Lagaan-style cricket

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Foreign tourists and villagers played cricket, ‘Lagaan’ style, and tug-of-war as thousands of devotees flocked here to bathe in the Brahma lake during the auspicious Kartik Purnima and to visit the Pushkar fair.

So far 40,000 tourists and pilgrims had arrived in the town that boasts one of the only temples in the world devoted to Lord Brahma as the international Pushkar fair began today.

The ‘Kartik Panchteerth mela’, when devotees take a dip in the Brahmasarovar, is beginning tomorrow and would go on till full moon day on November 5, local priests said after consulting their almanacs.

It is believed that those who take bathe in the Brahma lake during the period and pray to Kartik, the sun god, increase their chances of attaining salvation.

Ajmer District Magistrate Roli Singh said a “mela magistrate” had been deputed to look after arrangements and “we have also deputed divers in four areas of the lake to avoid any mishap”.

She said four to five lakh devotees were expected to bathe in the lake during the fair.

Tug-of-war and cricket between foreign tourists and villagers and ‘mehndi’ (henna tattoo) competitions were already on as part of the Pushkar fair.

The fair has so far attracted 25,000 tourists and 14,000 head of livestock have reached the town. The fair is important for the sale and purchase of livestock, especially camels, besides cattle, goats, horses and even elephants.

According to those participating in the fair, livestock up for sale this year is much more than in previous years.

— PTI

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