Pushkar...Part 2

Pushkar is a fairly small city with about 40,000 people but it is so busy and so noisy! There are temples everywhere with bells ringing, drums beating and people singing! 

Always sweeping...

According to legends, Lord Brahma, believed to be the creator of the universe, dropped a lotus to the ground leading to the immediate creation of a lake. He then decided to name the place after the flower, and thus the area got the name Pushkar. Hindus consider a journey to Pushkar to be the ultimate pilgrimage that must be undertaken to attain salvation. So the centrepiece of the town is Pushkar Lake..

Some shots of the lake from a rooftop patio...

This picture shows some of the temples that surround the lake...

The lake at sunset...

One day we decided to walk down to the lake to survey the pilgrims, it is a sacred area so we had to remove our shoes to show respect as well as be careful with my camera.

Every temple has a set of steps leading to the lake and this one had my “ not so favourite”animal guarding it...

Don wondering, “ where the heck am I now?”

It wasn’t long before the requests for selfies started so we decided to get a picture with them...

A typical scene...people bathing, cows roaming and I accidently got a bare bum!

Each temple around the lake has these bathing areas, some of which don’t look too hygienic!

A family being blessed by a holy man...

There were groups of pilgrims seated being spoken to and blessed as well...

Across the lake...

Splashes of colour...

There are many young people here seeking spiritual guidance, though I wonder just how much of it is a scam? All for more than a few rupees!

This young man was surrounded and then chased by a group of men wanting money...

Our time around the lake was an eye opener for sure!

On the way home one evening we got caught up in a wedding procession...

There was a decorated horse leading the crowd that got spooked and ran...

The crowds and motorbikes were crazy here as we had to watch that we weren’t run over! 

And also the cows, we are amazed that they aren’t run over!

We really enjoyed our stop here and will take away a lot of memories of our experiences with the people and the culture of Pushkar...

Our last view of Pushkar.