From Brahma to Baksheesh... it's Pushkar!

I remember reading once in a book for independent travelers entitled “The Practical Nomad” something to the effect of, ‘No matter what happened there in the past that might make a place of interest to you, always remember that you are traveling in the present.” We are now in present day Pushkar, Rajasthan, a far cry from the Pushkar of old, sacred town to the Hindu god Brahma (the creator). Although this town, situated on the edge of the Thar Desert, is still visited by more than a few pilgrims, it can be hard to spot them amidst the throngs of tripped out travelers. Dreadlocked, chillum toting Sadhus (India’s holy men) cross paths with dreadlocked, chillum toting Israelis. Fake sadhus (sah-don’ts?) adopt the orange robes and unkempt hair to increase their chances of getting a baksheesh handout from naive tourists. Bald-headed Krishna devotees sling hash and bang lassis (a potent cannabis cocktail) from stalls lining the main street. Shops selling clothing more suited for Burning Man than a temple visit out number the stalls selling puja paraphernalia to the pilgrims. And the cows, of course, take it all in stride, lounging where ever they see fit.
The lake on which Pushkar sits gained holy site status as the site where Brahma had gathered all the Hindu deities for a sort of cosmic conference once upon a time. The lake itself was supposedly created by Brahma dropping a lotus petal from the heavens. That was then. This is now…. the fourth and final epoch of Hindu cosmology, the Kali-Yuga, marked by chaos and destruction. Yep….that sounds about right. That said, one only needs to venture off the main drag or head out into the desert to experience the magic vibe of the Pushkar of the past. The other night that’s exactly what I did…rented a horse and rode off into the desert to admire the sun setting over the Savitri Temple and the surrounding hills. The only sounds to be heard were the distant ringing of temple bells, drums being played near the edge of the lake… and the flatulence of my trusty steed. Almost heaven.
Yeah well, so that’s modern day India for you…the sacred and the profane all rolled up into one chaotic mess. Hard to handle some times but, when it comes to the chaotic & exotic, always hard to beat. Tomorrow we forge on to the city of Jodhpur, taking a bus from here to Ajmer where we will continue the rest of the 300 K by train. As always, it should be an adventure. On the way here from Ajmer we shared a seat on the bus with a goat….much better than sharing seats with a chicken. They flap around way too much and their feathers end up everywhere. Ahhh…..Rajasthan!