Pushkar Fair Tour

Pushkar Fair Tour : 10 - 13 Nov 2008 , 30 Oct - 02 Nov, 2009

Pushkar Fair Tour Information: Excitement, gaiety and a keen sense of competition fill the air as the long journey to Pushkar begins. The only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma (the creator) is located at Pushkar. The Pushkar lake is surrounded by 52 flights of steps called ghats. Legend has it that Lord Vishnu appeared at the Varah ghat in the form of a boar. Brahma took a bath here and performed yagna at the Brahma Ghat accompanied by Vishnu & Mahadev. The ashes of Mahatma Gandhi (Father of the Nation) were immersed at the Gandhi ghat. Pushkar is among the five principal places of Hindu pilgrimage. People consider the water of the Pushkar lake to be very sacred and the ritual of taking dips in the holy water Is believed to bestow salvation. It is customary to float lighted eastern lamps on petals (plates made of leaves) on the waters of lake. This creates a spectacular view when the sacred lake takes on a mystical tint sprinkled with twinkling spots of light. In conjunction with the religious fair, a cattle fair is also organized.

The ancient town of Pushkar is transformed into a spectacular fair ground. The fair grounds reverberate with festivity and woman folk shop for bangles, clothes, utensils, sundry household items & leather goods. The highlight of the Pushkar fair is the trading in camels. The camel, horse & donkey races are events that draw huge attendance. Body tattooing is yet another favorite activity. Come dusk, and the rich strains of haunting music are carried across the desert sands as the merrymaking continues deep into the night. The well-known and marked with largest participation of all the festivals of Rajasthan, Pushkar is an important pilgrimage as well as the venue of a mammoth cattle fair. Bazaars, auctions, music and sports are highlight of this event. It also offers some of the most exquisite handcrafted items of Rajasthan that are sure to entice you. The festival is well organized with enough arrangement for accommodation in the tents.

The famous Pushkar Fair is a great tourist attraction. People from around the globe come to the ancient religious town of Pushkar which is transformed into a spectacular fair ground in the month of Kartik. People bath, worship and delight in the dazzling wares of roadside stalls. Camels are bought, sold, beautified, raced and parade. Most unusual are the small groups of men and women seen busy tattooing their hands and other parts of the body. The fair is predominantly a rural gathering. Villagers come from different parts of the state and bring their cattle with them. On spectacular sand dunes camel, horse and bullock races are great crowd pullers. All roads lead to the lake, which is flooded with pilgrims. The movement of the crowd is like a tide of colour with currents of crimson, yellow and turquoise. Evenings at the Pushkar Fair have their own charm. The silent night is pierced by calls of camels. Ballads are sung by actors in passionate tones. Folk dramas, skits and folk dance are organized for the entertainment of the tourists. The Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) puts up a tourist village during the fair. The tourist village is self sufficient and specially designed to complement the natural beauty of the site. It has a Coffee Shop and Dining Hall which can cater to 1500 guests at a time. The village is arranged in blocks of tents, each with its own identity, being named after the famous dances of Rajasthan. The village also has huts with attached western style toilets and running water.

Day 01 : Arrive Delhi
Welcome to India, You will be received and assisted by 1India Travel representative at International or Domestic Airport. Then drive to your hotel with your driver and exclusive car. In the hotel have a brief view about the tour from the representative. Overnight in Hotel.

Day 02 : Delhi
In the morning after breakfast city tour of India´s bustling capital city, Old and New Delhi present a stunning sights and sounds with the ancient city built by Emperor Shah Jahan the builder of the famous Taj Mahal, and the new garden city built in 1911 by the British. Drive through the old city past the Red Fort and visit the Jama Masjid – the biggest of its kind in India. Here take a walk through the winding streets of the old city to see the life of the people in this part of the world.Later visit the Qutub Minar – the tallest free standing minaret in stone in the world; then onto Humayun’s tomb – the first Mughal construction in India from 1565 AD. Also see the President House (Rashtrapati Bhawan), the India Gate built in the earlier half of the 20th century.

Day 03 : Delhi - Agra (205km)
On the way to Agra, visit Sikandara the tomb of the great emperor Akbar. Continue towards Agra and reach Agra and then see the Red Fort built by Akbar where Shahjehan’s own son Aurangzeb imprisoned Shahjahan. Late relax at your hotel or go to the local bazaar to see the lifestyle of the people. Overnight in Hotel.

Day 04 : Agra - Fatehpur Sikri - Jaipur (232km)
Taj Mahal is awaiting your arrival today early morning. A must see with the rising sun as the Taj Mahal is bathed in the golden rays of the morning sun. Built by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial that houses the tomb of his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal. This monument took 22 years to be completed and was designed, and planned by Persian architect Ustad Isa. Apart from its stunning design, balance and perfect symmetry, the Taj is also noted particularly for its elegant domes, intricately carved screens and some of the best inlay work ever seen anywhere in the world. Later after breakfast move to Jaipur, On the way visit Fatehpur Sikri the Phantom city. Visit this abandoned city built by the Mughal emperor Akbar in the second half of the 16th century. Fatehpur Sikri was built by Akbar after his Hindu wife bore him the long awaited son who was born after the renowned sufi saint Salim Chisti blessed Jodhabai Akbar’s Hindu wife with a son. Also visit Jodhabai’s palace the biggest palace in Fatehpur Sikri even bigger than the emperor’s palace himself as this was the queen who bore him his heir to the throne. Later visit the ornithological reserve at Bharatpur – Keoladevi National Park. See the varied varieties of birds and animals during your tour inside the park. This is the only National Park where you get to see the rare species of the Siberian Crane during winter season. Overnight in Hotel .

Day 05 : Jaipur
In the morning visit the Wind Palace, Later visit the Amber fort which displays a beautiful mix of Mughal and Rajput styles of architecture.; included an elephant ride at the Amber fort. See the marvelous Sheesh mahal built in the 17th century in a fusion style of Hindu and Islamic art. Also see the hall of public audiences and Maharaja Man Singh’s Palace who had twelve queens. Enroute visit Water Palace which was a resting place for the kings in past. Later visit Galta Sun Temple which is a beautiful place sorrounded by mountains, the temple is also known as Monkey temple, Here you can find a lot of monkeys who are friendly and doesn´t harm. After lunch set off to see the Pink city visiting the observatory Jantar Mantar built in 1727 by Sawai Maharaja Jai Singh II who was a mathematician , an astronomer an astrologer and a great musician of his era. He built five observatories throughout India – Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi, Mathura and Delhi but only the one at Jaipur is functional. Then visit the City Palace of the Maharaja of Jaipur with a fabulous collection of robes and saris in cotton and silk with gold latticed work. The City Palace houses a collection of paintings also in the painting gallery and of course a collection of arms and ammunitions in the ammunition gallery. Later visit the Birla Temple which is a great piece of work in marble. In the evening enjoy a cinema in Asia´s Second Best Cinema - a highly recommended place. Later enjoy a Dinner in a typical Indian Restaurant with Folk Dances by Gypsy women.

Day 06 : Jaipur - Ajmer - Pushkar (150km)
After breakfast continue towards Pushkar, Pushkar happens to be the holiest places according to the Hindus as it is considered that Lord Brahma (the Creator) and his wife Saraswati (the godess of learning and music) performed a ritual in the lake. Here we visit the only Brahma temple of the world before intermingling with the local colours in the local bazaar. Pushkar is the world famous for its cattle pushkar fair held each year in the month of October/November. Proceed towards Ajmer. Ajmer is the pious city for the Muslims. Surprisingly both the cities are at distance of 11km from each other. Visit the Durgah built in fond remembrance of Khwaja Muin ud Din Chisti where the Muslim pilgrims from all over India throng during the festival times. Enjoy the evening visiting the Pushkar Fair to witness festival and cultural activities.

Day 07 : Pushkar
Enjoy visiting the Pushkar Fair to witness festival and cultural activities.

Day 08 : Pushkar
Enjoy visiting the Pushkar Fair to witness festival and cultural activities.

Day 09 : Pushkar – Jodhpur (150km)
Early Morning drive to Jodhpur the blue city, In the evening visit the Umaid Bhawan Palace, the present residence of the king of Jodhpur. Retire to your hotel and relax.Post lunch session introduces you to the fabulous spice market of Jodhpur the 2nd largest city in Rajasthan. Walk along the market to feel the odours of the spices filling the air around you.

Day 10 : Jodhpur
After breakfast, Visit the majestic Mehrangarh fort, the stronghold of the Rathore princes from 1453AD. We see the superb collection of paintings and arms and ammunitions. The view of the city from the rampart walls is breath taking. Going down from the forrt visit Jaswant Thada. Later we take you on a safari to discover the hidden beauty of the jungle life. Here you would be visiting the Bishnoi villages. Bishnois are a tribe that respects life in every form – animals trees and even dead branches. They are vegetarians and even in the villages they protect the animal life and don’t let anybody practice hunting in the vicinity of their villages. They live in a joint family system where the oldest member is generally the head of the family. Then we would like you to witness the opium ceremony with the Patels – a rich tribe. It is a ceremony prevelant in this part of Rajasthan where the youth offers opium to drink mixed with water to the elders of the family when they come back from work in the fields.

Day 11 : Jodhpur - Ranakpur - Kumbhalgarh - Udaipur (275km)
After breakfast drive up to Romantic City of Lakes - Udaipur, On the way visit Ranakpur a very big pilgrimage centre for the Jains. Just four hours drive from Udaipur is the eternal Jain pilgrimage centre of Ranakpur. Admire the workmanship from the 16th century. The temples are built out of marble and the main shrine of Adinath with 1444 columns is awe inspiring and none of these are similar. Also see the sun temple and the other temples in the campus. Later visit The Kumbhalgarh Fort - the stronghold of the kingdom of Mewar built by Maharana Kumbha in 1453. Visit the palace and see the beautiful mural paintings in the Zenana mahal (ladies quarters). The view from the parapet wall is breath taking and this is where the soldiers used to be stationed to view the advent of the enemies. The fort has 7 gates through which we need to enter to gain access to the palaces. See the temple where Maharana Kumbha was treacherously killed by his own kith and kin during his prayer to win the seat of Mewar. On the way stop by the fields to see the local way of farming and irrigation. Walk into the villages to mingle with the locals around to know more about their lifestyle.Reach Udaipur by late afternoon and check into your hotel.

Day 12 : Udaipur
Visit the City Palace the richest palace museum in the entire Rajasthan. See the Peacock Square and the miniature painting school inside the palace premises. Udaipur has the prestige of housing the best miniature schools in the country under the royal patronage of the king of Udaipur. Later, see the Sahelion ki Bari where Maharana Sangram Singh build this garden complex with fountains and lakes for his beautiful daughter. In the evening we take a lake cruise on the placid waters of Lake Pichhola by sunset and visit the island palace Jagmandir where according to legends the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan lived and got inspired to build the Taj mahal later.

Day 13 : Udaipur - Delhi (Flight)
Morning after breakfast check out the hotel and transfer to the airport to board the later morning flight for Delhi, Upon arrival in Delhi, Before taking your International Flight, You can visit Sikh Temple or you can walk around Cannaught Place, Take a dinner in the restaurants at this center of the city. Late you will transferred to the International airport 3 hours before to board the International flight time for your further journey back to your Country