Pushkar

Pushkar (पुष्कर) in Rajasthan is one of the oldest cities of India. The date of its actual origin is not known, but legend associates Lord Brahma with its creation. It is mentioned that Brahma performed penance here for 60,000 years to have glimpse of Radha Krishna. Pushkar boasts of temples, though not many can be considered very old since many were destroyed by Aurangzeb, a Mogul ruler and subsequently rebuilt. The most famous among all is the Brahma Temple, said to be the only temple in the world dedicated to this deity. Pushkar is famous for its annual Pushkar Cattle Fair, which has over the years become one of the biggest tourist attractions in India. This is usually the quintessential colourful Indian festival which you see in all the Incredible !ndia ads. However, this year was not as joyous for the traders. The global recession combined with the drought hit hard and there were hardly any buyers. The individual stories are sad - with most traders having to leave their cows, camels and horses behind because they can't afford to feed their families, let alone the animals. Yet, the resilience of the people was touching to see - with hope for the future and welcoming to those from the outside.