Pushkar Mela: Rajasthan’s Camel Fair and Brahma Pilgrimage

Pushkar lies north-west of Ajmer, in Rajasthan. The Aravalli Range surrounds the town on three sides.

How did the lake form, according to legend?

• The story says the god Brahma dropped a lotus flower on the ground.
• A lake appeared where the lotus fell.
• Brahma then named the place after the flower, which is how Pushkar got its name.
• Pilgrims bathe in the lake at 52 ghats, which are steps leading down to the water.

Is the lake natural?

• No. Today’s lake was created by building a dam.
• It sits in the folds of the Aravalli hills.
• Hundreds of temples line its banks. Sources differ on the exact count.
• A ridge called Nag Pahar, which means Snake Mountain, forms a natural border between Ajmer and Pushkar.

What is the memory hook?

Think “Pushkar sits in the Aravallis, not the Mahadeo Hills”. The lake and the hills go together.

Brahma is the Hindu god of creation. Temples to him are very rare. The Brahma temple at Pushkar is the best known. It stands on a high base, and pilgrims climb steps to reach it.

What is the story of Savitri’s curse?

• Legend says Brahma wanted to perform a yagna, a fire ritual, at Pushkar.
• His wife Savitri was late to the ritual.
• Brahma married Gayatri to finish the ritual on time.
• Savitri was angry. She cursed that Brahma would be worshipped nowhere else except Pushkar.

Who is worshipped in the temple?

• The temple has a four-faced image of Brahma.
• Gayatri’s image stands beside it.
• Savitri has her own temple on a hill nearby.

What is the memory hook?

Think “Savitri’s curse, one town for Brahma”. The curse is why the temples are so few.

The fair runs for five to seven days, depending on the source, in the Hindu month of Kartik, which falls in October or November. Its dates change each year, because the Hindu calendar follows the moon. In 2025 it was scheduled from 30 October to 5 November.

Why does it end on Kartik Purnima?

• Kartik Purnima is the full moon night of the Kartik month.
• It comes about 15 days after Diwali.
• Pilgrims believe a bath in the lake washes away sins.
• Temple worship is also special on full moon nights.

What is traded at the fair?

• The fair is mainly a livestock market.
• Herders bring camels, horses and cattle.
• Camels are painted and decorated with cloth and ornaments.
• Herders and traders arrive days before the official start. In 2025, they began arriving on 22 October.

What is the memory hook?

Think “Kartik full moon: bath and bargain”. The holy dip and the animal trade share one week.

India’s camel numbers have fallen sharply. Fewer camels reach the fair than in earlier times. Herders say young people no longer want to keep camels.

How far have the numbers fallen?

• India had around 750,000 camels in the 1992 livestock census.
• The 2012 census counted only about 330,000, a fall of more than 56 per cent.
• In Rajasthan, the count fell from about 420,000 in 2007 to a little over 210,000 in 2019.

What did the law do?

• Rajasthan declared the camel its state animal in 2014.
• In 2015, the state passed a law to stop camel slaughter and limit camels being taken out of the state.
• Herders say the law cut their income, because they could not sell young male camels outside Rajasthan.
• Herders say prices fell sharply after the law.
• A herder leader told ETV Bharat that in 2025 the state lifted the 11-year ban on moving camels between states, under regulated conditions.

Who keeps the camels?

• The Raika community has herded camels for centuries.
• The Rebari and Devasi communities have also reared camels for generations.

What is the memory hook?

Think “state animal in 2014, law in 2015, numbers still down”. Protection on paper did not stop the fall.

Which questions has this topic produced?

Which traps repeat?

• Pushkar is in Rajasthan, in Ajmer district, among the Aravalli hills.
• UPSC 2015 paired Pushkar with the Mahadeo Hills. That pair was wrong.
• Pushkar’s special temple is for Brahma, not Vishnu or Shiva.
• The fair is tied to Kartik Purnima.
• All four fairs in the SSC question are held in Rajasthan.
• The 2014 state-animal tag and the 2015 camel law are separate events.

What is the memory hook?

Think “Pushkar: Rajasthan, Aravalli, Brahma, Kartik”. Four words cover most questions.