Camels form a familiar part of the scenery in India's desert State of Rajasthan, where they are widely used as a form of transport. They can often be seen pulling heavy carts loaded with grain and other produce through the grotty cities, and are a vital part of many small villages.

You can pick yourself up a decent camel for around $500 and one of the best places to make your selection is at the annual camel fair, held in Pushkar during the Hindu lunar month of Kartika (which usually falls sometime in November). 

The population of Pushkar is usually a relatively tiny 13 000 people, however this swells to over 200 000 people and 50 000 camels during the fair, when the camels and their owners arrive from all directions and take up residence in makeshift tents in the neighbouring desert, along with the many visiting families who camp out in the open at the edge of the town.  

Pushkar is an idyllic town in the middle of Rajasthan, full of whitewashed buildings, and surrounded by hills on three sides and sand dunes on the other. The main feature of Pushkar is its lake, which according to Hindu legend was created from a lotus flower dropped by Lord Brahma, the Creator, when looking for a place to perform a holy ritual on a full moon night. Pilgrims who bathe in the lake's waters believe they will be absolved of their sins, and the four days between Kartika Shukla Ekadashi (the eleventh day of Kartika) and Kartika Purnima (the Kartika full moon) are viewed as being the most auspicious, with those who bathe on the day of the full moon said to receive special blessings. Most of the camel action takes place over the 5 days leading up to the official start of the camel fair on Kartika Shukla Ekadashi, after which time the focus shifts to heightened religious celebrations.

I arrived in Pushkar on a heaving, dilapidated local bus from Ajmer - 11 kilometres away through the hills - and was immediately assailed by an eager wallah who loaded my luggage on to a hand drawn cart, which he proceeded to pull through a maze of winding dusty streets to my hotel. 

The streets were lined with mobile chai (tea) vendors, and hawkers selling everything from clothes and jewellery to decorative items and handicrafts. All around me was a dazzling display of brightly coloured turbans, scarves and sarees worn by the Indian people for the festive occasion, which I couldn't help but be mesmerised by.

The scene of the camel fair was just as amazing. The sand dunes appeared infested with camels as far as the eyes could see. These camels were dressed up, paraded, entered into beauty contests, raced and of course traded. Along with these peculiar and amusing activities, the crowds were entertained well into the evening by an array of musicians, magicians, dancers, acrobats, snake charmers and carousel rides. I cautiously approached a group of Indians crowded together in a circle, and suddenly found myself pulled right into the middle of the fanfare and twirled around by a gypsy dancer as the rest of the Indians clapped, chanted and played merry melodies on their instruments.

The Pushkar camel fair is indeed an experience of a lifetime - one that provides a fascinating insight into the Indian culture and way of life, and leaves a deep imprint in your memory. I returned back to my hotel room feeling quite overwhelmed by what I had seen and experienced, but also strangely uplifted. As I lay on my bed, in the distance I could faintly hear chanting and the ringing of bells that accompanied the sacred cleansing ceremonies, and knew that I was in the midst of something very special.