pushkar
we got off the train at ajmer and fought through all the flies to make our way to the exit where we were descended upon by hundreds of rickshaw drivers. we worked our way through the entire mob to get the best price for the 30 minute drive to pushkar. when we arrived in the small city of 1000 temples, we found our way to the inn at seventh heaven where we were staying in their “glam” hilly billy room with no windows and no a/c.
kirsty at the lake…
view from the roof…
cool transpo mode in the village…
if you ever find yourself in this village, do not accept anything from persons claiming to be a brahmin or a priest. if someone offers you a flower or a coconut, don’t take it. friendly at first, these people lead you down to the water to pray for your family and do a ceremonial offering at the end of which they ask you how much money you will donate to their “charity.” when we told them we’d be happy to donate but didn’t think it was any of their business to know the amount of our donation, they got mean and condescending - demanding to know the amount and shaming us if we didn’t at least give $100 USD each. if you successfully complete the ceremony and give the appropriate money, they tie a string bracelet around your wrist that is red and yellow. we warned our aussie friends of this but forgot to tell them about the bracelet part. when they arrived in pushkar and told the so-called brahmins they’d already done the ceremony, they were quite confused when the priests responded with, “well, if you’ve done your ceremony, then where is your bracelet?”