Pushkar to Jaipur

I ended up spending yesterday entirely in Pushkar, forgoing my plans to head to Ajmer. In Pushkar the main thing I did was the religious pilgrimage thing. I went to Brahma Temple, an important religious site for Hindus, basically it's the one place they worship Brahma, one of the three main gods. So it was a very busy and complicated place. I left my shoes at the front, checked my bag (no bags of any kind are allowed in the temple) and was given flowers. They frisked everyone as they headed in, this time very serious about no cameras allowed.

As I headed in, undoubtedly looking extremely confused, a student of the head guru there (I think) offered to show me how to do everything. I told him I didn't want a guide, but he said it was his duty and he did not want a tip or payment. So I said okay and he showed me how to do everything. First I had to go to the main altar for Brahma, toss some of my flowers in there, and receive several pieces of sugar. Then I went from altar to altar for different gods and incarnations and deposited a piece of sugar at each. After I had made my way around the temple (along with scores of Hindu pilgrims) the student showed me down to a ghat, and to the lake.

Pushkar lake is sacred, and this ritual was one of the main reasons to visit Pushkar. I went down the marble steps and sat with a holy man. He then performed a whole ceremony, with flowers, sugar, spices, and a coconut. Basically it was an extended prayer for everything, good family, good life, good wife, good job, good children, etc (his words, except the "etc" part). I think he threw in "good life" three times, but I can't blame him. Anyway, he then put the flowers, sugar and spices in my hands and sprinkled lake water over me and the offering. I put the offering on a dish, and he put a red mark of spices mixed with holy lake water (and a few grains of rice) on my forehead. I tossed the offering into the lake, and he tied basically a friendship bracelet to my wrist.

After that I headed up, gave a proper donation (virtually required), and went on my way. It was a very interesting experience, one which I won't soon forget and which you can't quite get anywhere else (and by the way family they had me make a wish for each of you so if life suddenly gets better that was totally all me). It was worth visiting Pushkar simply for that.

I left Pushkar this morning for Ajmer, then took the train from there to Jaipur, where I am at the moment. I've only just recently arrived so I'll hold off on my comments for tomorrow.

(By the way if the pictures are too small to see you should be able to click on them for the full size version)