About Pushkar (16.02.08)

We're back in Dehli. Finally, there's warm water and time to rest.
So, as I promised, here's the account of our visit to Pushkar:

12.02.08
We had a train at 22.40 and met 2 Czechs guys and a Slovakian girl in our compartment, so we joined them and now we're together in the same hotel.
Few words about the guys: they're amazing. Jan and Ladik are travelling around the whole world! They've already been to Mongolia and Mexico, Jan spent 2 years in Moscow as well. Now they're waiting for a visa to Pakistan. What really impressed me, is that Jan worked only for 4 years in UK and then half an year on a ship and, as he says, he earned enough to travel for 12 years! Wow! The Slovakian girl joined boys few days ago. They're so funny and nice.
We arrived at 7 am in Ajmer, then we took a bus to Pushkar. Wow. Our first time. It was crummy, walls made of metal, all the Indians staring at us. The view outside the window was amazing! Mountains everywhere! And few temples on the hills.

Pushkar is a little town, famous of unique fashion shops and the Brahma Temple. There are plenty of stalls and shops everywhere, many cows and their dungs here and there. We got a double room for 100 rupees, our friends live opposite us. The hotel is quite shabby and modest but all in all it's not so bad.

Firstly, we visit the holy lake, called Pushkar. Indians come here to cleanse their sins and perform some spiritual rituals. There are plenty of pigeons around and the stairs that lead to the lake are completely covered with birds droppings, there are some dogs, as well.

The town is devoted to Brahma, as it was him who dropped here his lotus and then the lake was created. The area near the ghats (stairs that lead to the water) is full of temples and yoga schools. Of course, we can't walk in shoes and it is forbidden to take pics on the ghats. But I partly break these both rules.
Almost all the streets have united to create one big market. I can't resist, I completely give up to the abundance of Indian specialties. I mean clothes now. We buy a lot of them. Because they're nice and extremely cheap. The only disadvantage of the market is the constant presence of hucksters. Well, we have no choice but to ignore them, although they tend to be very annoying.

But shopping is not all we do here. We visit the Brahma Temple, as well. It's quite large and white. Visited by crowds of faithful Hindus. A young boy guides me through the building. There's a main ceremony now, the Brahma's image is being revealed. It's silver, all the Hindus are throwing flowers and petals towards it.
Then we go downstairs. There's a place devoted to Shiva. The boy says I need to say a mantra three times, put the flower in a kind of bowl and ring the bell three times. Quite confused I follow his words. Now he says I should throw the rest of flowers to the lake. So we leave, but suddenly a guard tells me I need to pay for the flowers I was given near the entrance.
What? You must be kidding?
So we're arguing. Because that's unfair. I'd pay for it, if he had said that before, now it's too late.
They give up and we're going towards another temple, Pop Mochani. On the hill. It's getting hotter and it's quite difficult to climb the mountain. When we get there, it turns out that there are ruins only. And a lot of Indian boys watching us. Some of them are running behind us when we're walking down. And they're quite irritating.

Finally, we get to Om Shiva, a marvelous restaurant. You can eat as much as you want to paying 50 rupees only! A real feast. So I take a bit of all 8 dishes offered by the waiter. Chapati, rice, dhal, pasta, vegetables... And then a dessert. Bananas in vanilla pudding and something that looks and tastes like little donuts. Delicious!

Each evening there's a big ceremony by the lake. Many people gather here to watch the sunset, listen to the drums and some strange instruments. The colorful show attracts my eyes and enchants completely. Pushkar in an amazing place. And I don't want to leave it so quickly...