January Second, at about 5 a.m. on a cold desert’s winter morning, we drove down from Jaipur to Pushkar. It was my unlce’s 7th death anniversary, and my aunt wanted to offer prayers for his soul. The predominant colours along the journey were earths, a smattering of green and blues. Very few other colours in sight. The colours were stark, yet hypnotizingly beautiful. Everything in Pushkar - from the ‘holy’ cow to the sadhu (mendicant), the pujari’s (priests) to the camels, from the street singers to the lanurs - everyone and everything seems to be geared towards the pilgrim tourist. one man and his calf - a sadhu begging for alms on the streets of Pushkar - oops , trading blessings for cash. The holy cow on the steps of the temple - looking beatifically at the pilgrims who side step her to walk in. some great street food in Pushkar. Hot fried stuff on a cold winter’s morning- just what the doctor didn’t order ! Our guide told us that since this was a holy town, there could be no petrol pump here and people had to drive down to Ajmer to fill petrol. And Ajmer is not too far away. The car park where cycles, sumos, buses and camels jostle together for space. Pushkar is a visual treat - and if you are spiritual it is a great place to go to find solace. Even those who get after you in other temple towns, tend to leave you alone to your thoughts. I think that i would like to go back one day to Pushkar Pushkar Lake -where the bereaved, the penitent and the faithful ask for mukti (or liberation) from the cycle of birth and death.

The pious Pushkar Lake, believed to have been created by the falling of lotus from the hand of Lord Brahma. It is considered to be as old as the creation. The lake is considered as one of the most sacred spots, and believed that one dip in the waters of lake on Kartika Poornima is equivalent to performing yagnas for several hundred years.

A person meditating by the banks of the Pushkar Lake. Devotees at the Brahma temple, Pushkar While Rajasthan tourism claims that this is the only Brahma temple in the world, I have been to another in the southern temple town of Kumbakonnam. But the fact does remain that Brahma - the creator - is not really worshipped in the country. With a final look at the ghats, we drove off back to Jaipur to catch the Heritage on Wheels train journey. Luxury at its best.

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Tags: Culture, Hindu, India, Photos, Pushkar, Rajasthan, Religion, Travel