We were up early yesterday for breakfast and left Samode Haveli by 8. A dust storm followed by rain had passed through Jaipur the night before, leaving broken limbs and debris all over Jaipur, but the rain was certainly welcome. It was also Sunday morning, and people were buying breakfast at street markets. The drive through Jaipur was a slow one.
We drove on to Pushkar, an ancient temple town, about three hours southwest of Jaipur. Pushkar is among the oldest existing cities in India. “According to Hindu tradition, Lord Brahma, regarded as the creator of the universe, dropped a lotus flower on the ground, which led to the formation of a lake, and came to be known as Pushkar. It is home to one of the few temples dedicated to Brahma, and is known as the king of pilgrimage sites. No pilgrimage is complete without bathing in its sacred waters. The lake is surrounded by 52 ghats (series of steps leading to water), and 400 temples.
Most of the temples and ghats in Pushkar are from the 18th century and later, because many were destroyed during Muslim conquests in the area. The temples were rebuilt, including the Brahma Temple. Pushkar is famous for its annual Pushkar Camel Fair, a week long trading celebration in October each year, of cattle, horses, and camels. It attracts over 200,000 people each year. About 1 million tourists go to Pushkar each year, 95% are Indian.”
We were among very few international tourists yesterday. We walked through the colorful street markets and then removed our shoes and walked through the Brahma Temple and to Pushkar Lake with its many ghats. Dozens of camels were in and around the village, and cows are everywhere in India - roaming the streets and going wherever they please. Our guide asked me not to take photos as it is a sacred place. It was an unforgettable experience.
We passed another three hours driving through farmland, fenced into small plots, dotted with homes. We saw people pumping water for inside use, at wells near their homes and at wells in small villages along the way. We passed by a marriage ceremony, with the new groom leading his bride around a family burial site, surrounded by extended family. Farmers were driving their tractors on the rough road we took, along with small motorbikes. We stopped for a light local lunch along the way. It was a lively drive.
We arrived in Jodhpur by 4 in the afternoon. Jodhpur was founded in 1459, and today has a population of 1.6 million. It is famous for its palace, hilltop Mehrangarh Fort, temples, and is known as the Blue City because of the color of so many buildings in the old city. We are staying at Raas Hotel, https://www.raashotels.com/jodhpur/, looking up at Mehrangarh Fort. We took a short walk in the old city after we arrived, went to the hotel pool, then had supper on the rooftop of the restaurant as the sun went down.
