Like the ‘Kalpavriksha’ or the wish-granting tree, Pushkar fulfils the desire of every soul that visits it, with a purpose of its own. For some, it might mean soaking in the electrifying energies of a mad-rush mela, for some, a hidden treasure of stories and photographs and for some, a blissful journey in search of purity and spiritualism. Over the years, Pushkar has moulded  its deep-rooted traditions and rich cultural legacy to perfectly blend with the contemporary tastes of the tourists that flock here from all corners of the world to witness the phenomenal ‘ Pushkar Mela’.

But there is more to this quaint town than just the Mela. Pushkar for me, turned out to be a melting pot – of smoking faces beneath colourful turbans, of beauty hidden in cramped alleys,  of lingering aromas of sinful delicacies, of a serene lake oozing spirituality, of thousand camels and their tireless herdsmen and more. Every element of Pushkar paints a mural of its own universe,  yet all of it seems to be connected and making perfect sense!

A little about Pushkar Mela -Pushkar, also known to be one of the oldest cities of India, suddenly bursts with superlative energy during Oct-Nov each year with the largest camel fair in the world! Traders from Rajasthan, Gujarat and other states come to Pushkar to trade their camels and horses during the festival that lasts for 7 to 8 days. The dates and itinerary of the fair gets listed well in advance. The Mela is a herculean affair of crowd, dust, food, stalls, joy rides, tourists, photographers, horses, camels, more camels, confusion and chaos happening all at the same time on an outsized fair-ground. The last day of the fair happens on the banks of the Chandrabhaga River during full moon and is considered the most important of all days. The highlights of the mela are undoubtedly the colourful and artistically decorated camels with intricate designs on their skin crafted by the traders themselves. Pushkar Mela is a phenomenon worth to be witnessed once in a lifetime!

 What to do at Pushkar : Landing in a place like Pushkar for the first time and not knowing where to start can be extremely confusing and frustrating! The below snippets intend to make it a wee-bit easy.

1. I strongly recommend sparing a day in your itinerary exclusively to screen Pushkar. Walk the 3km main road all the way to the mela to get a hang of it.
2. Pay a visit to the rare Brahma temple and Savitri Temple, the latter is situated on a hillock.
3. Walk aimlessly in the alleys to explore its quaint and traditional aesthetics.
4. Circumvent 52 ghats around the lake and soak in its calmness and serenity. Spend an evening at an adjoining restaurant and cherish the views of the lake from the top.
5. Connect with the locals, they are filled with warmth. Strike conversations with the foreign tourists and exchange stories over a pizza! Yeah! you will vouch for the Pizzas served at the cozy ‘La Pizzeria’.
6. Relish hot Poha from a street cart and Bhang Lassi at ‘Out of the Blue.’
7. Give your taste buds a feast at ‘Halwaai Galli! Hog on creamy lassis, steamy hot Kachoris, succulent dhoklas and the sinful “Rabri Malpuas”.
8. Sip Kullad-chai (served in earthen cups) near the Mela ground.
9. Try the authentic “Daal Baati” at a local restaurant. Ask for that extra cup of ghee..
10. If you can dare to chuck hygiene, try the sweets and savouries from one of the hundred roadside stalls in the Mela, especially the samosas and jalebies
11. Ride on a decked-up camel cart to the dunes at sunset where you can also enjoy the Kalbeliya dance.
12. Skip hotels and choose a homestay instead! You can get one at as cheap as 250 INR!
13. Shop for souvenir like miniature puppets and handmade eco-friendly diaries.
14. Smoking-up seems to be common for the tourists and the locals. Don’t get baffled.
15. Pushkar is extremely safe for a solo woman traveler. Personal discretion is recommended

From the eyes of a lens :

1. Portraits from the Pushkar Mela is something that a photographer would cherish for life!
2. The best way to frame Pushkar is to walk endlessly.  Look out for decorated camels and carts, smoking and cooking herdsmen, especially at dawn and dusk.  Pushkar is great for silhouettes at twilight.
3. Walk beyond the mela on the road leading to Savitri temple until you reach a clearing that holds hundreds of camels! If you are lucky, you might get shots of dust blown by running camels! A few good landscapes can also be attempted from this temple located on a small hilltop.
4. Roam in the narrow alleys of the village on a lazy afternoon to look at Pushkar from a totally different angle. The traditional houses can make way for some unique frames.
5. Nothing great to capture in the mela ground since it serves to entertain a tourist from abroad  who finds the concept of a Mela fascinating. Skip it! Actual action lies on the outside!
6. Visit during the early days of the Mela. Avoid the last 2 days, as it gets extremely chaotic. Also, most herdsmen and camels leave Pushkar a day before the Chandrabhaga Fair.
7. Not to Miss the Halwaai Galli for street and food photography!
8. Warning : Most locals ask for money to pose for photos. Strike a deal before clicking. Bargain can start at Rs. 10 or 20 and go up to a whopping 2000! Sadly, I saw most photographers staging poses and action. Id say ‘go candid!
9. Club Kumbhalgarh, if time permits. Read here The Speaking Silence.. Kumbhalgarh

I tried to sum up Pushkar in words. Though, at the end, I was convinced that my lens did a better job!

The best stories of Pushkar are born through smoke and dust

A meal to last a day in the making

Meanwhile, in narrow alleys of Pushkar, some interesting portraits were waiting to be framed..

On a lazy afternoon, while wandering in the narrow streets of pushkar, I came across this lovely portrait of an old woman with evidently wrinkled hands busy at work and a face that instantly shied away from the camera behind the rugged brown shawl that rested against a perfectly contrasting cushion

No part of Pushkar is untouched by the magic of photography. In a village where basic education is a distant dream, local kids have learnt to demand and pose for photographers with poise!

The nomads of Pushkar barely make a living. These faces though, have the prettiest smiles.

Balancing is nothing but focusing on your path, unmoved by chaos around you

Life from a kaleidoscope – what brings happiness to one, brings lively hood to another

This is the power of smile. It can bring an object to life

Satiating the gastronomic urges..Halwaai galli and street food of Pushkar..

Hot Kachories in the making next to sinful Rabri malpuas resting in sugar syrup@ Halwaai galli

Authentic wheat balls (Baati) cooked on a sigdi served with spicy daal and ghee

The sweet-meat show @ a roadside stall

Crisp pakodas in the making

Around Pushkar lake..

A panoramic view of the serene lake

An Aghori at one of the ghats

Spirituality  is subjective. A saffron-clad Baba smoking weed on the ghats of Pushkar.

The finally, the unmatched silhouettes…

A serene morning amidst chaos

The orange candy sunset

Beauty can hide even in dust and chaos. Art lies in how you find it