It’s early morning in Pushkar. The city is at the edge of the Thar desert in India. Two men lead a dozen camels. They stir up a golden cloud of sand.

The camels had been grazing in the foothills of the Aravalli mountain range. Their handlers spent the night in the open before reaching the market. Some herders walked with their animals for two or more weeks to get here.

Before the day gets too hot, buyers will bargain for the best camel deals. 

Many camels wear necklaces made with a string of small round bells. Brightly colored plastic flowers decorate their snouts and heads. There are all kinds of camels at the fair. Tall. Short. Big-humped. Little-humped. 

Barbers roam the area. They trim the animals’ hair to make them look more attractive to buyers.

Camels were once the desert’s only form of transportation. In the ancient world (especially in desert areas), these animals were as important as a car is these days. In the book of Genesis, camels are mentioned more than 20 times! Paved roads and vehicles have mostly replaced camels today. But people still use the dromedaries in hard-to-reach places. 

Some farmers use the animals to haul fresh vegetables to townsfolk. Herders include camel milk in recipes. They make blankets with camel hair. 

People trade fewer camels now. So the state government turned the fair into a big tourist attraction. On the large sandy plain where the fair is held, workers install large Ferris wheels. Dozens of stalls sell local handicrafts. Men with impressive moustaches compete for a prize. Tourists take selfies with them.

Children wear traditional costumes and play stringed instruments. Others carry water vessels on their heads. 

Thousands of tourists come from around the world. They enjoy camel rides or watch games of cricket. (Cricket is a sport that’s a bit like baseball. It’s popular in England and India.) 

Camels might be going out of style. But the fair reminds visitors of the role the beasts played in India’s long history.