The Pushkar Camel Fair by Anne Launcelott
In November 2023, I traveled to Delhi, India to meet with three female photographers whom I had met earlier during a workshop in Rome in June 2022. We had such a great connection that we decided to meet up once a year to photograph together. One of the Indian women in our group invited us to India and had arranged an incredible itinerary for us, which included the Pushkar Camel Fair as the highlight of our trip.
The Pushkar Camel Fair, also known as Kartik Mela, is an annual five-day festival that celebrates livestock and culture. It is held in the small town of Pushkar, located in the State of Rajasthan on the edge of the Thar Desert. The fair takes place during Kartik Purnima, which is considered to be an immensely religious and spiritual date on the Hindu calendar. Hindu pilgrims from far and wide come to take a dip in the holy waters of Pushkar Lake, which is believed to bring good fortune and wash away all sins.
Kartik Mela dates back over 100 years when local Rajasthani tribes gathered in Pushkar to trade camels and other livestock. It has now become one of India's largest festivals and tourist attractions, with around 500,000 to 600,000 visitors coming to Pushkar during this time. This traditional festival brings together thousands of camels, cattle, and horses for sale and display by tribesmen and farmers from across the country.
The fair is especially significant for the Raika Tribe, who are almost the exclusive sellers of camels. They are a marginalized community whose survival depends on camel rearing and selling. Camels were once "the lifeline of the desert," but modernization has all but put an end to this mode of transportation. During the fair, one can see men sitting around in groups on the sandy floor of the Thar Desert, appearing to be idle. However, this is where and how business is conducted.
