Child of the Desert
- bey0ndM@gz!ne
- February 12, 2018
- Travel
- 0 Comments
Not only does it attract Indian pilgrims and merchants drawn by a devotion to religion or business, whats fascinating is the gypsy tribe of Rajasthan – The Kalbelias flock this festival since only such fairs and festivals they make most money either entertaining the tourists with their talented dances and snake charming skills or just posing as subjects for all the photographers who have come a long way in search of portraits of these light eyed beauties.
After visiting the pushkar fair 2 years in a row and some personal interaction with these gypsies I learnt a lot about their lives, moving
from place to place, sleeping beneath the stars on the fair ground this tribe has a bad reputation of being thieves. The kids have been taught to be persistent to earn a mere 10 rupees, the talented ones will win your praise by humming the folk songs and the gorgeous little girls act as perfect models, there was never a dull moment while I chatted with these kids, many of them have never been to school since they accompany their parents to the various fairs and festivals around Rajasthan.
An array of mixed emotions as they they looked at you, hesitant to talk yet curious to know about you..
There were little ones dressed as an Indian gods and goddess’es who would be happy to strike a pose and haggled her way
around for 20 rs a picture its a fairly simple trade where a photographer is spotted with a nice fancy camera and before you know it a bunch of children have flocked around him all shouting out “10 rs for one photo” “please take photo”.. 3 Days at the Pushkar fair will bedazzle you with the sounds and colours, you are drawn towards the cultural magnetism but as personal experience I left with a heavy heart just to see how difficult it was to survive for these little kids who were helping their parents earn a livelihood. An array of mixed emotions as they they looked at you, hesitant to talk yet curious to know about you…a faint hope that this could be someone they would get some kind of help from.. and slowly that approach with fear dangling on one side and the lack of confidence.
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I befriended loads of them.. asked them about their lives, their educations, parents what kind of homes they lived in when they weren’t at the fairs and festivals of Rajasthan. I’ve always come home with so many strangers, who now are familiar to me on first name basis, who have always recognised me from a mile away when I went back. Special ones like Suman have touched my heart with the struggles the young girls put up with.
Feeling nothing but blessed when I return from the 3 days of absolute mayhem I now look back at all these memories with nothing but sheer hope to see them again the next year…..
