushkar Fair fixed dates to ascertain the dates for your other travel segments. Wildland staff will assist you to ensure that all dates relating to your trip match those of the Pushkar Fair
Wildland Dates of attendance at the Pushkar Fair
2007 19th to 22nd November
2008 08th to 11th November
2009 28th to 31st October
2010 16th to 19th November
This is a typical daily itinerary for the Pushkar extension. Depending on local conditions, the exact day-to-day itinerary and sites visited may vary. | |
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