Rajasthan's iconic Pushkar fair scrapped amid coronavirus pandemic
The world-renowned Pushkar fair in Rajasthan has been canceled this year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The nine-day event, where thousands of camels and horses are traded, is a major pull for tourists as it offers a peek into the rural charm of Rajasthan. The event was scheduled to start on November 22 this year. Here are more details.
Government's COVID-19 advisory limits number of people at events
Speaking to ANI, Ajmer District Collector Prakash Rajpurohit said, "Pushkar Fair will not be held this year under COVID-19 guidelines. The government will not conduct any program at the fair." Earlier, a senior Tourism Department official had indicated that the fair wouldn't take place due to a government advisory which imposes a maximum limit of 100 people at any event in the state.
'Limiting number of people would be challenging'
The official had told IANS on the condition of anonymity, "The advisory limits the gathering of people to 100 in any event being organized in the state." They said, "There will be a challenge to limit the number of people coming in from different villages if the fair is organized and hence it is difficult to give the go-ahead to the event."
Pushkar fair a source of business, tourism
The cancellation of the fair is set to impact the rural economy as the event is usually a significant source of business for many locals. Apart from livestock trade, the fair also witnesses traditional games and competitions. Thousands of tourists who throng to catch the nine-day event also benefit the tourism industry. This year, however, tourism and the rural economy shall suffer.
Over 2.15 lakh contracted COVID-19 in Rajasthan, 2,008 dead
Till Tuesday, Rajasthan reported a total of 2,15,071 COVID-19 cases after witnessing a single-day spike of 1,902 infections. The death toll in the state is 2,008 while the recovery rate is 91.2%. Across India, 86,36,011 confirmed cases were reported till Wednesday morning, with 44,281 new cases in the past 24 hours. The total cases include 1,27,571 deaths, 4,94,657 active cases, and 80,13,783 recoveries.
