Post from Michelle:
For a couple of days we have been visiting Pushkar, a small town on the edge of the desert. In the center of town is a sacred Hindu lake, making the town an important Hindu pilgrimage center. It's fascinating to watch Hindu holy men walk around the narrow streets and hear the drums beat over the water as people celebrate holy festivals.
Guesthouses and signs along the road post instructions to help foreigners behave correctly. Here is a sample of the rules: no alcohol, drugs, or non-vegetarian food allowed (this includes eggs); men and women must not embrace in public; shoes or slippers must not be worn at least 30 feet from the lake water. In Southeast Asia I was just getting a grasp of the Buddhist religion when we left. But I find myself painfully ignorant of the Hindu religion and customs. I have much learning to do and the signs are quite helpful; things quite natural for me to do at home could be highly offensive here.
Pushkar's streets are narrow and windy and are lined with temples, hotels, restaurants and stores displaying all kinds of touristry knick-knacks and souvenirs. Foreign visitors come here to wander, relax, and observe.
Just sitting on a restaurant balcony watching the activity below offers a feast for the eyes: rich Indians in fancy shimmering suits and saris stroll by shops, buying beads and bangle bracelets. A tea seller (chai wallah) wearing a bright orange turban offers pedestrians hot milk tea in clay cups. The clay cups look like small flowerpots I might buy at home. These cups are disposable though - after buyers finish their drink, the cups are smashed on the ground! Chunks of broken pottery sit around the chai wallah's feet. Colorful carts full of vegetables or cooking ware roll by. Cows, goats, dogs and hogs walk around as if they own the streets.
I find the old Indian men the most interesting characters to watch. Bright red turbans sit upon their heads, their leathery dark brown skin wrinkled and worn with character. White wisps of hair make-up their mustaches and beards, and beads dangle from their necks. Loose white cotton is tied around their bodies resembling huge diapers.
Pushkar attracts many hippies and they are almost as fascinating to watch as the Indians are. Dreadlocks, outfits from the 1960s, weird body piercing, and dazed looks parade by. Some look like they came to India to get lost while others look like they have been lost for decades and need to be found!
Guesthouses and signs along the road post instructions to help foreigners behave correctly. Here is a sample of the rules: no alcohol, drugs, or non-vegetarian food allowed (this includes eggs); men and women must not embrace in public; shoes or slippers must not be worn at least 30 feet from the lake water. In Southeast Asia I was just getting a grasp of the Buddhist religion when we left. But I find myself painfully ignorant of the Hindu religion and customs. I have much learning to do and the signs are quite helpful; things quite natural for me to do at home could be highly offensive here.
Pushkar's streets are narrow and windy and are lined with temples, hotels, restaurants and stores displaying all kinds of touristry knick-knacks and souvenirs. Foreign visitors come here to wander, relax, and observe.
Just sitting on a restaurant balcony watching the activity below offers a feast for the eyes: rich Indians in fancy shimmering suits and saris stroll by shops, buying beads and bangle bracelets. A tea seller (chai wallah) wearing a bright orange turban offers pedestrians hot milk tea in clay cups. The clay cups look like small flowerpots I might buy at home. These cups are disposable though - after buyers finish their drink, the cups are smashed on the ground! Chunks of broken pottery sit around the chai wallah's feet. Colorful carts full of vegetables or cooking ware roll by. Cows, goats, dogs and hogs walk around as if they own the streets.
I find the old Indian men the most interesting characters to watch. Bright red turbans sit upon their heads, their leathery dark brown skin wrinkled and worn with character. White wisps of hair make-up their mustaches and beards, and beads dangle from their necks. Loose white cotton is tied around their bodies resembling huge diapers.
Pushkar attracts many hippies and they are almost as fascinating to watch as the Indians are. Dreadlocks, outfits from the 1960s, weird body piercing, and dazed looks parade by. Some look like they came to India to get lost while others look like they have been lost for decades and need to be found!
Photos From This Location
