In just four years the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival has captured the minds and imagination of jazz lovers from all over the world, presenting such greats as Brazilian Grammy award-winning composer Ivan Lins and the legendary multiple Grammy winners, Kool & the Gang.

It brings together jazz greats who number numerous Grammy awards among them and who have played with legends of the genre as well as pop and Latin stars that have topped the charts for decades.

The small and beautiful town of Pushkar is set in a valley just about 14 km off Ajmer in the north Indian state of Rajasthan. Surrounded by hills on three sides and sand dunes on the other, Pushkar forms a fascinating location and a befitting backdrop for the annual religious and cattle fair which is globally famous and attracts thousands of visitors from all parts of the world.

This vibrant and colourful event brings the sacred Hindu town of Pushkar to life. The event lasts for 12 days, the first five of which are devoted to the buying and selling of camels, horses, cows, goats and sheep. With various other festivities, such as camel musical chairs and camel beauty contests, this is an event not to be missed.

Pushkar is among the five dhams or pilgrimages that are held in high esteem by Hindus, the others being Badrinath, Puri, Rameswaram, and Dwarka. It is said that in battle lord Brahma killed the demon Vajra Nabh with a lotus flower, whose petals floated down to earth and landed in three places in and around Pushkar where lakes sprang up. According to legends, PushkarLake was surrounded by 500 temples and 52 palaces (several rajas and maharajas maintained palaces here for pilgrimage) at one point. The Brahma temple is the most important temple here and is, in fact, the only Brahma temple of India.

The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is a Catholic celebration of the memory of deceased ancestors that is celebrated on November 1 (All Saints) and November 2 (All Souls). This unique and very important holiday, which celebrates the continuity of life, takes place in Oaxaca with more ceremony, ritual and flair than in any other town in Mexico. Despite the morbid subject matter, this holiday is celebrated joyfully, and though it occurs at the same time as Halloween, All Saints' Day, and All Souls Day, the mood of The Day of the Dead is much lighter, with the emphasis on celebrating and honouring the lives of the deceased, rather than fearing evil or malevolent spirits.

On the days leading up to the celebration, the markets are lively and animated - not sombre or serious at all. There is a saying in Oaxaca; “We are not here for a long time, we are here for a good time.” Tiny home-made stands appear in the market, selling sugar skulls, special bread called pan de yema, bright yellow marigold flowers, delicate hand made ornaments and hand-dipped candles for the altar. The final preparations take place on the night of October 31st, bringing the whole community and generations of families out to the cemetery. The grave sites are cleaned, decorated and bedecked with flowers and candles, as well as food and drink that the deceased loved while living.