The famous Pushkar Fair is a great tourist attraction. People
from around the globe come to the ancient religious town of
Pushkar which is transformed into a spectacular fair ground in
the month of Kartik. People bathe, worship and delight in the
dazzling wares of roadside stalls. Camels are bought, sold,
beautified, raced and parade. Most unusual are the small groups
of men and women seen busy tattooing their hands and other parts
of the body.
The fair is predominantly a rural gathering. Villagers come from
different parts of the state and bring their cattle with them.
On spectacular sanddunes camel, horse and bullock races are
great crowd pullers. All roads lead to the lake, which is
flooded with pilgrims. The movement of the crowd is like a tide
of colour with currents of crimson, yellow and turquoise.
Evenings at the Pushkar Fair have their own charm. The silent
night is pierced by calls of camels. Ballads are sung by actors
in passionate tones. Folk
dramas, skits and folk dance are organised for the entertainment
of the
tourists.
The Rajasthan Tourism Development
Corporation (RTDC) puts up a tourist village during the fair.
The tourist village is self sufficient and specially designed to
complement the natural beauty of the site. It has a Coffee Shop
and Dining Hall which can cater to 1 500 guests at a time.
The village is arranged in blocks of tents, each with its own
identity, being named after the famous dances of Rajasthan. The
village also has huts with attached western style toilets and
running water. One can also stay in Sarovar Hotel, Pushkar and
Khadim Tourist Bunglow at Ajmer.
Teej is the festival of swings. It marks the advent of the
monsoon month of Shravan (August). The monsoon rains fall on the
parched land and the pleasing scent of the wet soil rises into
the air. Swings are hung from trees and decorated with flowers.
Young girls and women dressed in green clothes sing songs in
celebration of the advent of the monsoon. This festival is
dedicated to the Goddess Parvati,
commemorating her union with Lord Shiva. Goddess Parvati is
worshipped by seekers of conjugal bliss and happiness. An
elaborate procession is taken out in Jaipur for two consecutive
days on the festive occasion which is watched by people in large
numbers. The teej idol is richly decorated with ornaments and
gaudy dresses. The Teej idol is covered with a canopy whereas
the Gangaur idol is open.
The lakeside city of Ajmer is
located in central Rajasthan, and is held in great reverence by
devotees of all communities who call it 'Ajmer Sharif' (Holy
Ajmer). It is here that the mortal remains of the highly
respected Sufi saint Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chishti lie buried.
The Khwaja came from Persia and established the Chishtia order
of fakirs in India. He is popularly known as Gharib Nawaz
(protector of the poor) because he dedicated his entire life to
the service of mankind. His spartan life spanned almost a
hundred years and he embraced death in solitude while he had
withdrawn to his cell for six days, asking not to be disturbed.
The Dargah Sharif in Ajmer is the place where the Saint's mortal
remains lie buried and is the site of the largest Muslim fair in
India. More than five lakh devotees belonging to different
communities gather from all parts of the subcontinent to pay
homage to the Khwaja on his Urs (death anniversary) during the
first six days of Rajab (seventh month of the Islamic calendar.)
The pilgrims who come to seek the
blessings of the Khwaja make rich offerings called nazrana at
the holy spot where the saint has been entombed. The offerings
of rose and jasmine flowers, sandalwood paste, perfumes and
incense contribute to the fragrance that floats in the air
inside the shrine. Also offered by devotees are the chadar,
ghilaph and neema, which are votive offerings for the tomb.
These are brought by devotees on their heads and handed over to
the khadims inside the sanctum sanctorum. Outside the sanctum
sanctorum of the dargah, professional singers called qawwals in
groups and sing the praises of the saint in a characteristic high pitched
voice. People gather around them and listen attentively, sometimes clapping
to the rhythm of their instruments.
The Urs is
initiated with the hoisting of a white flag on the dargah by the
Sajjada Nashin (successor representative) of Chishtis. It is
done on the 25th of Jamadi-ul-Akhir (sixth lunar month), with
the accompaniment of music. On the last day of the sixth month,
the Jannati-Darwaza (gateway of heaven) is flung open early in
the morning. People cross this gate seven times with the belief
that they will be assured a place in heaven. On the 1st of
Rajab, the tomb is washed with rose water and sandalwood paste
and anointed with perfumes. This ritual is called ghusal. The
tomb is then covered with an embroidered silk cloth by the
Sajjada Nashin.
Teej is the festival of swings. It marks the advent of the
monsoon month of Shravan (August). The monsoon rains fall on the
parched land and the pleasing scent of the wet soil rises into
the air. Swings are hung from trees and decorated with flowers.
Young girls and women dressed in green clothes sing songs in
celebration of the advent of the monsoon. This festival is
dedicated to the Goddess Parvati,
The lakeside city of Ajmer is
located in central Rajasthan, and is held in great reverence by
devotees of all communities who call it 'Ajmer Sharif' (Holy
Ajmer). It is here that the mortal remains of the highly
respected Sufi saint Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chishti lie buried. 
The pilgrims who come to seek the
blessings of the Khwaja make rich offerings called nazrana at
the holy spot where the saint has been entombed. The offerings
of rose and jasmine flowers, sandalwood paste, perfumes and
incense contribute to the fragrance that floats in the air
inside the shrine. Also offered by devotees are the chadar,
ghilaph and neema, which are votive offerings for the tomb.
These are brought by devotees on their heads and handed over to
the khadims inside the sanctum sanctorum. Outside the sanctum
sanctorum of the dargah, professional singers called qawwals in
groups and sing the praises of the saint in a characteristic high pitched
voice. People gather around them and listen attentively, sometimes clapping
to the rhythm of their instruments.
The Urs is
initiated with the hoisting of a white flag on the dargah by the
Sajjada Nashin (successor representative) of Chishtis. It is
done on the 25th of Jamadi-ul-Akhir (sixth lunar month), with
the accompaniment of music. On the last day of the sixth month,
the Jannati-Darwaza (gateway of heaven) is flung open early in
the morning. People cross this gate seven times with the belief
that they will be assured a place in heaven. On the 1st of
Rajab, the tomb is washed with rose water and sandalwood paste
and anointed with perfumes. This ritual is called ghusal. The
tomb is then covered with an embroidered silk cloth by the
Sajjada Nashin.