Pushkar - It's legal here????
Trip Start
Nov 16, 2008
1
9
32
Trip End
Feb 07, 2009
Pushkar,
Rajasthan,
India
Saturday, November 29, 2008
We arrive in Pushkar and are pleased to know that the centre can only be explored by foot - hooray! We can use our legs and not worry about getting knocked over by a passing car or rickshaw. Unfortunately, cows and motorbikes are allowed to roam free so we were still kept on our toes, especially as the motorbikes think they can travel at 60 mph through a crowded street and cow's like to have a toilet break in the middle of the road now and again!!
Pushkar is a fascinating place - it is a Hindu pilgrimage town with a huge number of temples and a holy lake which is said to have appeared when Brahma (the creator) dropped a lotus flower. It also has one of the world's few Brahma temples.
Due to its spiritual ties there are pilgrims but also lots of hippy travellers
Indian wedding precession
. All that is missing is the VW camper van and wacky backy........ no wait a minute.....that's legal here!! All this has resulted in a bizarre mix of religious sites and shops you would find in Camden! What was weird and out of place was a chav wondering the streets looking wasted! Along with the shops full of hareem pants and tie-dyed tops, we were offered hair beading, hair dredding and bangh lassi drinks in cafes or "special lassi" as the locals like to call them - no wonder people find it difficult to leave this place!
After wondering around the town and taking in the sights, we bumped into a lovely couple (Hi Rob and Claire) we had previously met at Colombo airport so we spent the rest of the afternoon chatting by lake and getting attacked by monkeys.
Before sunset, we all decided to climb to Sarawasti Temple overlooking the lake and the views were gorgeous. Arriving at the top just in time to see the sun set we soon headed back for our last meal here and then prepare ourselves for the journey to Udaipur!
Pushar is a definite place one should stop off at if visiting Rajasthan. Friendly, chilled, kind of spiritual and a good vibe!
