PUSHKAR MELA &THAR-DESERT
PHOTO-EXPEDITION
Rajasthan - India, 20th to 29th of November 2020
Pushkar is calling! Experience the world famous camel fair and travel back to the glorious age of the Rajputs.
Noble palaces, abandoned forts, desert festivals, camel herds, royal horses, Pushkar and the blue city of Jodhpur is on our expedition-list!
But we will also get to know the hard life of the nomads - we will participate in their everyday life, experience the silence of the desert and sleep under the stars.
Experience how the mystical evening light of the desert sun illuminates the dunes and its inhabitants in vibrant orange light!
Period
Location
Term
Participants
Price
20th to 29th of Nov. 2020
Pushkar, Jaipur & Jodhpur, Rajasthan -India
10 Days
6 people
5/6 seats left
€2500 per Person
THE EXPEDITION
The and many other small Camel-Fairs take place in the triangle between Jaipur, Jodhpur and Pushkar.
Every year during the winter months, nomadic tribes from all over the region meet to sell their animals, and take part in competitions. All kinds of ceremonies and competitions, take place in the yellow desert sands, of the arenas.
Jaipur - The Pink City.
Our journey begins in Jaipur, the legendary pink sandstone city of India.
The huge terracotta gates and palaces are unique in Rajasthan and testify to the ancient rulers of the 18th century. The architecture provides the perfect backdrop for exciting shots of everyday Rajasthani life.
The Desert-Fairs.
We spend the night in a historic Haveli and set off the next day to the remote desert town Pushkar.
Every year the nomads of the desert meet in Pushkar to exchange camels and horses, to exchange the latest stories and to take part in competitions.
Pushkar Mela - Famous cattle fair
The Pushkar Mela offer the ambitious photographer a beautiful backdrop for authentic pictures of Indian culture. On and around the festival grounds you can observe all kinds of colourful Indian life. The golden-orange light of the desert sun gives the whole landscape a magical expression every evening that is second to none.
Jodhpur - The Blue City.
A confusing labyrinth of blue alleys, gates, bridges and palaces is waiting to be explored by us in the ancient parts of Jodhpur.
An experienced guide at our side will show us the best places. We will use the blue walls of the city for brilliant, colourful photos. Not only the deep indigo coloured Jodhpur makes every photographer smile, but also the amazingly multicoloured and fancy costumes of the Jodhpuris.
Young "Kalbeliya Tribe" boy
Portrait of a young Kalbeliya-Boy. Picture by Runa Lindberg.Two "Rajputs" in the city of Jodhpur
Portrait of two "Rajputs" in Jodhpur - Picture by Runa LindbergYoung "Bishnoi-Tribe" woman
Portrait of a "Bishnoi-Tribe"-Woman. Picture by Runa LindbergThe Desert-Tribes.
After the splendour and the colourful abundance of Jodhpur we drive back to the desert for to get to know the people of the Bishnoi-Tribe
For more than 500 years the Bishnois have been living in the Thar Desert in harmony with nature.
Where these people live, the desert is green and the wild animals are trusting.
A magical aura surrounds these people, who are so friendly and caring for nature and its beings.
Many stories entwine around these people, who are regarded as environmentalists.
In India the legend of the Amrita Devi is proudly told.
When the Maharajah of Jodhpur (in 1730) wanted to cut down trees for his palace, the Bishnoi woman "Amrita Devi" stood in the soldiers' way.
But the soldiers cut her head off when she wanted to protect the tree.
A total of 363 Bishnoi did it after her and were also killed, it is said, when they wanted to prevent the felling of the trees.
When the Maharajah learned of the tragedy, he gave up his plan, the trees were saved, even if a high price had to be paid for it. They are still regarded today as martyrs of nature and great role models in the protection of the environment.
We will be able to accompany the Bishnoi in their daily ceremonies and reeds and take beautiful photographs of the traditional life in the desert.
Marwari - Horses, famous companions of the Hindu-Warriors.
A very special highlight awaits us on the 7th. day.
We will spend the day in the desert with the Marwari horses.
These horses are famous companions of the Hindu warrior caste, we will photograph the best of them in their natural habitat - the dunes of the Thar Desert.
After our desert horse photo-shooting, we will return to the Pink City of Jaipur.
The next day, we visit the famous flower market in the pink city of Jaipur.
Afterwards, we photograph the vibrant life, around the traditional places of the city. We visit "Hawa Mahal" the palace of the winds, "Jal Mahal" - the water palace and the pink "Amber Palace" (Pink-Fort).
Also a visit of the small, remote village Amer with its historical step-well , the Panna Meena ka kund" on the program.
Post-Processing.
On the last day, the focus will be on image processing.
We will select the best pictures of our tour, discuss the composition and the lightset. All questions about photo processing techniques will be answered and we will deepen our knowledge in image processing.
The focus is on working with the software Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and Viveza.
Polomatsch and Dinner at the Polo Club.
The common dinner in the Polo-Club of our hosts is the end of our journey.
While we enjoy the traditional homemade dishes, a Polomatch is organized for us privately. Anyone with riding experience can try to play polo after the game.
Well trained horses are at your disposal.
Rabari tribesman at Pushkar-Fair
Portrait of a Rabari tribesman at Pushkar-Fair. Picture by Runa LindbergMarwari-Horse. Ancient horse breed
Marwari Horse - Rajasthan. Picture by Runa LindbergCamel header of the Rabari Tribe.
Camel header of the Rabari Tribe. Picture by Runa LindbergBACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Area
The Thar Desert covers a vast area that stretches from several states in India to Pakistan.
We will travel together in the triangle between Jaipur, Jodhpur and Pushkar
This region is best known for its exceptional architecture and the unique and colourful clothing, of the various desert tribes.
But also the cities themselves are something very special.
Jaipur, the pink city consists in large parts of pink sandstone, wide magnificent buildings and huge, beautifully decorated archways adorn the cityscape.
Jodhpur, the blue city is bathed in a unique blue. Azure blue, indigo, water blue, every colour shade is represented in the old parts of the city. A blue labyrinth of colored walls, gates, balconies and stairs, offers an optimal scenery to take unique photographs.
Jhalrapatan is famous for its large number of finely engraved temples. The historic buildings, are made of light coloured sandstone, and offer a beautiful view with their many arches and windows.
Panna-Meena ka kund - Amer
Panna Meena ka kund - Aber, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Picture of the ancient Stepp-Well by Photographer Runa LindbergBlue-Houses of Jodhpur
Blue Houses of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. Picture by Photographer Runa LindbergHawa-Mahal - Jaipur
Hawa-Mahal, the wind palace of Jaipur (Pink City), Rajasthan, India. Picture by Photographer Runa LindbergYOUR NEXT STEPS
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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
OVERVIEW
Thar Desert
The Thar Desert has a very special terrain and is one of the largest deserts in the world. This sandy area stretches over West India and parts of Pakistan and covers an area of 2,0,000 square kilometers.
A tour of the Thar is a good choice for travellers who want to understand the local flora and fauna of the country and experience the customs and rites of the many desert tribes.
The sandy steppe landscape of the Thar offers a home to many different indigenous peoples.
Bishnoi, kalbelia, Raberi to name just a few of the tribes. These tribes live in harmony with the nature of the desert. Over the centuries they have developed their very own reeds and traditions, which are not only reflected in their unique and colourful costume style but also in their way of life. During our photo expedition we will have an insight into the traditional way of life of the inhabitants of the desert and be able to create beautiful, mystical pictures.
We will be enchanted by the impressive architecture of the palaces, temples and havelies of Pushkar, Jaipur, Jodpur and the winding streets of the old towns.
A special focus is on experiencing and photographing the Rajastian culture, we experience the famous camel fairs of Pushkar (Pushkar Mela), equestrian games in the yellow desert sand, art and Hindu ceremonies.
The golden desert of Thar is waiting to be discovered by us.
GET INSPIRED
Would you like to see more impressions of the Thar Desert and its inhabitants?
Have a look at my photo albums "Jodhpur - City of Blues", "Tales from Dusty Desert Trails" and "Extraordinary Tales of Horses & Humans".