Periplus India The great fair of Pushkar,
when horses with blue eyes watching
grimes camels or cows roses
 |
| For Pushkar fair, it is beautiful in fam ily |
 |
The immense camp where Pushkar ; just
across Rajasthan |
Every year in mid November, when the full moon, 200,000 pilgrims worship of Brahma the creator, go with family, livestock and baggage Pushkar where they can worship their god in the only sanctuary it has ever been spent.
Talented artists for their livestock
They arrive in Pushkar sometimes from afar, high desert of Thar and around Rajasthan, in covered wagons. They are pulled by camels haughty, impassive. Follow their best animals, horses, camels or even sacred cows. Pushkar is usually a quiet town north of Ajmer, huddled around a lake dominated by soft hills. The newcomers set up their tents in a vast plain specially designed for this fair, with troughs for animals, most importantly, fairground attractions, street bistros. Immediately, the merchants of fruit, vegetables or fritters also settled on the ground. Women farmers prefer to live in town, in Dharamsala centers, cheap hotel, arranged for the pilgrims. Soon, it is more than a concert of various cries: blatèrent camels, horses neigh, moo cows and bulls who vied.
 |
| Latest farmers arrive at camp with family |
 |
Nomads Thar are rightly
renowned for their beauty |
 |
| Unplugged Thar and baby |
around the camp is busy. One comb, one plain, one braid hair and manes. Horses and cows are painted and each gives free rein to his imagination. This cow has horns blue, the other is dyed pink and decked out with a big knot passed around his horns. Ocher hand drawings adorn the dress of the white horse. This time, albino, has wonderful soft eyes, a blue sky with the rival. In fact, this is not the iris is blue, but the entire cornea. Nothing to be jealous of our most famous stars. As for camels, they cut their woolly fleece so to register geometric patterns and their one carton of kohl eyed pensive before diving on their front giving them a red rose air pompom girls. It only remains to put around their necks with necklaces sets - the place is not lacking. At eighteen o'clock, night falls suddenly, like a curtain that is lowered.
The first concern is for animals
8 am, the camp awakens, hungry beasts. Everywhere, before considering heat for themselves chai (tea) or chapatis (kind of pancakes), men out of the forage carts away with them, often mixed with grass seed. We lead the animals to watering. Buyers then begin to examine the animals of interest, scanning the teeth of camels to know the exact age, suddenly astride a horse to run at full gallop into the camp without worrying about the kids running around, feeling the sides of cows or bulls manly attributes.
9 am. Already, the palaver began, ending as it should be in the East. It's not polite. A case would be too smoothly conducted a lack of consideration for both the seller and the buyer.
10 hours of the morning, the women returned to Dharamsala who have completed their devotion to Brahma can now handle their tasks: stacking mattresses, washing if necessary and more importantly, prepare the necessary pot of rice, curry and vegetables, meat and alcohol are forbidden in the precincts of the sacred city . These preparations will simmer all day on the embers. Everyone uses when he wants, then full hand in the pot, because in India there are no fixed hours for meals. We eat when hungry.
 |
| Horse dancing |
Jealousy of a woman
11 hours, animals and humans fed, those who are yet asked their creator went crammed into trucks or straddle motorcycles, the Tata brand, of course. A legend explains why the Brahma Temple, located west of Pushkar Lake, is unique in its kind. The god, eager to celebrate, like every morning, has PUJ or ceremony of offerings, needed the presence of his wife Savitri to do so. Yet this pretty was not ready. Tired of waiting, then Brahma married a beautiful girl of Pushkar that the ceremony could take place. Furious Savitri cursed him: no other temple dedicated to him would never.
This temple, which would have a thousand years and is one of the most sacred in India, is surprisingly accessible to non-Hindus. A flight of stairs to the gate guarded by geese, lined walls covered with votive offerings leading to the shrine. We can photograph it and it should introduce anything leather deemed unclean. The old buildings are gaily daubed with orange and blue shine and compete with multicolored saris or heavy red skirts for women of Rajasthan arms covered with dozens of bracelets of ivory. The crowd is very dense. People come to see the effigy of the god, disappearing almost before his offerings of flowers. It is a statue with three heads, quite rude. To be honest, rather ugly ...
 |
| albino mare and foal |
 |
| Wonderful blue eyes |
 |
| Elegant races |
A sacred lake born from a lotus petal
12 hours, the pilgrims must still perform their ablutions in the sacred lake, it seems born of a lotus petal. This means it is sacred! Everywhere around the lake were created large pools reserved for these ablutions and prevent drownings overzealous pilgrims, having forgotten that they could not swim. The water is frozen at this time, but whatever. Each of them immersed thrice. The kids paddle. All emerge fairly chilled, but properly purified.
13 hours, returning to camp. The baths were hungry. We crowded around pots, feed the animals, it is watered or a new dress, from head to hoof. The talks resumed with vigor.
The dangerous camel races
14 hours, beginning early in camel racing in the stadium. The crowd gathers on the bleachers. The "jockey" sitting very far back from their animals, have no stirrup and not to run them using a rope passed through the nostrils. Turning points are dry and many waterfalls. Some animals can not take them and rush right into the crowd, the police are rapidly backwards. A "jockey" on his long black hair flying kidney is the undisputed winner of a first race, a second and a third. Cheered by the crowd, it is borne in triumph. Buyers already crowded around the three beasts that he carried to victory. The races will follow the entire afternoon. The stakes become frantic. You bet. We buy in fever.
17 hours, some take advantage of the fading light to go look in their tents as gaudy as those of the Maharajas campaign in the most beautiful horses who will contest the other day races. If a racing camel can buy up to 45 000 rupees (one euro is worth about 60 rupees), a wealthy Indian will not hesitate to 100,000 rupees or more in these beautiful thoroughbreds and nervous as fast, it is said that the desert wind.
18 hours, past pilgrims leaving ghats (steps) leading to the sacred river. The carts disguised as palanquin with their funny red tarps, returning to the camp. The big wheel stops. The sun Tint pink lake born of a lotus. Another night falls on the largest fair in India.
 |
| Camel races are wildly popular |
 |
Beautiful blue horns
|
Technical
. a visa is required. Go to VFS France, vfs-in-fr.com Pre registration or drop by Action Visas.com, 10, 12, rue du Moulin des Prés, 75013 Paris.
. Flights Direct Paris-Delhi , Air France, rates of interest if it is done in advance, see airfrance.fr, Air India, airindia.com, Delta Air Lines in partnership with Air France, see delata.com or Gulf Air, gulfair.fr see.
. How to organize your trip. If you are precise and know what you want, use a travel agency in Delhi will cost you much less expensive than if you go to a French tour, but remember to discuss prices. Ask Muna, to India Tours Development Co, L-23 / 7, Middle Circle, Connaught Place in Delhi,
indiatoursco@live.com . It can provide a driver, book your internal flights, hotels, confirm your return flights, etc..
If you prefer to arrange everything in advance, please contact the World Company, 5 Avenue de l'Opera, Paris 75, Tel. : 01 53 63 33 42.
 |
| The camel still laughs |
 |
| Two girlfriends drinking pot |
 |
| Meeting love |
 |
| A breeder match her cow |
