Bayard continues…
Following on from Bayard’s previous account of India, Mel and Bayard continued on to experience the amazing Naguar Fair.
“We rode across an area called the Thar Desert located near India’s border with Pakistan. Some parts can be irrigated from deep wells or from canals bringing in water from far off and there are naturally watered oases here and there, but most farming depends on a very uncertain monsoon which can bring bounty one year and then famine the next. We were amazed at the ability of the local people to survive in these conditions. Not only did they survive, but they greeted us with broad smiles and warm welcomes. Decidedly, a happiness quotient cannot be measured in terms of per capita income. Almost all these people lived far below America’s official poverty level, but I will wager that many of them were happier in their lives than lots of American millionaires.
The final destination of the ride was the Nagaur Fair where something like 30,000 camels are assembled for sale. Comparison shopping and haggling go on for over a week. The camels come in on their own four legs from several hundred miles around and the journey to the fair may take a week or even more. There are horses and oxen for sale as well and there is a line of stalls where all manner of things from spices to camel saddles can be found. There were virtually no other tourists at this fair which was one of the intriguing things about it. We were able to ride up and down through the lines of camels restrained by ropes tied to their noses. Like in this photo, many of the animals had been carefully clipped, groomed and decorated with eye makeup like debutantes. It is difficult to imagine anything more exotic.”
Bayard