Tuesday, 4 November 2014
Pati and BeeBee did the usual 7 am rise and breakfast and then set out walking toward the fairgrounds. Just before the main road, they caught a tuk-tuk to the stadium.
Arriving just before 10 am for the 11 am event, they found one empty plastic chair for BeeBee. With Pati sitting on the step beside her, they settled in to wait the hour for the events they came to see: the turban-tying contest and the mustache contest. Today they tried a different tactic: instead of sitting on the very top step, which should have the best view (but gets blocked), they sat on the step just behind the judges' table. That was not a good place to be either, as photographers and other "officials" crowded in, blocking the view again during the show. However, the three most serious mustache contenders arrived early and sat just feet away from Pati and BeeBee, so they had an excellent view of the men and their mustaches before the competition. They appeared to be great friends, probably competing against each other year after year. They were dressed in ornately-decorated white clothing, with colorful turbans. A fourth contender appeared a little later and sat beside BeeBee on the step (she had lost her chair by then to the "officials"); although he was more shabbily dressed, he had a respectable mustache. The turban-tying contest consisted of 8 foreign couples, with the female tying a turban on the male. The two turban-tying contests appeared to be for style (first) and then speed. The 3 place-winning males received plaques (the females, who did the work, received nothing). This event was announced in English and Rajasthani. The main event for mustache length had 9 contestants. To prove length, they had to unwind the mustache. The one foreign contestant had the smallest, a handlebar mustache (no unwinding necessary). The rest ranged from handlebar, to several that were 3 or 4 feet long, to the obvious winner at possibly 12 feet long. This event was announced in Rajasthani only. The prize was 550 rupees (around $9 USD).
Pati and BeeBee then shopped a bit for souvenirs, since this is their last full day in Pushkar. They had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and took pictures of themselves with Mango, who is the head waiter there. They spent a few minutes looking at the Lake, fending off the marigold-pushing priests looking for large "donations," and headed back to the B&B, catching a tuk-tuk just before leaving the main road.
After a few hours of internetting and tea at the B&B, they headed back to the market for a last visit. They had pasta at Hard Rock Cafe for dinner, and Mango made a special farewell cake for them. Unlike all previous trips to or from the market or fair, not one tuk-tuk offered to sell them a ride (at inflated prices for the fair), so they were able to walk off some of the rich food they had eaten. Also unusual, no one offered to shine their shoes, which they had been putting off until the last day when they were through walking in sand.
And so Pati and BeeBee will leave Pushkar tomorrow, but the fair will continue, mostly for religious pilgrims rather than camels.
Footnote. According to CNN, J. C. Chounan was the winner of the longest moustache contest with a combined length of 11 feet. This moustache took 18 years to grow.
Pati and BeeBee did the usual 7 am rise and breakfast and then set out walking toward the fairgrounds. Just before the main road, they caught a tuk-tuk to the stadium.
Arriving just before 10 am for the 11 am event, they found one empty plastic chair for BeeBee. With Pati sitting on the step beside her, they settled in to wait the hour for the events they came to see: the turban-tying contest and the mustache contest. Today they tried a different tactic: instead of sitting on the very top step, which should have the best view (but gets blocked), they sat on the step just behind the judges' table. That was not a good place to be either, as photographers and other "officials" crowded in, blocking the view again during the show. However, the three most serious mustache contenders arrived early and sat just feet away from Pati and BeeBee, so they had an excellent view of the men and their mustaches before the competition. They appeared to be great friends, probably competing against each other year after year. They were dressed in ornately-decorated white clothing, with colorful turbans. A fourth contender appeared a little later and sat beside BeeBee on the step (she had lost her chair by then to the "officials"); although he was more shabbily dressed, he had a respectable mustache. The turban-tying contest consisted of 8 foreign couples, with the female tying a turban on the male. The two turban-tying contests appeared to be for style (first) and then speed. The 3 place-winning males received plaques (the females, who did the work, received nothing). This event was announced in English and Rajasthani. The main event for mustache length had 9 contestants. To prove length, they had to unwind the mustache. The one foreign contestant had the smallest, a handlebar mustache (no unwinding necessary). The rest ranged from handlebar, to several that were 3 or 4 feet long, to the obvious winner at possibly 12 feet long. This event was announced in Rajasthani only. The prize was 550 rupees (around $9 USD).
Pati and BeeBee then shopped a bit for souvenirs, since this is their last full day in Pushkar. They had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and took pictures of themselves with Mango, who is the head waiter there. They spent a few minutes looking at the Lake, fending off the marigold-pushing priests looking for large "donations," and headed back to the B&B, catching a tuk-tuk just before leaving the main road.
After a few hours of internetting and tea at the B&B, they headed back to the market for a last visit. They had pasta at Hard Rock Cafe for dinner, and Mango made a special farewell cake for them. Unlike all previous trips to or from the market or fair, not one tuk-tuk offered to sell them a ride (at inflated prices for the fair), so they were able to walk off some of the rich food they had eaten. Also unusual, no one offered to shine their shoes, which they had been putting off until the last day when they were through walking in sand.
And so Pati and BeeBee will leave Pushkar tomorrow, but the fair will continue, mostly for religious pilgrims rather than camels.
Footnote. According to CNN, J. C. Chounan was the winner of the longest moustache contest with a combined length of 11 feet. This moustache took 18 years to grow.
Twelve (12) foot mustache... ( WoW )
ReplyDeleteFootnote comment: 11 feet 6 inches (6 inches longer than the moustache is the wheelbase (138") of Big Bro's van. The van is only 15 yrs old.
ReplyDelete