India Fairs & Festivals

Pushkar Fair, Rajasthan
Excitement, gaiety and a keen sense of competition fill the air as the long journey to Pushkar begins. The only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma (the creator) is located at Pushkar. The Pushkar lake is surrounded by 52 flights of steps called ghats. Legend has it that Lord Vishnu appeared at the Varah ghat in the form of a boar. Brahma took a bath here and performed yagna at the Brahma Ghat accompanied by Vishnu & Mahadev. The ashes of Mahatma Gandhi (Father of the Nation) were immersed at the Gandhi ghat. Pushkar is among the five principal places of Hindu pilgrimage. People consider the water of the Pushkar lake to be very sacred and the ritual of taking dips in the holy water IS believed to bestow salvation. It I s customary to float lighted eastern lamps ed on pattals (plates made of leaves) on the waters of lake. This creales a spectacular view when the sacred lake takes on a mystical tint sprankled with twinkling spots of light. In conjunction with he religious fair, a cattle fair is also organised.

The ancient town of Pushkar is transformed into a spectacular fair ground. The fair grounds reverberate with festivity and woman folk shop for bangles, clothes, utensils, sundry household items & leather goods. The highlight of the Pushkar fair is the trading in camels. The camel, horse & donkey races are events that draw huge attendance. Body tatooing is yet another favourite activity. Come dusk, and the rich strains of haunting music are carried across the desert sands as the merrymaking continues deep into the night. The well-known and marked with largest participation of all the festivals of Rajasthan, Pushkar is an important pilgrimage as well as the venue of a mammoth cattle fair. Bazaars, auctions, music and sports are highlight of this event. It also offers some of the most exquisite handcrafted items of Rajasthan that are sure to entice you. The festival is well organized with enough arrangement for accommodation in the tents. The famous Pushkar Fair is a great tourist attraction.

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Desert Festival, Rajasthan
The Desert Festival is a three days long extravaganza of colour, music and festivity, held at the golden city of Jaisalmer. Gair and fire dancers swaying to traditional tunes, a turban-tying competition and a Mr. Desert contest are part of the fun and frolic. The grand finale is a trip to the sand dunes at Sam where one can enjoy the pleasure of a camel ride and even view the folk dancers and musicians perform at the sand dunes. Once a year in winters and on the middle of the continually rising and falling stark yellow sands of the great Thar Desert, the empty sands around Jaisalmer come alive with the brilliant colour, music and laughter of the Desert Festival. The festival is organised by the tourist authorities as tourist entertainment around January-February. The very rich and colourful Rajasthani folk culture is on show here for a few days. Rajasthani men and tall beautiful women dressed in their brightly costumes dance and sing lingering ballads of valour, romance and tragedy. Traditional musicians attempt to outdo each other in their musical superiority.

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Durga Puja, Bengal
Is performed during the nine days of Navratri. Community pujas in Bengal are organised in every locality. Families visit each other to share feasts. On Bijoya day, the idols are taken in elaborate processions for immersion in the river on the sea.

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Onam, Kerala
Onam is Kerala's most popular festival, celebrated with great enthusiasm. It is primarily a harvest festival celebrated to welcome the spirit of the pious King Mahabali from eternal exile and to assure him that his people are happy and wish him well. At trichur, caparisoned, elephants take part in a spectacular procession. There is also a maginificent display of fireworks. At Shoranur, appreciative crowds gather on the green where colourfully dressed Kathakali dancers re-enact the well-loved stories of the epic heroes and virtuous women. On the second day of the festival, every home is lit bright and decorated in preparation for the visit of King Mahabali. Greetings are exchanged and lengths of auspicious saffron cloth are presented by friends to one another. The Vallumkali (boat race) is one of the main attractions of Onam, and is best seen at Aranmulai and Kottayam. About a hundred oarsmen row huge and graceful odee (boats). Oars dip and flash to the rhythum of drums and cymbals in each boat. The songs are generally topical in character and concern people well known in Malabar. Above each boat gleam scarlet silk umbrellas, their number denotes the affluence of the family owning the boat. Gold coins and tassels hang from the umbrellas.

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Pongal, Tamil Nadu
In the South Sankranti becomes Pongal. It is a celebration of the harvest which is observed for three days in Tamil Nadu as well as in Andhra Pradesh. The first day is the Bhogi Pongal which is celebrated as a family festival. Surya Pongal, the second day, is dedicated to the Sun (surya) when pongal (rice cooked in milk and jaggery) is boiled by women and offered to the sun. Friends greet one another by asking "Is it boiled?" and the answer given is "It is". It is followed by great rejoicing. Mattu Pongal, the third day, is a day dedicated to the worship and veneration of cattle(mattu). The pongal that has been offered to the local deities is given to the cattle to eat. The cattle are bathed and decorated. Coloured balls of the pongal are also made and left in the open for birds. In Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and Tanjore, a kind of bullfight, called the "Jellikattu" is held. Bundles containing money are tied to the horns of ferocious bulls, and unarmed villagers try to wrest the bundles from them. With ingredients provided by the freshly gathered harvest, community meals are held at night.

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Elephant Festival, Jaipur
The Elephant Festival is an inimitable event held annually in Jaipur. Groomed flawlessly, rows of elephants do a catwalk before an enthralled audience liked best fashion models to make this festival an amazing one. The elephants move with poise in pageant, run races, play the regal game of polo, and finally participate in the spring festival of Holi. It is festival time with elephants typically celebrated one day before the Holi, Indian festival of colours. Staged at Jaipur Chaugan Stadium elephants put up a variety programme and the arena is brought alive with musician and dancer. The crowd, which includes sizable presences of foreign and Indian tourist, electrify the atmosphere. The festival starts with an impressive procession of the majestic animals lovingly painted and tastefully attired with glittering ornaments and embroidered velvets. There are deadly and fierce elephant fights.

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