Nov. 5/Day 36: Pushkar Camel Fair
The local newspaper reports that today there are 14,000 camels in Pushkar. Over the course of the camel sale, which lasts about two weeks, about 30,000-40,000 camels will pass through Pushkar. People from all over India come here to sell their camels and horses. Events in the stadium, like camel dancing competitions, ensures everyone stays entertained.
The man on the left bought 30 camels and intends to buy another 20. He will resell them at a smaller market near his hometown.
These men were talking business. The man on the left wanted to buy the camel in the background from the man on the far right. They were negotiating the price--the seller wanted 23,000 rupees but the buyer
offered 18,000.
What determines the price of a camel? You want a camel that has at least 4 teeth, meaning they are about 2 years old. And camels who look up are worth the most because it means it is a strong and healthy camel.
This is a valuable camel--head looking up, good demeanor and about 2 years old. She was drinking and eating well, which means she is healthy.
Unfortunately, I was outbid by a local who didn't have to pay for shipping.
These calves don't have any teeth yet. They are about a year old.
This guy had a bunch of teeth.
I don't know how many teeth she has, but based on the number of gray hairs, I'm pretty sure more than four.
One of the best parts about the fair is getting the opportunity (with the help of a translator) to speak with the villagers. I kept running into this man, with whom I shared a cup of chai.
The local Starbucks.
Their milk refrigeration system is a bit different.
I chatted with these men for a bit too. You may have noticed that in general, Indian people don't smile for photos.
Harghan, the man on the left in this photo and touching my face in the photo above, was shot in the arm by a policeman during a village fight in 2004. 74 people were killed during the dispute over placement of villagers in government positions.
They don't have cameras in their village, so I took some photos and promised to mail them to their village.
The men with mustaches all wanted to make sure their ends curled upward.
The local water hole was a fun place to hang out too.
And a popular place.
As was the stadium.
People gathering for the camel dancing competition.
The camel fair is a fun event to attend, but I can't say I have enjoyed all the events in the stadium. The camels seem to hate "dancing" or performing in general. They make this awful scream, which makes my stomach turn and makes it difficult for me to watch them perform. The ropes are attached to a metal piece inserted through their nose when they are about 1 1/2 years old. These ropes are manipulated to make the camel perform as the owner wants. No one else seemed to be disturbed by this.
This poor camel, who now pulls wagons, used to be a dancing camel. His lip hangs all the time now from nerve damage. :(
I called this guy sombrero man.
I preferred to watch the dancing cobras.
Or the dancing horses.
The horses are much more expensive than the camels. This albino racing horse was selling for $2 million. Horse betting is popular in the south. He was a gorgeous all white horse with bright blue eyes.
Most of the villagers were eating chapati cooked in the sand. They make a small pit, add some small pieces of wood and dried dung to keep the fire going, then cook the chapati in the sand pit. I'm told the dung gives the chapati a great flavor.
Women laying the camel dung out in the sun to dry. They will sell it after it dries.
This spot on the hillside was a great place to take a break and watch the happenings below. When walking around the grounds, you have to always be on the look out for camels, horses or carts coming past. You don't want to get within camel biting range. I walked around the grounds for about 7 hours before heading into town to see some of the other city sights. The city's most important temple is devoted to Brahma but cameras are not allowed inside. It is the only temple devoted to Brahma, the creator god, in India. Of course there is a story as to why there is only one temple. The short version is that it is a punishment imposed on Brahma by his first wife for marrying another woman in order to perform a religious ceremony at sunrise.
This man was making sugar cane juice. I was afraid his hand was going to get caught in that contraption.
Sweet treats cooking in a sugary oil.
It was mighty greasy.
But delicious.
The shop owner gave me a sampling of his desserts.
I'm clearly very happy to be eating sweets.
A small vegetable market.
Nandu, my guide, and me hanging out at Pushkar Lake.
It was another gorgeous sunset.
I made a quick stop at the Seik temple, then headed to the hotel for some dinner (more dal and roti).
More camels tomorrow....
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
The local newspaper reports that today there are 14,000 camels in Pushkar. Over the course of the camel sale, which lasts about two weeks, about 30,000-40,000 camels will pass through Pushkar. People from all over India come here to sell their camels and horses. Events in the stadium, like camel dancing competitions, ensures everyone stays entertained.
The man on the left bought 30 camels and intends to buy another 20. He will resell them at a smaller market near his hometown.
These men were talking business. The man on the left wanted to buy the camel in the background from the man on the far right. They were negotiating the price--the seller wanted 23,000 rupees but the buyer
offered 18,000.
What determines the price of a camel? You want a camel that has at least 4 teeth, meaning they are about 2 years old. And camels who look up are worth the most because it means it is a strong and healthy camel.
This is a valuable camel--head looking up, good demeanor and about 2 years old. She was drinking and eating well, which means she is healthy.
Unfortunately, I was outbid by a local who didn't have to pay for shipping.
These calves don't have any teeth yet. They are about a year old.
This guy had a bunch of teeth.
I don't know how many teeth she has, but based on the number of gray hairs, I'm pretty sure more than four.
One of the best parts about the fair is getting the opportunity (with the help of a translator) to speak with the villagers. I kept running into this man, with whom I shared a cup of chai.
The local Starbucks.
Their milk refrigeration system is a bit different.
I chatted with these men for a bit too. You may have noticed that in general, Indian people don't smile for photos.
Harghan, the man on the left in this photo and touching my face in the photo above, was shot in the arm by a policeman during a village fight in 2004. 74 people were killed during the dispute over placement of villagers in government positions.
They don't have cameras in their village, so I took some photos and promised to mail them to their village.
The men with mustaches all wanted to make sure their ends curled upward.
The local water hole was a fun place to hang out too.
And a popular place.
As was the stadium.
People gathering for the camel dancing competition.
The camel fair is a fun event to attend, but I can't say I have enjoyed all the events in the stadium. The camels seem to hate "dancing" or performing in general. They make this awful scream, which makes my stomach turn and makes it difficult for me to watch them perform. The ropes are attached to a metal piece inserted through their nose when they are about 1 1/2 years old. These ropes are manipulated to make the camel perform as the owner wants. No one else seemed to be disturbed by this.
This poor camel, who now pulls wagons, used to be a dancing camel. His lip hangs all the time now from nerve damage. :(
I called this guy sombrero man.
I preferred to watch the dancing cobras.
Or the dancing horses.
The horses are much more expensive than the camels. This albino racing horse was selling for $2 million. Horse betting is popular in the south. He was a gorgeous all white horse with bright blue eyes.
Most of the villagers were eating chapati cooked in the sand. They make a small pit, add some small pieces of wood and dried dung to keep the fire going, then cook the chapati in the sand pit. I'm told the dung gives the chapati a great flavor.
Women laying the camel dung out in the sun to dry. They will sell it after it dries.
This spot on the hillside was a great place to take a break and watch the happenings below. When walking around the grounds, you have to always be on the look out for camels, horses or carts coming past. You don't want to get within camel biting range. I walked around the grounds for about 7 hours before heading into town to see some of the other city sights. The city's most important temple is devoted to Brahma but cameras are not allowed inside. It is the only temple devoted to Brahma, the creator god, in India. Of course there is a story as to why there is only one temple. The short version is that it is a punishment imposed on Brahma by his first wife for marrying another woman in order to perform a religious ceremony at sunrise.
This man was making sugar cane juice. I was afraid his hand was going to get caught in that contraption.
Sweet treats cooking in a sugary oil.
It was mighty greasy.
But delicious.
The shop owner gave me a sampling of his desserts.
I'm clearly very happy to be eating sweets.
A small vegetable market.
Nandu, my guide, and me hanging out at Pushkar Lake.
It was another gorgeous sunset.
I made a quick stop at the Seik temple, then headed to the hotel for some dinner (more dal and roti).
More camels tomorrow....
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Pushkar, India
No comments:
Post a Comment