Pushkar

Pushkar! I fe1l head over heels in love with Pushkar. I was here during the Camel Fair, which is a very busy time for this small, sleepy village. I must admit I was not a big fan of the fair. It was very touristy and filled with photographers shoving cameras in everyone’s faces. This is the major source of income for many of the villagers and farmers who use the fair as an opportunity to make some much needed income. This being the case, everyone wanted money for a photograph at the fairgrounds. I witnessed many tourists spending large amounts of time with camel farmers, posing them this way and that, only to walk away without paying a single cent to the farmer. Thus, many (if not most) of the locals and merchants at the fair were VERY MUCH over being asked for a photo. It really was a very uncomfortable place to photograph people. The Camel Fair reminded me very much of the large fairs back home that are put on across Iowa in small towns during the summer. The camel area was dwarfed by the large carnival like atmosphere on the rest of the grounds. I much preferred the laid back vibe of the village of Pushkar.

One highlight of the camel fair was a young man I met on the grounds. I had actually spoken to him earlier in the village, when i was exploring the alleys of the town. He was sitting on the side of the street selling homemade instruments that he made to sell and support his family. He recognized me and approached me with a beaming smile. It turns out he lived only 10 minutes away from the fairgrounds by camel cart. He invited me to come and meet his family and his mother in law. I accepted and we rode (a very bumpy ride) to his village. There were about 30 tents erected around a large barren patch of brush. His tent was nothing more than a lean to, with a plastic tarp on the roof, no door and a bare dirt floor. He called his daughter over, who was carrying his very small son. We sat on the floor his tent and he made me a cup of chai. We had a great talk. During fair time was his best chance to make money. He told me he desperately wanted a better life for his children, and that he did not want them to have to beg for money (as many do in this area.) His daughter had not yet started school, but he very much wanted her to attend. He told me that 4 years ago he was able to put a roof on his lean to stick hut, but now it was leaking bad and most nights they got wet when it rained. He was not asking me directly for money, just sharing his story. He played me a song on his instrument while we drank chai. Afterwards we walked across and met his mother in law. It was one of the best experiences I have yet to have on this trip.

My guide, Ajai met me on my first day in Pushkar. I was scheduled to stay one night at the Pushkar Palace on the lake in Pushkar, and then move to a campsite closer to the fair. But, after spending one night at the Pushkar Palace, I very much wanted to continue to stay there. So after checking out the camp, I moved back to the Pushkar Palace for the remainder of my stay. The Pushkar Palace is a heritage hotel on the lake in the village of Puskar. The rooms still retain the historic feel of when it was originally built, and the location cannot be beat. The staff was amazing and felt like family before I left. Ajai was the consummate tour guide and friend, and we connected right from the start.

I rented a scooter at a local scooter shop in Pushkar, which gave me easy access back and forth from the fair, and also allowed me to explore the local roads and villages. There were many scooters and motorcycles in Pushkar, renting a scooter was breeze and turned out to be a very good decision. The town is actually quite small, and is centered around the lake with ghats leading down to the water on all sides. For Hindus the sanctity of the lake is equal to that of Mansarovar in Tibet and, according to tradition, a bath in its waters will erase all sins. Brahma is said to have performed a yagna (sacrifice) here on the full moon of Kartik (October/November) The Brahma temple here is one of only a few dedicated to this Brahma in the whole of India. As this was a very holy time in Pushkar, there were many pilgrims coming into town and bathing at one of the many ghats here.

Ajai and I rode the ropeway up to the hilltop Saraswati Temple. The temple overlooks the lake and the views are fantastic! From up top we could see the entire Camel Fair as well as the lake ringed by all the ghats. We also visited Pushkars most famous temple, the Brahma Temple. The temple is marked by a red spire, and over the entrance gateway is the hans (goose symbol) of Brahma. Inside, the floors and walls are engraved with dedications to the dead. The usual vendors were here in mass selling rose petals and incense and sweets as offerings. Throngs of worshippers lined the steps for a few seconds spent inside the temple when reaching the top. No cameras were allowed so I wasn’t able to shoot photographs.

Exploring Pushkar’s many alleyways and local roads was a blast with Ajai and the scooter. When I first visited India, I was left with the impression that Indians were terrible, crazy drivers. But after having spent time here, I can testify that they are actually excellent drivers. They are able to stop and turn on a dime, and there is an unspoken code, with the help of the horns that make it all work seamlessly. I have yet to witness a vehicle accident here. This is definitely one town that I will be returning to, most probably when the fair is not in session to experience the sleepy town as it is most of the rest of the year.