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Pushkar fair kicks off in Rajasthan desert

     Pushkar (Rajasthan): Priests and locals in the town of Pushkar offered thousands of lamps, little wickers set in leaves and flower, to the Hindu Trinity God Brahma on Friday, symbolically kicking off an annual Pushkar fair held in his honour. Hindus believe that Lord Brahma, the creator, wished to perform a yagna (fire ritual) following his long years of penance. During his sojourn in search of a place for yagna, Brahma dropped a lotus from heaven which created the lake Pushkar. It was on this night that a drop of sacred nectar fell in this lake, thereby making it sacred. Pilgrims flock from all over India to be in Pushkar at this auspicious time. They also believe that all the 330 million Hindu Gods and Goddesses are present at the Pushkar Lake during the occasion. In a land full of temples and pilgrimage sites, Pushkar temple is the only temple devoted solely to Lord Brahma. "I think it is very nice and very suprising. So many people, childre,n women in sarees, very, very nice," said Amy, a foreign tourist. "During this month, we offer lamps to make our lives enlightened. We believe that by doing so we will be able to remove darkness in our lives and move towards positiveness. Hence, it is important to offer lamps," added Ram Swaroop, a devotee.

    Pushkar, otherwise a sleepy town, comes alive every year when it hosts this annual fair in the month of November. Over three million tourists, both foreign and domestic, are expected to arrive in Rajasthan for the fair, which has over the years developed into a massive trade arena for camels, horses and cattle and is believed to be the world's biggest such event.
-Nov 20, 2004