A Fort Fiesta in Rajastan - Part 2

  Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Monday, November 10, 2008

There's a lot to be said for spontaneity when travelling. Pushkar was always a town I had skimmed past in the guide book, seeing as it's predominantly famous for a big stonking camel market that takes place there at the end of November. One day with the camels was already enough for me, thanks. But luckily I was convinced to give it a look and as it turns out, it was good advice.
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Pushkar Lake Temple

Set around a beautiful placid lake, ringed with temples Pushkar is one of India's holy towns. Sure enough, as quick as you can say "supercallousfragilemystic", my jaunt down to the lake for the first sunset was interrupted by an entreaty from one of the local 'priests' to come and do puja (i.e worship) down by the lakeside. For once it was easier to say yes. Once you've repeated the incantations (um shiva quite a lot...) and of course made a donation, you get a coloured string to wear around your wrist which you can wear to banish the other hawkers and shamans that might pounce on you. Oh and the nicest part was that my relationship got blessed. It's a lot more than the bloody Catholics are offering, so hurrah for Hinduism!Right aligned photo tag:

Pushkar Lake

As its a sacred town the place is filled with every type of mystic, drop out and wanna-be hippy. Oh and Israelis. Lots and lots of Israelis. Which is great news if you, like me, enjoy the occasional warm pitta bread, hummus and falafel plate. Of course one of the other great things about the Israeli reputation for no-nonsense haughtiness is that  - no doubt used to getting short shrift from the tourists here - for once it was possible to wander through a market without folding your face into the likeness of a medieval assassin. I actually think I even went into a shop without twleve people following me in demanding I buy something. Bliss! It also helped of course that this was the first time I had ventured into a place that actually had (drum roll) some tolerance for personal space, though I'd imagine during the camel fair nails on your elbows wouldn't even help.
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Cows right on cue....

Every evening just before sunset, the town reverberates with the timbre of bells ringing from the temples that surround the lake. Most tourists gather here to watch the sun dip behind the far off mountains, and listen to the bells, chants & and trance music (honestly) that fill the air. It's all incredibly serene even if you're not a drop out or born again hippie. Though you can always get yourself that potent local brew, bhang lassi (a refreshing shake made with a derivative of cannabis) to help you connect with a higher spiritual plane and invoke the presence of Lord Brahma if the zen fails to flow!Right aligned photo tag:

Glorious sunset in Pushkar

Maybe because the zen had taken over too much, for some reason on the second day I decided it would be a good idea to make the hike to the Savitri Temple which sits atop a hill overlooking the town. Now admittedly the view was eventually worth it, but dear god there was more sweat pouring off me than Mary Harney eyeing a salad bar. Not a pretty sight. Of course, naturally enough a reporter and camera crew from a television channel happened to arrive twenty minutes later and insisted on getting this intrepid reporters view of the temple. Seeing as I only climbed the 8 trillion or so steps to take some photos and look at the view, I think I mumbled something about "the rewards of overwhelming peace and tranquiltiy that greets any visitor....must see stop in Pushkar.....clearly in need of UNESCO designation....yadda yadda". Years of practice.Left aligned photo tag:

More of the view again

Next up was Udaipur "India's most romantic city". I'm not sure if the person who came up with that was at the Bhang Lassi's but it immediately became my favourite destination so far. Why? Well the obvious answer would be to mention the stupendous lake-palace which literally lies in the middle of the city's main lake or perhaps the grand City Palace itself with its terraces, coutryards and manicured grounds. Sure all of these make it a place to savour and remember but the city has much more going for it, namely the delightfully quirky and easy going pace of the city itself.
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More of the Lake Palace

There are not that many places of this size in India where you can amble around for hours idling yourself with cups of tea, browsing through bookstores or just simply soaking up the atmosphere. It just doesn't happen! In fact my very first afternoon there I came accross a road block  - two elephants were wedged along a narrow street. Now I'm in India I thought. Right aligned photo tag:

Elephant jam in Udaipur

And as if that wasn't enough its also the place where they filmed much of that James Bond classic (cough) Octupussy!! Just in case you are liable to forget, its on a continuous loop in many of the city's cafes. There's nothing like a laconic beer of an evening where you can grimace through your fingers and watch Roger Moore arch his eyebrow and phone in yet another performance. Just heaven.Right aligned photo tag:

A perfect bond villian Lair

Which sadly is more than be said for Jaipur. This city is part of the so-called Golden Triangle encompassing Delhi, Agra and itself. It's ground zero for busloads of Japanese tourists on a six day tour of the entire sub-continent and a la Jodhpur even comes with its own colour scheme. Yes, this time it's welcome to the Pink City! And yet.......Left aligned photo tag:

Jaipur - the Pink City

Despite the fact that it is one of the most visited cities in the whole of India I can barely remember a coherent thing about the place. The odd snatch here and there.....the crazy tuk tuk drive into the city, the suprsingly parallel streets for an Indian city, the almost incessant traffic, a few stand out sights in the City Palace, the walk up the Amber Fort (yes another feckin one....I'm as big a fan of 16th Century Moghul architcutre as the next man but there are limits!) but overall I have to say it strangely left almost no lasting impression. In fact it has to be said if Rajastan has an Also-Ran then believe me its Jaipur. Which just goes to show you.....when you're on your travels its often better just to toss the guide book aside! Left aligned photo tag:

The Amber Fort Jaipur

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Dancers insde Jaipur City Palace