Pushkar, Rajasthan, North India
July, 2014
Pushkar has a magnetism all of its own and is unlike anywhere else in Rajasthan. It’s a Hindu pilgrimage town and devout Hindus visit at least once in their lifetime. The town curls around a holy lake said to have appeared when Brahma dropped a lotus flower and has 52 bathing ghats and 400 temples. Pushkar is a very laid back and relatively quiet place and time can slip by very easily here. Pushkar is also world famous for its spectacular camel fair which takes place here usually in October/November. The main street is one long bazaar selling everything you can imagine including some beautiful textiles. Despite the tourist popularity the town remains enchantingly small and authentically mystic.
Our Accommodation - Hotel Paramount Palace
There is almost more guesthouses and hotels here than the 400 temples! We found a fantastic place in the centre of Pushkar called Hotel Paramount Palace. Situated down a quiet lane it offerred roof top terraces with the most incredible views over looking Pushkar. Its brightly painted corridors and rooms were charming and we experienced yet again the most helpful and most accommodating customer service making it a very special experience.
The Holy Lake of Pushkar
For a devout Hindu Pushkar is a very important pilgramage centre and should be visited by a devotee at least once in their lifetime. The term "ghats" refers to a series of steps leading down to a lake or river. In Pushkar there are many ghats where people bath and swim and where many religious ceremonies take place.
The Uniqueness of Pushkar
What’s most endearing about India is the attempt to send you back in time, to make you experience what someone in history had once experienced.
Perhaps it is for this reason that makes visiting the state of Rajasthan such an attractive area. You somehow feel like your on the same royal route seeing the same images that so many would have experienced centuries ago. Except now, you can order banana pancakes at every restaurant in town bringing you slightly back to the modern tourist reality!
Perhaps it is for this reason that makes visiting the state of Rajasthan such an attractive area. You somehow feel like your on the same royal route seeing the same images that so many would have experienced centuries ago. Except now, you can order banana pancakes at every restaurant in town bringing you slightly back to the modern tourist reality!
Almost every restaurant had a roof top terrace with views of Pushkar in every dirrection. It made for wonderfully slow and deliberate meals and a breezy relief from the heat.
After wandering the bazaars and getting our fill of colorful sari's, embroideries and textiles we kick back at our hotel room terrace and listen to the sounds of music flooding through the streets below as musical troops are sent out to play and entertain in the evenings. Pushkar is a charming town and time can easily pass by in a hurry. Looking back, we wish we would have stayed longer.