PUSHKAR: WORLD'S LARGEST CATTLE FAIR
Every November, in the pond-sized sleepy town of Pushkar, India comes alive with a riot of colors and a frenzied burst of activity, attracting visitors from around the globe to the famous Camel Fair. (The complete article was featured in Little India, a US publication...) | ||||||
Renowned for hosting the world’s largest camel fair, the quiet town of Pushkar exhibits a rare and fascinating combination of religious fervor and cultural effervescence every November. Around 50,000 camels are sold, decorated, shaved and raced during the Pushkar Fair, the largest cattle fair in the world.
The festival is quite a hit among foreign tourists. This year’s whopping 200,000 crowd inundated Pushkar’s 14,000 population. The profusion of colors that run riot in the desert sand, the glee and the contagious enthusiasm of the village folk charm every visitor. “Very few fairs in the world, if at all any, can match the liveliness of the Pushkar fair — the world’s largest cattle fair,” said Jamie Jay, a tourist from California, who has been attending the fair regularly for the last four years. The ambience evoked during the seven-day festival is that of rustic Rajasthan, more so of rural India — vibrant, colorful and quintessentially Indian. Bards and poets recite and sing tales of valor and heroism of bygone days. Singers and dancers stage folk performances throughout the day. Various competitions, such as turban tying, tilak, water pot race, mandna, langari taang, Indian bride, moustache, and wrestling, etc., enliven the event.
“I like the turban tying and tilak competition. They are so Indian,” said Daniel Schwenegger, a tourist from Denmark. In addition, many animal competitions, such as camel decoration, camel dance, horse dance, fast milking, gir and cross-breed and champion cattle contests delight visitors. “The lumbering beast of burden, the camel all decorated in finery, imagines itself to be an ostrich, and rushes through the race like one. It’s such fun. I have never seen anything like this before,” said Australian college student, Diana Wheat. Visitors are particularly enamored by the musical chairs competition. “As the music stops, the beautifully decorated camel is supposed to manage to stick its long arching neck between two poles, each camel owner guiding its entrant by means of a silken cord attached to its nose ring. This is really interesting,” said Mac Matusow, a 10-year-old boy from Denmark. (To read the complete article, visit the site of Little India, a US publication...)    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WINE SAFARI IN INDIA By Shilpi Shukla Alexander Here's an edifying guide to Indian vineyards where you could taste the best of wines and enjoy a regal stay amidst lush tranquilizing chateaux… In recent years, India has had countless wine connoisseurs from across the globe who stayed at our vineyards and returned swearing by the taste and tang of our Indian makes.The vineyards enlisted below harness the region’s spectacular scenery and use it to shape their wine’s flavors for the better. So sll you have to do is come, stay, sniff, swirl, savor and repeat!(Click on the image below to read th complete article as published in The Indian, an Australian publication) |
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ALL FOR A CUPPA!
Ek garam chai ki pyaali (a cup of hot tea) is what pulls those with refined tastes and polished pursuits to India.
The silky sunrays kiss your forehead, the cool breeze caresses your hair and the fragranced air infuses your spirit with prana (life force). Walk out of your room, holding your bespoke hot cuppa and sit in the verandah of this old colonial building set amidst lush tea estates. Watch tea-pickers plucking the newest leaves and tossing them into the wicker baskets on their backs or witness the soft drops of the hill rain turn the landscape into a misty wonderland. Enjoy a fascinating tea tour and indulge in flavoursome tea tasting sessions. What’s more, with the world’s best range of teas available in these 500-plus plantations, have your tea custom-made. And how about planting your own tea bush to mark your visit?
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| Mancotta in Dibrugarh |
Quite in tune with the wine regions of Europe and the coffee plantations of Central America, India’s tea estates, that together boast of being the largest exporter of tea in the world (with as much as 810 million kilograms being produced annually), promise a tasteful retreat for tea-connoisseurs from around the world. These refurbished tea gardens offer exciting tours and package holidays to Assam, Darjeeling in West Bengal, Munnar in Kerala, Palampur in Himachal Pradesh and Ooty in Tamil Nadu. Given that this highly popular beverage is laden with life restoring anti-oxidants, is powerful at preventing cancers, and their herbal varieties are caffeine-free, tourists from round-the-globe have reasons aplenty to taste the heady flavour and raise their daily brews in an ode to the colonial past.
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| Guests enjoying a picnic at the Glenburn Tea Estate in Darjeeling. |
(Pls click on the given link to read my article on Tea Tourism In India as published in a US magazine. http://www.littleindia.com/news/154/ARTICLE/6731/2010-07-08.html)
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REAL AND DIVINE
There’s no place quite like Rajasthan, discovers SHILPI SHUKLA, as she takes in the charms of Kishangarh, Ajmer and Pushkar
Photos: Lovejeet Alexander
One Sunday morning, Jeet woke me up with a hot cup of coffee and said, “You have precisely 15 mins, honey. We are off to Ajmer and Pushkar,” he said. My husband doesn’t wait for anniversaries to surprise me. He does it all the time. Being woken up with a hot cuppa is my favourite surprise.
Indeed, the Bani Thani style of miniature painting is the most unique aspect of this town. The 18th century rulers patronised the Kishangarh school, further embellishing the cultural fabric of Rajasthan. The paintings depict Radha and Krishna as divine lovers and lay emphasis on subtlety, not exaggeration. “We portray Radha and Krishna in courtly surroundings with a massive backdrop compared to the figures themselves,” Vithal, a senior artist at the Shree Krishna Art Centre in Kishangarh, tells us.
Life here is what we call typically rural. Zigzag lanes, beautiful huts, royal haveli, ethnic wear, modest living and very warm people... coming to Kishangarh is like visiting the sets of Ramgarh of Sholay. Unlike the hustle and bustle of most tourist spots, this is a place for peaceful contemplation.
AJMER
It was now time to admire the Indo-Islamic architectural skill of the fascinating Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra. This wonderful relic of an old mosque is said to have been designed and built in two days. We then toured the formidable Taragarh Fort. With its six gates, the splendid monument stands guard over the entire city. Though inaccessible, most impressive are the tunnels that interweave through the whole hill.
Other must-see spots include the ornate Akbar’s Palace and Ana Sagar Lake. Constructed in 1570 AD especially for Emperor Akbar who stayed here during his Ajmer tours and pilgrimages, the palace has been converted into a museum showcasing an amazing display of military armour and weaponry, antiques, artefacts, sculptures, miniature paintings and archaeological finds from Harappa and Mohenjodaro. Ana Sagar is an artificial lake named after then ruler Anaji Chauhan. With a beautiful sunset view, this 12th century lake has on its shores marble pavilions (also known as Bardari) built by Shah Jahan to facilitate his long stays in Ajmer.
The Solahkhamba, Jhulelal Mandir, Badnor Fort, Mahadev Mandir, Man Mahal, and Mangliyawas are other historically delightful time warps. Our only displeasure came from witnessing the utter negligence on the part of government and public in preserving and maintaining these architectural masterpieces.
KISHANGARH
We were hardly half an hour’s drive away from Ajmer when we decided to take our last break. And this is how serendipity brought us to Kishangarh. This small, sleepy town, 27 km from Ajmer, owes its name to its founder Maharaja Kishan Singh, who built it in 1611 AD. The best thing about Kishangarh is that it’s unexplored. My husband Jeet and I learnt, however, that the quiet town was once a bustling city under the rule of the mighty Rathores in the medieval period.
A view of the magnificent Kishangarh Fort is awe-inspiring. One of the unconquered forts of Rajasthan, and undisputedly the most impressive, its lavish carved interiors reportedly speak volumes about the lifestyle of the Rathore rulers. “Majestic quarters, courtyards with stone-carved water fountains and numerous other embellishments enhance the magnificence of the fort. And the castle is a paradise for bird watchers,” shares Premlal, a local resident who was kind enough to march us to the fort. We were so excited to visit this ‘majestic castle’; if only we had wings. However, luck chose not to chance upon us again. We were barred entry as the fort was under restoration till February. “After restoration, the world will take notice of its grandeur,” said one of the guards. The tall sentry sounded like a loyal-to-death sipahi guarding his royal fort from an enemy ruler’s attack.
Another attraction is Phool Mahal. Located near Kishangarh Fort, this 18th century palace of flowers has now been converted into a heritage hotel. Surrounded by beautiful gardens and bewildering wall murals, it offers a breathtaking view of the fort and Gundalo Lake, where rare migratory birds flock from time to time. Painted on the background of pristine environment and verdant landscapes, the Bani Thani paintings of Kishangarh further beautify this princely abode. Having seen the charismatic beauty of Phool Mahal, we knew what visual delight and royal stateliness awaited us inside the Kishangarh Fort. Adding to its appeal is the Navgrah (nine planets) temple, with the sacred Saraswathy flowing under the desert region of Kishangarh.
A view of the magnificent Kishangarh Fort is awe-inspiring. One of the unconquered forts of Rajasthan, and undisputedly the most impressive, its lavish carved interiors reportedly speak volumes about the lifestyle of the Rathore rulers. “Majestic quarters, courtyards with stone-carved water fountains and numerous other embellishments enhance the magnificence of the fort. And the castle is a paradise for bird watchers,” shares Premlal, a local resident who was kind enough to march us to the fort. We were so excited to visit this ‘majestic castle’; if only we had wings. However, luck chose not to chance upon us again. We were barred entry as the fort was under restoration till February. “After restoration, the world will take notice of its grandeur,” said one of the guards. The tall sentry sounded like a loyal-to-death sipahi guarding his royal fort from an enemy ruler’s attack.
Another attraction is Phool Mahal. Located near Kishangarh Fort, this 18th century palace of flowers has now been converted into a heritage hotel. Surrounded by beautiful gardens and bewildering wall murals, it offers a breathtaking view of the fort and Gundalo Lake, where rare migratory birds flock from time to time. Painted on the background of pristine environment and verdant landscapes, the Bani Thani paintings of Kishangarh further beautify this princely abode. Having seen the charismatic beauty of Phool Mahal, we knew what visual delight and royal stateliness awaited us inside the Kishangarh Fort. Adding to its appeal is the Navgrah (nine planets) temple, with the sacred Saraswathy flowing under the desert region of Kishangarh.
Life here is what we call typically rural. Zigzag lanes, beautiful huts, royal haveli, ethnic wear, modest living and very warm people... coming to Kishangarh is like visiting the sets of Ramgarh of Sholay. Unlike the hustle and bustle of most tourist spots, this is a place for peaceful contemplation.
Sand dunes, wooded hills and amazing lakes; royal palaces and rugged forts; men and women in colourful turbans and ghaghra-choli; bustling towns and quiet villages; leisurely camels and swift horses; harsh sunlight and the cool evening breeze—a trip from Kishangarh to Pushkar offers all this and more.
Upon reaching Ajmer, we dumped our luggage in the hotel and headed to Dargah Sharif. Walking past the bustling Dargah bazaar, a high gateway with intricately carved silver ornamentation makes way for the serene mausoleum of the great Sufi saint Hazrat Moinuddin Chisti. We prayed—I am a Hindu, and Jeet Christian—at the Dargah, and surprisingly experienced a sense of divine relief. Never before did Kahlil Gibran’s words make more sense to me: I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.
For hours we admired the architectural friezes that adorn this celebrated monument. The main tomb at the Dargah is screened by a delicately carved marble partition. There is a special prayer hall that was constructed by Shah Jahan for the women of his empire. We paid respect to the tombs of Bibi Hafiz Jama (daughter of the departed Sufi saint) and Begum Chimni Begum (daughter of Shah Jahan).
Other must-see spots include the ornate Akbar’s Palace and Ana Sagar Lake. Constructed in 1570 AD especially for Emperor Akbar who stayed here during his Ajmer tours and pilgrimages, the palace has been converted into a museum showcasing an amazing display of military armour and weaponry, antiques, artefacts, sculptures, miniature paintings and archaeological finds from Harappa and Mohenjodaro. Ana Sagar is an artificial lake named after then ruler Anaji Chauhan. With a beautiful sunset view, this 12th century lake has on its shores marble pavilions (also known as Bardari) built by Shah Jahan to facilitate his long stays in Ajmer.
The Solahkhamba, Jhulelal Mandir, Badnor Fort, Mahadev Mandir, Man Mahal, and Mangliyawas are other historically delightful time warps. Our only displeasure came from witnessing the utter negligence on the part of government and public in preserving and maintaining these architectural masterpieces.
(Featured in Harmony Magazine in January 2011)
