Day Trip to Pushkar

On our third day in Jaipur, we decided to take a day trip to Pushkar.  Pushkar is a holy city.  It is said that the deity Bramhan let a flower fall from his hand and it landed in a lake in Western Rajasthan.  The lake became a place of pilgrimage for many of the Hindu faith.  Many come to the lake to drop flowers into the water, which symbolizes the shedding of bad Karma for you and your family.
Before visiting the lake, we visited one of the only temples in the world dedicated to Brahman.  Here we were given flowers (mostly small roses) for use in the lake ceremony.  The temple had many blocks and floor tiles that were inscribed with dedications to passed family members.  
Onward towards the lake, we walked down narrow, winding roads filled with street vendors and market stalls.  Once we got to the lake, one of the Brahmin (priest) welcomed us and spent some time describing the ritual.  As we went through the ceremony with the Brahmin (priest), it's importance to Hindu people for ages.  As in the Monkey Temple, we were welcomed without prejudice to our religious beliefs.  It's definitely refreshing to be in such a sacred area and not feel as if you're being judged.

Again, we left with a sense of peace and wondered how many people had performed the same ritual over the ages.  The Brahmin who performed the ritual with us spoke great English and was exceptionally jovial. He wished us fairwell, safe travels, and wanted us to come back once we have kids.

Pushkar is famous for it's annual fair.  The fair takes place just after Diwali (the festival of lights) and lasts for five days in November.  Every year, thousands of Indian and foreign tourists come to the Pushkar fair to witness everything that is camels.  They have races, polo (with camels), and other fun events.  To house some of the tourists, Hotel Megniwas has a sister facility in Pushkar called the Colonel's camp.
The ride from Pushkar City to the Colonel's camp was an interesting one.  It's about a mile outside of the city and is a pretty easy walk and a trivial drive.  However, our driver Vikram mentioned that we could also ride a camel!  How could we pass that offer up??

Camels are huge creatures.  They remind me of giraffes in that they have impossibly long and lanky legs attached to massive bodies and necks.  You'd think they'd be wobbly and difficult to ride, but that's not the case.  Like horses, I assume, once you get the rhythm, it's pretty easy.
Our camel was sharply decorated in bright colors and seemed content considering he had 300lbs of Steve and Sarah on his hump.  Sarah was even allowed to drive the camel for a short duration!  Thankfully, we didn't end up in a sand dune.  :)
As we arrived at the Colonel's camp, it was clear that massive construction was taking place.  Udai, the Colonel and Mrs. Singh's eldest son, welcomed us and talked about the facility.  His passion is to build a luxury facility, but it goes deeper than that.  He's making strides to research the old ways of food preparation, organic gardening and old medicines in order to help preserve the area's heritage which is quickly becoming lost.  They even go so far as to cook only over wood.
Our lunch with Udai was spectacular.  Organic, locally grown vegetables (beans, lentils, cauliflower, whole grains, etc) were prepared according to traditional methods.  Even the butter (Ghee) is refined on site using old methods.  The meal and conversation lasted until late in the afternoon and was exceptionally enjoyable.

Leaving Pushkar at dusk, we travelled back to Jaipur sated in mind, body and spirit.  It often takes events like this to remind us that less is more and that simple life can be the most rewarding.