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 Just the mere mention of the name Pushkar reminds one of the famous Pushkar fair held in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Rajasthan, though a desert land, can hardly be described as just a land of endless sand dunes that stretch out as far as the eyes can see; it is a land of myriad hues, of music and dance, of fairs and festivities, of forts and castles and above all, a land that reflects the plethora of forms in which the Indian way of life has manifested itself. Shopping in Pushkar is just one of them.
Pushkar is a small town, located at about 11 kms from Ajmer. The city is sacred to the Indian god of creation, Brahma. The sacred pilgrimage or Tirtha-Yatra that is mentioned in the Mahabharata, starts from the holy city of Pushkar and, after touring the whole country, ends in the holy city of Prayag (now Allahabad). Every year, at the time of the Pushkar fair, the small town wakes up to great festivities. And as is common to every fair, shopping in Pushkar, too, is a very important part of the festivities.
A visit to the Pushkar fair will reveal to a visitor many facets of the Indian life. Religiosities and holy rituals coexist with the merry go rounds, giant wheels and lip smacking local Rajasthani food. The many stalls at the Pushkar fair abound in handcrafted items that are typical of Rajasthan and the particular culture of the region. While shopping in Pushkar, common among the many things that you may find are the block printed textiles, heavy metal or silver ethnic jewelry in designs that are particular to Rajasthan, leather items, puppets and handcrafted pottery.
Special mention must be made of the miniature paintings. These paintings have a long cultural history and specialized schools of miniature paintings, like the Mewar School, the Jaipur, Bikaner, the Bundi-Kota kalam, Kishengarh and Marwar schools have flourished in the history of Rajasthan. Pick a few of them up on your shopping spree and they are sure to transform your home, by giving it that ethnic and classy feel. Heavily embroidered clothes that come in bright hues are also an integral part of shopping in Pushkar. They are elegant and can make you stand out in any popular gathering.
If you are looking to pick up some souvenirs for the close ones back in town, you might venture into buying some lovely glass bangles, beads or brass items. Shopping in Pushkar is one of the main attractions in the Pushkar fair, for both the religious minded and otherwise. Some of the main shopping areas in Pushkar are Kedalganj bazaar, Baza bazaar and the Sarafa bazaars.
Indianholiday.com provides online information about the Pushkar fair and Shopping in Pushkar. To plan you trip to Pushkar, fill up the form given below.
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