In Rajasthan, the Pushkar Fair (Pushkar Mela) combines pilgrimage, trade, tourism and cultural events.
The historic livestock fair became internationally famous for camels and desert imagery.
The Sacred Pushkar Lake
Pushkar itself is an important sacred town. It is home to one of the few Brahma temples in the world.
On Kartik Purnima, pilgrims bathe in Pushkar Lake, believed to purify sins.
A Meeting of Worlds
The result is an unusual intersection of religion, rural commerce and tourism.
Camel and horse trading, folk music and dance performances, competitions (mustache, longest-turban, matka phod), hot-air balloon rides, cultural exhibitions and international backpackers all fill the desert for two weeks.