A camel fair in India's desert town of Pushkar draws traders and tourists, in photos

PUSHKAR, India (AP) — India's desert town of Pushkar, nestled in the arid plains of Rajasthan, has transformed into a vibrant festival ground as hundreds of camels, draped in tassels, colorful beads and flower garlands, are paraded and sold to the highest bidder.

For centuries, the annual Pushkar Camel Fair has been a vital event for India's camel-breeding communities, many of whom live a nomadic desert life and travel hundreds of kilometers from remote villages to trade their livestock. Potential buyers, traders and tourists from across India and abroad arrive at the fair, which is one of the world’s largest gatherings for camel trading.

Alongside camels, horses, cattle and goats are also bought and sold.

The air buzzes with excitement as traders in bright turbans lead their camels in beauty contests, showing off the best-groomed animals amid the rhythmic beats of folk drums and traditional dance performances. Bustling makeshift markets spring up overnight, offering handicrafts, jewelry, textiles and spices.

But in recent years, the number of camels brought to the fair has fallen sharply.

Younger generations from herding families are moving to cities or seeking new livelihoods, while Rajasthan’s camel population continues to decline as cars replace the animals’ traditional roles in farming and transport in villages. The camel population has further dwindled due to shrinking grazing lands.

“This culture is slowly fading away,” said Narendra Rabari, a camel trader.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

The sun rises over the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Camel herders feed their camels at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Camel herders react to the camera as they arrive at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Camel herders chat as they stand near their animals at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Women shop at a market near the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Indian tourists pose for a photograph while sitting on a decorated camel cart at the annual Pushkar cattle fair, in the western state of Rajasthan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Tourists dance with locals during the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Camels are silhouetted against the rising sun at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A camel herder poses for a photograph at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A camel herder walks with his camels at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A woman holds her child as she talks on a phone at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A woman prepares food at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A camel herder attends the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Camel herders rest near their animals at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A camel herder sits near cattle at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A camel herder feeds his camels at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Camels bought at the annual Pushkar cattle fair are loaded onto trucks for transportation in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Narma Ram, a camel herder, walks towards his temporary tent as it drizzle at the annual Pushkar cattle fair, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Camel herders walk with their camels at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Decorated camels at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Camel herders control a camel at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A camel herder sits near cattle at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Camel herders stand by their cattle at the annual cattle fair in Pushkar, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

DALLAS (AP) — Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton will compete in a May runoff for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

Cornyn, who is seeking a fifth term, and Paxton were the top finishers in a three-way contest Tuesday with Rep. Wesley Hunt. No candidate hit the 50% vote threshold needed to win outright, sending the race to a May 26 runoff.

Cornyn’s campaign and allied super PACs spent heavily on television advertising, much of it criticizing Paxton. Senate Republican leaders, who are backing Cornyn, argue that it will cost more to defend the seat in a general election if Paxton is the nominee.

Paxton was acquitted in impeachment proceedings and has faced accusations of marital infidelity.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

DALLAS (AP) — Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn is trying to hold on for a fifth term in Tuesday's GOP primary, while Democrats are deciding whether to send Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett or state Rep. James Talarico to a November general election where the party once again hopes it has a chance.

Texas is one of three states kicking off this year’s midterm elections with primaries that come as the U.S. and Israel are at war with Iran. At least six U.S. service members have been killed in a growing regional confrontation that sent oil and natural gas prices soaring. President Donald Trump, who campaigned on an “America First” agenda and hasn't sought congressional authorization, faces mounting questions over its rationale and an exit strategy.

Races in North Carolina and Arkansas also mark the first primaries of the 2026 midterms as Democrats look to break the GOP’s hold on Washington and derail Trump.

Cornyn faced a challenge from MAGA favorite Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, with the contest expected to advance to a May runoff. The three Republicans campaigned on their ties to Trump, who did not make an endorsement. Hunt, running a distant third, conceded in a speech Tuesday night, though The Associated Press has not yet called the race.

Crockett and Talarico each argue that they are the stronger general election candidate in a state that backed Trump by almost 14 percentage points in 2024 and where a Democrat hasn’t won a statewide race in over 30 years.

Voting was extended in Dallas County and Williamson County, outside Austin, after voters reported being turned away and directed to different voting precincts because of new primary rules. Paxton’s office later challenged a decision keeping the polls open longer, and the state Supreme Court ruled that ballots cast by people not in line by 7 p.m. should be separated from others.

It was not immediately clear how the court’s action would be carried out.

The races also featured new congressional district boundaries that GOP lawmakers — urged on by Trump — redrew to help elect more Republicans.

Cornyn is hoping to avoid becoming the first Republican senator in Texas history not to be renominated.

His cool relationship with Trump is part of what makes Cornyn vulnerable. He and allied groups have spent at least $64 million in television advertising alone since July to try stabilize his support.

Paxton began campaigning in earnest only last month. He's made national headlines for filing lawsuits against Democratic initiatives. He remained popular in Texas despite a 2023 impeachment trial on corruption charges, of which he was acquitted, and accusations of marital infidelity by his wife.

On Tuesday evening a man wearing a camouflage hat, sunglasses and a mask covering his mouth and nose entered the Uptown Marriott hotel in Dallas, where Paxton was expected to address supporters later. He was asked to leave, and it was not clear whether his presence was connected to Paxon's event. The man was later detained by police, who removed ammunition magazines and shotgun shells from his vehicle. Paxton's campaign declined to comment.

All three Republicans have run ads boasting of their coziness with Trump. But Senate GOP leaders, who are backing Cornyn, worry that Paxton's liabilities would make it harder to defend the seat if he is the nominee — and require significant spending that could be better used elsewhere.

“Republican voters are going to need to decide, do we want to win?” Cornyn told Fox News Channel.

Hunt's entry into the race in October made it trickier for any primary candidate to win at least 50%, the threshold needed to avoid a May 26 runoff.

Crockett and Talarico waged a spirited race as Democrats look for their first Senate win in Texas since 1988.

Talarico, a seminarian who often references the Bible, has held rallies across the state including in heavily Republican areas. Crockett has built a national profile for zinger attacks on Republicans and has focused on turning out Black voters in the Dallas and Houston areas.

As vote counting continued, Crockett told supporters who gathered in Dallas that she did not plan to make a public appearance before them.

Tanu Sani, who cast a Democratic ballot in Dallas, said she'd been undecided until recently but opted for Talarico because he “really spoke to me in the way he tries to unify.”

Andrew Kern, another Democratic voter in Texas, explained his support of Talarico similarly, describing “an approach that’s bridging some of the divisiveness.”

Tomas Sanchez, a voter in Dallas County, said he supported Crockett because “she cares about immigrants, she cares about the American people in a way that a lot of the Republicans have proven they haven’t.”

Talarico had outspent Crockett on television advertising by more than four to one as of late February. He got a burst of attention — and campaign contributions — last month from CBS' decision not to air his interview with late-night host Stephen Colbert, who said the network pulled the interview for fear of angering Trump's FCC.

Texas Republicans' mid-decade redistricting was aimed at helping the GOP pick up Democratic-held seats and maintain its threadbare House majority in Washington. The result matched several Democratic incumbents in primary fights and set up new general election battlegrounds.

In the 34th District, former Rep. Mayra Flores is attempting a comeback. Flores made history in a 2022 special election as the first Republican to win in the Rio Grande Valley in 150 years, but lost her bid for a full term later that year. She faces Eric Flores, a lawyer endorsed by Trump, for the nomination to run against Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez.

In the 23rd District, Rep. Tony Gonzales is considered vulnerable after an alleged affair with a staffer who killed herself. He's being challenged by gun manufacturer and YouTube influencer Brandon Herrera, who calls himself “the AK guy.” The district includes Uvalde, site of a deadly 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School.

Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw is challenged in the 2nd District by state Rep. Steve Toth, who was endorsed by Sen. Ted Cruz.

Former Major League Baseball star Mark Teixeira is running as a Republican to succeed Republican Chip Roy in southwest Texas’ 21st District.

Democrat Bobby Pulido, a Latin Grammy winner, is running in South Texas' 15th District against physician Ada Cuellar. The nominee will face two-term Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz.

In the 33rd District, Democratic Rep. Julie Johnson faces former Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker and 2024 Senate nominee.

Democratic Rep. Al Green also is fighting to stay in office after his Houston-based 9th District was drawn to be lean Republican. Green, 78, is now running in a newly drawn 18th District against Democratic Rep. Christian Menefee, 37, who won a January special election for the current 18th District.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott easily won his primary and will face Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa.

Roy who is running for attorney general, will face a primary runoff with Mayes Middleton after neither captured more than 50% of the votes Tuesday.

Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Sara Cline and Jamie Stengle in Dallas and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed.

A supporter of Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, watches as results come in during a primary election night watch party Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Supporters of Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, arrive for a primary election night watch party Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

A supporter of Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, wears a Texas state flag in their hat during a primary election watch party Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

U.S. Reps. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona, Jasmine Crockett of Texas and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, speak with voters during primary election day at the West Gray Metropolitan Multi-Service Center in Houston on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Raquel Natalicchio /Houston Chronicle via AP)

James Talarico, a Texas Democratic primary candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks during an event at the University of Houston Monday, March 2, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Primary candidate for U.S. Senate Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, responds to a question during a broadcast interview at a campaign stop in Dallas, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, addresses supporters during a campaign stop, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks during a campaign stop in The Woodlands, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)