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The magazine of the art-form of the photo-essay “A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine.  Fabulous!” Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film & documentary maker
Jan 2015 back issue
Camel Cavalcade
by Siddharth Setia
The Pushkar Fair, or Pushkar ka Mela, is an annual five-day camel and livestock fair held in the 5th most sacred Hindu Pilgrimage town of Pushkar in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is one of the world's largest camel fairs, and apart from the buying and selling of livestock, it is also the time when the varied art of colourful Rajasthan is exhibited in front of the curious visitors. Held each November at the time of the Kartik Purnima full moon, Pushkar Camel Fair is one of India’s most highly-rated travel experiences, a spectacle on an epic scale, attracting 500,000 people and up to 50,000 camels, cattle and horses.
Camels settle after traveling hundreds of miles to the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, Rajasthan.
Seen on the streets of Pushkar. She was dressed as a little Hindu God and tourists offered her tea and snacks to make her happy but she seemed much more demanding and a tough little God to impress.
A crossdresser dressed up as a Hindu Goddess is offering his blessings in return of money from the tourists and local people. Seen on the streets of Pushkar, India.
A camel reacts as a herder ties a belt made of beads around its neck at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar.
A camel herder poses for a portrait in Pushkar. Every year thousands of camel herders from the semi-nomadic Rabari tribe, who make a living rearing animals, travel for two to three weeks across 312 miles to set up camp in the desert dunes near Pushkar to sell their livestock.
Boys grooming their camel’s eyebrows.
An Indian woman collects camel dung during the annual cattle fair in Pushkar.
A camel herder milks one of his camels while a baby camel feeds on his mother’s milk. Camel milk is more nutritious than cow's milk since it is heavy in protein.
Portrait of a beautiful gypsy girl.
A herder’s boy sharing a light moment with his camel after a day of hanging-out at the fair.
Close up portrait of a smiling camel.
In this picture the owner of the horse displays the tricks his horse could do to impress the potential buyers and make the most through this Fair.
Locals seen collecting water on an early morning for their camps.
A child performer walks on a rope as she entertains festival goers.
Camels eating acacia leaves.
Snake charmers from a local tribe showing off their snake charming skills.
Night tales of Pushkar City, as the busy day passed and night arrived, local people going back to their camps.
The frame looked so interesting with all those shining utensils and the beautiful light. All I needed was a smile and there it was. Made my day. Beautiful women of Pushkar seen at the fair, Pushkar, India.
Them and Us. A dog seen resting at the stairs of a temple while a woman is praying inside. Streets of Pushkar, India.
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