 Pushkar Camel Fair |
 For a few days around November, a dusty throng of camels and their owners, pious Hindu pilgrims, holy men in their hundreds and spectators from far and wide converge on the sleepy Indian desert town of Pushkar. Beyond the fairground the desert people of Rajasthan make camp with their camels, flanks freshly branded, and tricked out with the finest pom-poms and flower-bedecked harness.
In the pre-dawn darkness throngs of chanting pilgrims circumnavigate the sacred lake. As the day wears on, the faithful gather on marble steps to disrobe and bathe in the hallowed waters. The narrow streets fill as sadhus, streaked in ash and garlanded with marigolds, brush past beggars and backpackers; sandwich boards hawk internet access and Israeli fast food.
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