Pushkar City is famous for its annual Pushkar Fair which is majorly a cattle fair. Camels and other animals that are abundant in Desert City are bought and sold here. Now the Tourism Department of Rajasthan and Ministry of Tourism Government of India have made this fair more lucrative by promoting many cultural programmes and making the city more tourist friendly. Besides, city holds Kartika Poornima fair and many local fairs on the occasion of various festivals of Hindus, Muslims and Jains. All the major Hindu Festivals and major Islamic festivals are celebrated with local elements of celebration. Men-Women dance on Rajasthani folk songs. Rajasthani Dances are very robust and reckless dances with sudden and quick body movements. Ganesh Chaturthiis a major Hindu festival of Rajasthan. Though Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in whole country some rituals make it uniqueness of Rajasthan.
Cultural Attractions of Pushkar
Kartik Purnima :Kartik Purnima is celebrated in October November or Kartik month of Hindu calendar. Devotees gather along Pushkar Lake to take a holy dip in Pushkar Lake. It is believed that a dip can cure diseases and get one rid of sins. Kartika Purnima is celebrated in a tribute to Lord Brahma. The scene at Pushkar become full of enthusiasm and shops are filled with newly brought articles to serve devotees.
Ganesh Chaturthi : Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in September month to worship Lord Ganesha. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated across the country yet Ganesh Cahturthi in Rajasthan become more special due to its vivid traditional practices. Women keep fast on Ganesh Chaturthi. Idols of Ganesha are kept at places and worshipped for some certain days. Then the idol is immersed in water bodies. People sing devotional songs, music, dance and other activities are common on Ganesh Chaturthi. There are a lot of legends regarding Ganesh Chaturthi.
Pushkar Fair : Pushkar Fair is the largest cattle fair in Asia and is held in the month of November during the KartikPurnima (full moon day in the Hindu lunar month of Kartik). Pushkar fair attract thousands of men and animals both and give a vivid look to the landscape of city in cold months of November by colourful and vibrant activities that take place along Pushkar Lake. Various types of activities, rituals, trade of camels, songs, dances, music and competitions take place in Pushkar Fair.Besides there are a number of Hindu and Islamic festivals on which Pushkar City comes to life. Whole cultural landscape of the city changes in these festivities. People forget all enmity and throw themselves to the new fervour of life.