The mela, fair drew me back to watch in full colour the explosion of rural India buying for it self. I recall reading in my business school days about the haat and the mandi where rural India -a huge market comes to buy. Like a market place the Pushkar Fair – Camel Fair was energetic, raucous and lively. This was Rajasthan and the colours all around where enough to blow one’s mind, standing sober. It drew me back and what was unique was the eclectic mixture of culture, religion, spirituality, commerce all at one place.

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At one end there were people buying livestock at fantastic prices – $200,000 horses and camels and at the other end there was this huge music and dance festival that seemed to be always on. I think I heard it in passing that it is Kartik Purnima tomorrow the 25th November 2015. It would be a full moon night and there is bound to be a musical soiree someplace for sure?

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Wandering I came upon a troupe performing something interesting and I had seen bits and pieces in other places. It was a sort of a horse dance where the dancers were dressed up as horses. I jumped in wholeheartedly and danced with them and learnt about the Kacchi Ghodi dance. A kaccha in Hindi is a diaper of sorts, a jock strap and a ghodi is a mare. It is essentially where the dancers wear elaborate horse costumes hung around their waists slung across their shoulders.

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I watched them dance away in gay abandon and what can I say and I did see the odd transvestite walking around and who do in Indian culture do occupy a bit of renown and are more than circus sideshow freaks. The dance was unique to this part of the world but I knew I had seen it adapted at several other places and there were other similar performers and gigs across India I recall seeing.

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Before long I knew that it was a photo opportunity that I needed to be a part of and do something with and I got myself a diaper and waltzed straight in.

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It felt energizing, enervating and a whole lot of fun and as if it were like letting go at a new kind of a level. I hadn’t had a drink in like 3 days and nothing stronger than water and I was running on empty here and yet this place created it’s own buzz and you did not need anything more except just the atmosphere!!

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I heard there could be a rock band performing here and I need to find that out like now and wil get back soon if I find them !!

 

 

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