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Bird’s-eye View at Pushkar Fair

In September 2012 a friend of mine called to say that he was organising a photography tour at Pushkar Fair in Rajasthan. Pushkar Fair is the largest camel fair in the world. It has close to 100,000 camels and 5,000 horses for sale—truly the largest collection of camels and horses in one location!

I am neither a photographer nor a camel lover. So what made me sign up? I was not really sure, but since some of my childhood friends were going, I thought I would go along too.
We flew into Delhi and then drove to Pushkar. A tiny, dusty town awaited us. We checked into a small but clean hotel and then walked around the neighbourhood. That day, I realised I was the only person in the group who did not have a high-end Nikon or Canon camera with multiple detachable lenses. All I had was an iPhone which doubled as my camera. The master photographers in the group kept asking me where my camera was, but I would just pull out my phone because for me photographs were meant to capture memories and moments, so this phone was all I needed.

The next morning, we were ready at 5:30 am to catch the early morning light. We walked to the fairgrounds and were greeted by an incredible sight—more than 50,000 camels and 3,000 horses in one massive, dusty area. Locals were busy trying to buy and sell the animals. In utter amazement, we tried to grasp the nuances of the process. Apparently, the locals check the camel’s teeth to find out about its health. In the early morning sun, the scene before us was surreal.
We saw beautifully attired women selling their wares, local children with dazzling smiles asking for handouts, and of course all the camels and horses—the whole fair was mesmerising. It was a cold, wintry morning—all of us dressed in warm clothes—and we walked through a sea of camels.
More than a million tourists visit Pushkar during this one week for the fair. Tourists were there from nations across the world, with their 1.5-feet–long camera lenses, navigating through the maze of camels, trying to get the perfect shot.

We hung around the fair for a couple of hours, had tea at one of the little tea tents, and got bites to eat. Once the sun got too sharp, we made our way back to our rooms, had lunch and a little siesta, and then when it was close to sunset, we ventured out again.
This time, we went to the ghats near the temple, where people were taking a dip in the sacred waters—a beautiful sight illuminated by thousands of little lamps. We strolled through streets with shops selling trinkets. All the while I asked myself why I was there. After a long day, we trooped back to our hotel, dusty and tired, but in a strange way, very happy.

On day two, we rose even earlier, and walked in the dark to reach the fairgrounds before the first rays of the sun hit the ground. While my friends were busy trying to get the perfect shot of the camels, local chieftain, and local women, I walked around and took in the kaleidoscope of colours and expressions. As I wandered about, I wondered why I had agreed to go on a photography tour at a camel fair. Then I noticed hot air balloons floating magically above us.

On day three, we decided to sign up for a ride on a hot air balloon. I am fairly scared of heights, but everyone had signed up, so I decided to go along. As the hot air balloon started to lift off, I wondered again what I was doing. But then, in the early morning light, as the balloon gained height, everything changed. I started to see the world below quite differently. The sun peeped out from the distant east, the many camels and their masters slowly got up and about, and the horses stood majestically. The dusty world below us seemed mystical. I realised that I could see the world below better from a bird’s-eye view. It was no longer just crowded and dusty; it had a whole new meaning. The fairgrounds looked like something out of a fairy tale—far away and ethereal.
In that instant, it dawned on me that I needed to look at my life with a broader lens before taking decisions. And then, I knew why I had come to Pushkar Fair. I really needed this—I had to stop and look at things from a bird’s-eye view. I had to figure out where my architectural design practice was going and, more importantly, where my life was headed. Once I got back from Pushkar, I got to work and within three years, I closed my design practice and set off to follow my passions. In a way, my trekking, life coaching, and wellness work all took shape during that hot air balloon ride.
Take a few detours, go on a journey without a clear mission, and look at the world and your life from a new perspective. If it feels like you are wandering around aimlessly, that’s okay. Stop, take a deep breath, and consider your circumstances from a bird’s-eye view. If you are stuck in a rut, go on a journey and view your life from a distance. You may come back recharged and reignited. What’s stopping you? Look at your journey to leadership from a bird’s-eye view!