Walking through the confined alleyway which seems to taper on to its end, the faceless old ruined buildings railing along the paths will lead you to Dargah, a shrine of Sufi Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty – tall and huge Dome which stands at the T – point of those narrow streets. The Dargah seems unchanged, since the burial of Sufi Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty in 1256 A.D.

Urs is a six day affair, make your way through narrowed jam packed streets during these days is a challenge.
The sixth day remains the most important because this was the day when the saint left his body to meet the Almighty. The Pir Zadas, Sufi hermits, saints, scholars and white crochet capped priests, all gather here rubbing shoulders with one another.

‘Shijra’ is read by a Khadim – a devotee who dedicated his life to serve the Saint. Six day long Sufis sing their deviational songs, sitting cross leg they clap, twist their fingers and all together generate wonderful music. Their awesome singing easily evoke spiritual trance, inspiring devotees to dance, spin and move with its rhythm. These prays which are straight from the heart twill never go unheard.
On the sixth day, before the concluding ritual ceremony – Qu’l ki Rasam, the devotees gathered at the main gateway of the Shrine and under loud thunder clapping sing praises to Allah. People of different faith are united in celebration of Urs – a celebration which rises our spirits, fosters tolerance and acceptance.

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Labour Forces are the main driving source of economy, therefore maintenance of social guaranties is vital for secure economic stability and growth. Nowadays as people are more politically aware and socially active, the Labour Day is taking on new meanings. Meetings and demonstrations, presentations and public speeches are held on May Day around the world. Demonstrations is a powerful way to express criticism or support for the  government policy in the sphere of labour relations.  Participants using this chance to signify their demands and stretching their message so that it would reach the government. To celebrate the Labour Day is to celebrate historical achievements of labour movement which we enjoy today – eight  hour working day,  decent pay and safe working conditions.

And certainly the traditional dresses and jewellery in this era of suiting and shirting can be somewhat out of fashion, but if you fathom this folklore, you can find such finery at its most elaborate and flamboyant. Every year in the month of Karthik, during the full – moon phase Pushkar celebrates a big assembly of villagers with their animals at the corners of Thar Desert. This also tails another belief of taking a dip in the sacred Pushkar Lake, which is said to have all the purifying effect during a full moon day. And while witnessing this redemptive property of the Pushkar Lake, you can also have a great opportunity to indulge in livestock trading, religious ‘pujas’ (worship), arranging marriages and all kind of jovial stuff.

Women and men wearing kilos of chunky silver jewellery, girls wearing colorful skirts with veil on their head with intricate embroidery and from head to toe they are clad in silver chunks, no makeup but a streak of kajal (khol) in their already big eyes, they are beautiful damsels. Men are all in white kurta and dhoti and breaking this monochromatic theme of white are their colorful turbans of ‘Bandhej’ (tie and dye art of Rajasthan) that simply make them big head and also showcasing their pointed handle bar moustaches.

With one and only Brahma Temple in the entire world, Pushkar is a proud city to be. Lord Brahma, is the supreme god in Hindu mythology, who created this world and to get the full view of this, get up before dawn, when conch-blowing and bell ringing starts at the temples, locate yourself on one of the rooftop looking towards the Pushkar lake. When the first rays of the sun hits the ‘Nag Pahar’ to the east, a burst of color emits as thousands of pilgrims collect to summon Brahma their god, by filling miniature brass pots with the water of the lake and pouring it back into the lake. It’s the unique scene and has changed very little in hundreds and thousands of years and is unlikely to be changed in future.

This trading the livestock affair is also too old, but now revamped by the Rajasthan Tourism department it has now given it more glow and gleam. Held each year during the first half of November, special tents are erected to accommodate thousands of pilgrims and tourists and here you can do all the sightseeing and enjoying all the various competitions held in the fair, like camel ride, cricket match etc.

One thing you cannot miss are the sweets and savories- ‘Malpua’~ they are fried thin pancakes fully immersed in sugar syrup and they are the most graciously delicious sweet I ever had.

Well, Pushkar fair is organized on the brim of Thar Desert, but if you plan to have a spree in the Pushkar city and its market you will come across local people speaking fluent Hebrew, French, German, and of course English, contrary to their local language Hindi. The local goods sold in the cramped streets of the city vary from old silver jewellery, gorgeous paper-mashie stuff, embroidered skirts, pouches, wallets, and they are the best buys for the shopaholics.

The flip side of the city is that doping is common and the hippie culture prevails, which is not so popular here, considering the religious backdrop of the place and has some legal issues too. The local cops can be harsh on such issues, but then every time traveling to any new place comes with a warning.
It is a great fun to join the local Pushkar fair, I have been to Pushkar many time during this auspicious fair and otherwise and will give this place a high-five for the cultural contrast it poses.

Jodhpur performs well by staging the die-hard courage of the hero’s of the land – Rajputs, which mean the sons of royal houses. The vintage is still not out of fashion as being a Rajput in Rajasthan still makes them synonym to courage and bravery. They still hold the good old pride in being a royal blood, though the King and Queens are no more as rulers in India, but enjoy the entire honor given to them from the common man (aam janta). The Marwar is the part of Rajasthan that jive with the heroic saga as the rest of the state and visiting Jodhpur (supposed to be the head office during ancient times) during winter is the best and its better if visited in month of September-October, then you sure can be a part of the two- day Marwar Festival. Visiting Jodhpur can be exhausting in terms of variant of places it offers you to visit.

The humongous fort is an apt place to enjoy the beauty of the city, which tries to replicate the blueness of the sky in itself. And marking the Marwar festival, which is organized in memory of the heroes of Rajasthan, is dedicated to the music and dance of this Marwar region. Bringing to life the legendary folklores of the area, the folk artists do all the justice in it. Hearing to the folk musicians singing praises of the bygone heroes may not be completely understood but the fierce intensity can be strongly felt in these songs. Being an audience to the buoyant and spirited performers of the folk dances can make you go gaga over it. Watching the folk dancers, who accurately balance the earthen pots on their heads and also even dancing to the rhythm of the songs sung by the singers, and also the dancing, while standing on a sword fairly gives the idea about, how the valor rules the land.

The typical Kalbeliya dance has made a mark internationally and you can check it out here in its own land and with the true Indian spirit. Other attractions of the festival, to make it a hit among the tourist clan are horse riding, horse polo and camel tattoo show. Various other competitions are also held during the festival.

The festival is one of the perfect events where it’s a great fun to take a look closely at the rustic rural life of the people and the venue of this live entertainment takes place generally in the Umaid Bhawan Palace, Mandore and Mehrangarh Fort, which are hot places to be visited in the list of a traveler if in Jodhpur. I am sure if you visit Suncity (Jodhpur) it will become a memorable for a life time as it’s has been for me. True spirit of bravery and that’s the true spirit of India.

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And ‘Oh- how-so-true’ it is, when you personally see them, as if these elephants still carry the finesse and poise, but have no air and graces tagged with them. Awesome but true that mammoth creatures were the royal carries during the Rajas and Mogul era in India.
They were the kind of ‘must-haves’ at that time. And why not… this animal had always given the required assistance, be it for the superior society or for the poor masses, be it in the war, horrifyingly participating for the Rajput Kings in the blood shedding going on, or being a part of the royal pageant of the Maharajas, where the Maharaja sat on a gold and silver throne secured on the back of the most liked elephant. Jaipur like a good host to the British Raj had arranged for the elephant rides for the guest of honour up to the Amber palace. Even today, these elephants carry the visitors to Amber Fort on their back.

India is the home to these Asiatic Elephant, they were so very important to the gods and kings here that in present it is worshipped as Lord Ganesha and is also associated with the Buddhism, and Jainism. Its body features truly contrast each other but still work the cohesiveness with its extra-super-big-size and its tiny, pea size cheerless eyes, or its majestic movements and its mild and meek behavior, or its long trailing trunk and the thin undernourished tail.

The time can never be sealed, it has its own course, and thus with the time this Regal Era of India died its own death, leaving behind these humongous animals to cope with their own kind of recession.

Rajasthan Tourism restored the good-old tradition to show off and celebrate the imperial richness of these elephants in the Indian history, simply displaying their enigmatic charm. Just 10 years old it is now a popular event between the tourist as well as the locals (it was devised especially with the tourist in mind). Each year the event is organized on the eve of Holi (this year its on 28/02/2010) venue is always the Chaugan Stadium in Jaipur. From this year, unlike the previous years, the celebration will witness new hues. The modified schedule will have on the spot elephant painting competition. As per the Director of tourism, “This year, five elephants would enter stadium from different entrances with their mahouts carrying a mashaal (torch). They would then congregate at the center to form a chaupar (four lines) and play Holi which would be a prelude to the fireworks.” Also five private bands have been invited which would play archetypal Holi music with drums etc. There would be a matka race for the tourists.

Starts at 4 pm in the evening the Elephants got to be the showstoppers. They walk with this graceful yet submissive attitude that I find it really, really cute. Their thick skin is brightly painted, showing the traditional graphics all over their body -like the tiger hunting scene, stars, lotus etc and its tiny eyes go blink-blink in between the paint-full backdrop…sooper cute!!! Everything from his forehead, to the feet, is decorated, ornamented, and embellished with heavily embroidered velvet throw on its back, the pom-pom, the anklet, you name it and you have it… really…

With all these fashion accessories they parade along with their other fashionable friends like camels, ox, horses, through the circumference of the stadium and then assemble in neat rows, as if this is what they have been doing all the time. Along with them march the folk dancers and performance artists…but you know the elephants steal the show. They greet the visitors, offer garlands to the guests and walk the ramp before a jury of experts and tourists so as to be selected as the best for the ‘Best decorated Elephant’ Shield! Speed has never been in the genes of these elephants, nor is it their acquired ability or attribute and their somber walk has never been a challenge for the polo ponies, and thus, witnessing a game of elephant polo, which is a newly introduced sport, is such a hilarious moment. Fun to watch the enormous pachyderms chasing the speedy football, trying to (in a way) help their mahouts as they also try, hit the ball with their polo stick.

You can laugh out loud on them, but they certainly will have the ball in their court… and the moment comes when you are asked to join hands with the people (more than 10) in the tug-of-war with the largest elephant. Who wins??? Do I need to answer that???? A’int that easy!!!!!

A unique ‘Gaj Shringar exhibition (Elephants Fashion Accessories) is a good thing to watch which exhibits everything connected with the elephant-ornaments, textiles, carriages, paintings, medicines and food.

Along the seam line of the event the program of Dhaph and Gair dance is performed exalting the spirit of Holi. Other folk dance dramas are also put up which is really a splendid treat. Among the dances Peacock Dance is really neat. Huge bunch of peacock feathers is tied at the back of the dancers and they perform the ‘mudras’ (Indian dance moves) beautifully.

Then there is the depiction of the ‘Krishna-Gopi Raslila’, which shows the naughtiness of Lord Krishna with the girls of his village, containing more of art of the Indian classical dance, it is sometime not properly understood. The evening always ends in a colorful note. The splash of dry colours mixes in the ambience of the place. The locals and the visitors and the tourist all play Holi and after some time you cannot spot who is local and who is the visitor. And this playing with colors is while taking an elephant ride ~ full on masti… the Indian way. While the event reaches its climax, you can see people happily applying colours, and happily allowing other to put colours, taking elephant rides, posing to have great pictures with the stars of the evening – The Elephants and a dazzling display of fireworks completing the day leaving unforgettable memories.

But I had this feeling deep down, that these magnificent, enormous beings that celebrated their royalty for a day, will go in the passiveness for a year, no more as the celebrities…I feel let them be celebrities for their life time. Their strength, and their humility give them such a charm. But man cannot kill his supremacy to rule over them, and till then such events are working as breathers.

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The word Banganga means a stream created by shooting an arrow, Ban means an arrow and Ganga is the name of a river in India and is synonymous to all the religious water bodies. The mythology has set up the belief that Arjun, one of the Pandavas, created this rivulet while they were in exile for fourteen years. Arjun was the best of the best in shooting bow and arrow; he was the ace striker and could hit the eyes of a moving fish. Amazingly brilliant!!!
Devotees assemble at the Shri Radha Krishnaji’s temple in the morning hours; they take a bath at the ghats (a flight of steps leading to the water) of the Banganga River with the belief that it has the capability to sanctify the soul. The pilgrims then precede pay homage to the nearby shrines of Hanuman and Ganga Bihari, the Shiva temple and the Math of Goswamiji.
You can attend this fair for its local feel, as otherwise big festivals are hyped and have all the glitters to attract the travelers and tourists. You can just watch the dramatization of the small town religious people their devotion toward the sacred river, their intensity and zeal for soul cleansing. Its different from the usual touristy that we are used to.
The main objective in this fair is to take a dip in the holy water of the Banganga River considering that purifying the soul will wash all their sins away.

But then to be human is not that simple. It’s the enticing world and though the inner self is important the outer self cannot be less than anything, and this holds so true, when the tranquility of the auspicious Godly occasion is confronted with the tinsel, busy bazaar, that is an easy enough reason for anybody to get trapped in it. And so this fair has also gained importance for the traders and merchants, who collect here to sell their goods. And to watch over these local commodities is real fun, and I would say more of an exploration as you come across so many new things that it could just expand your personal dictionary. The rural ornaments are like eye candy, they are big chunks of neckpieces, wristbands, dangling earrings, waistbands, anklets and what not. If you have a knack for fashion and fads, you are sure to pick some authentic Indian stuff from here. This does not end here, it’s the big bazaar and you will find the business deals taking place between local men and women and the shop owners, the bargaining looks like sweet coaxing and cajoling going on and then ends with the universal law that customer is always right!!!! The items sold here range from these rural ornaments to cheap plastic toys for kids and household items for the housewives, clothes and many more.

Indian fairs are kind of not complete without the swings and Giant wheels and merry-go-rounds. You can just imagine a fair scene from a Bollywood movie; it’s the typical replica of the local humdrum of such carnivals.
Other than the charm of the forts and desert landscape of Rajasthan, sometimes the simple local affairs and the high devotional parameters of people here can leave you actually enjoying the not so popular events too.

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It has showcased the best of Indian language and English work of the writers. 2010 witnessed Nobel laureates, like winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize, five winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, and two Booker Prize winners.

World-renowned writers of history, biography, literary criticism, travel, and also the stars of the world of fiction and the novel posed their great craftsmanship during this event. Writers include Hanif Kureishi, Niall Ferguson, Louis De Bernieres, Roberto Calasso, Amit Chaudhuri, Geoff Dyer, Vikram Chandra, Tina Brown, Claire Tomalin, Michael Frayn, Mahasweta Devi, Shobhaa De, Indira Goswami, Krishna Sobti, Krishna Baldev Vaid, Steve Coll, Stephen Frears, Pavan Varma, Lawrence Wright, Christophe Jaffrelot, Ashi Dorji, Wangmo Wangchuk, and Alexander McCall Smith.

The USP for this year include readings from Girish Karnad’s Tughlaq by acclaimed actor Om Puri, performances by Titi Robin, Cheb I Sabbah, Susheela Raman, Djaima, Rajasthan Roots and Paban Das Baul, and readings and performances from William Dalrymple’s Nine Lives.
The awesomeness of the whole show put up, was too mesmerizing. The whole aura that surrounded the campus was so very intellectual and oh- so – brilliant. The stupendous reading of the books- be it English or any other Indian language brought the amalgamation of various cultures and thoughts.

Past years have featured Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai, Suketu Mehta, Shashi Despande, and William Dalrymple. Ian McEwan, Donna Tartt, John Berendt, Paul Zacharia, Indra Sinha, Uday Prakash, Christopher Hampton, Manil Suri had marked there presence in 2008. The 2009 festival had list of authors who showed their presence at what is now seen to be Asia’s foremost literary event includes Vikram Seth, Pico Iyer, Rana Dasgupta and many more.

And when great music is stringed to such a great event, the Literati become Glitterati!!! The music was the greatest hit among people. To my likeness I loved The Sufi Qawalls from Sindh, Pakistan : Shah Jo Raag. They had such simplicity in them that it culminated in a divinity of their persona. The Sitar they played with one hand and another hand created music by beating the base of the Sitar brought a feeling of organic unity. It was enthralling and captivating, the boldness, the shrillness of their voices, as they sang- narrated the story of a girl who was taken up by Allah from the middle of the desert because she was the most pious one. The beauty of a song cannot be seen but can be heard and still can be all fresh in our minds.

The Sufi Qawalls from Sindh, Pakistan : Shah Jo Raag

The Jaipur Kawa Brass Band, the Rajasthani Folk Musicians offered the authentic Rajasthani music. They actually portrayed the heart of Rajasthan in their music. And then we had Rajasthan Roots- Contemporary Rajasthani Music, which blew our minds. Bringing the Rajasthan folktale and the Guitar and Drums together enticed us completely.

They also had Djaima – (France) Percussion and Gulabo – who with her Dance performance got everybody notice their dancing worms in them. She just was there, made such a solid presence that you have to be looking her. You know she makes it compulsory for you to watch her, and watching her is such a treat to the eyes.

They had Samantha Marais (UK), then William Dalrymple’s (Nine lives Production) starring Baul Sammelan Paban Das Baul, Mimlu Sen, accompanied by Debdas & Kanai Das Baul who sang (amidst the reading of prose) in Bengali language. Their voice was so loud and bold that they did not need microphones, still melodious. The song was just so very earthy.

We missed Sara Michieletto & Sharat Shrivastava ( Italian)- Classical Violinist as we arrived late to the venue. It was saddening as it was the first on our itinerary, but missed it.
But then Amit Chaudhuri (India)- sang Ragas to the various blues, jazz, rock, and even techno songs.
Popular Music & Fusion Mrigya (India)- brought the Sufism and Indian Classical Music played with its base Guitars, Drums, Tabla and Violin, to the stage. It was such a fun to be listening them. We had our foot taping, our hands clapping and our minds transcending.

Music & Fusion Mrigya (India)- The Sufi music sung with a Guitar.

I still have the hangover and for sure I don’t want to come out of it, till the time my senses witness such a treat again. That’s again another facet of my India. True Spirit of India, I must say!!

The actual journey began once we reached our destination. To be honest I was claustrophobic. There were men, women, children and again men, and women…. No end. And our team of people was another addition. If I had to do a head count I would have failed miserably. The smell in the air was full of dust and ashes. Yes, the sadhu’s cover them fully with the ash dust. The ‘Bhagwa Vastra’(saffron coloured wrap) is what all the sadhu’s wear which separate them from the other people. But then there are other sets of sadhu’s who prefer not to wear anything, (referred as ‘Naga Sadhu’) and still manage to dwell in the extreme cold of North India.

We checked in our hotel, which disappointed me a bit. With so many people how can you expect luxury? We had to settle down in a hotel below average, it did not even had a facility of hot water!! Amazing!! I was in no mood to even look at the icy water. Sitting on the hard mattress, I was thinking about bungee jumping or something that thrilled me.
But, hey wait… what if I took a bath with this ice-cold water. Is this not an adventure in itself? Sure it is!!!! And, there you go… I don’t have to typecast adventure. It’s right here. Fortunately, the country I dwell in have adventure at every step… be it’s a celebration or fest/fair like these.
I was following my cousin and his team as they went in different directions to shoot the best pictures. I was gaping at the face of every sadhu near me, like a child who is trying to search for someone he knows in an unknown place. Really, I did not connect with any of them. But, still I had a feeling to stay there for some more time.
The main tradition is to take bath in the river Ganga. Seeing these Sadhus going and immersing them in the chilled water made me go weak in my knees, made my nerves endings go numb (though the dirty ghats will never impress me). Well, now it was becoming a lot easier to relate it to an Adventure. These Sadhus have some strength that they could survive any condition.

The best part is that there were these serious seminars, conferences, and debates held by different Sadhu Sangathan (big sadhu groups) To my delight these Sadhu’s were eating once a day- mostly dinner. Govt. of India provides tents, water, and electricity for the devotees and Sadhus.
My friends started interacting with a group of Sadhus and they told us the historical tale of Kumbh Mela. The Kumbh Mela dates back many centuries in Ancient India to the Vedic period, where the river festivals first started getting organized. In Hindu mythology, its origin is found in one of the popular creation myths and the Hindu theories on evolution, the Samudra manthan episode (Churning of the ocean of milk), which finds mention in many Vedas.
The Gods lost their strength, and to get it back, they thought of churning the ocean of milk for amrit (the nectar of immortality), which required them to make a temporary agreement with the demons, to work together and promise of sharing the nectar equally. However, when the Kumbha (pot) containing the amrita appeared, a fight ensued. For twelve days and twelve nights (equivalent to twelve human years) the Gods and demons fought in the sky for the pot of amrita. It is believed that during the battle, Lord Vishnu flew away with the Pot of elixir, and that is when drops of amrita fell at four places on earth: Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik, and that is where the Kumbh Mela is observed every twelve years.
An outbreak of cholera occurred at the 1892 Mela at Haridwar, which lead to the rapid improvement of arrangements by the authorities and the formation of Haridwar Improvement Society, and in 1903 about 400,000 people attended the fair. During the 1954 Kumbh Mela stampede at Allahabad, around 500 people were killed, and scores were injured.
Ten million people gathered at Haridwar for the Kumbh on April 14, 1998.In 2001, around 1 million people from outside of India and from around the world participated in the ‘Maha Kumbh Mela’ at Allahabad, with a total participation of approximately 60 million. The dates for this mela were special due to the planetary positions that repeat only once in 144 years. In 2007, over 60 million people attended the holy gathering.

The history mesmerized me. So many people gather here only because the Vedas describe that these places had a drop of amrit on it’s soil. Stampede or any disease has not stopped them from coming here. That’s devotion!!!
It was a day schedule, as we had to drive back the next morning. Frankly, Kumbh may have its spiritual aspect, its own set of devotion, but I realized that you could find adventure or thrill in almost anything. Dipping in ice cold water in the middle of severe winters, living with acceptance with so many people for almost 4 months, spending the cold nip night singing bhajans and maintaining the spirit of coming back again to this severity even when history marks it’s brutality of killing so many.

I am not sure if I would like to taste this adventure again but for sure that is the Spirit of India!!!

Where: Minskoff Theater at 200 W. 45th St. New York

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