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Nagaur

from a visit in February, 2000

I visited Naguar because their Cattle Fair is supposed to be Rajasthan's next best livestock festival after the famous Pushkar Camel Festival. But I was disappointed. This was a very small affair.

Skinny yearlings.

Indians do not fatten their cattle before market.

There were also a fair number of camels for sale. Going rate is something like $200, I think. There were also some horses, all too skinny, and people testing them out by racing them over hard roads. But they were the meanest to the cattle they theoretically worship, prodding them constantly and cruelly.

Men bathing in a tank. Some of the people here were the rudest I've met in India. We left quickly.

Large deerlike animals called nilgai.

A few large herds of Blackbuck are left, a bit west of Naguar. The males are more striking, with their long horns.

Village children.

Rural hut.

This woman is braiding a shredded plastic rice bag into rope.

Far from any city, near the Blackbuck, we stayed at the recently renovated Fort Khimsar. It was a very nice hotel, complete with live entertainment for dinner (dancing and a magician), and a fancy DVD movie system. Yoga and a health club were also available. It was very peaceful, until we were woken at 2am by loud drums and music from a village celebration just outside the castle walls that went all night. Figures.