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7. Pushkar, it's hot here!

Writer's picture: Bridget MalherbeBridget Malherbe

Updated: Jul 4, 2022

Biddy's Boots #7

Pushkar, India

28 - 31 May 2022


I loved Pushkar! After a little whirlwind of colour, smells, tastes and tuk-tuks in Rajasthan's capital, arriving in Pushkar was like a deep and gentle exhale.

Pushkar lake during the morning bathing.

A French man, Mattheus, whom I met in Nepala , had insisted that I stay in guest house known as Hotel Raj Moon. After several attempts leaing up to my arrival, I managed to get hold of "Raj". He and his family warmly welcomed me into their humble homestay. My room was spacious, had a larger cooler, my own bathroom and at just 300INR a night, I thought I had landed my bum in some sweet ghee so to speak.


I found my way to the 'dining room' table which was a large, long, low table surrounded by cushions. I tucked into some hummus, pita and salad whilst sipping on a cool drink. Sitting on the one end of the table, was a strong, slightly older Brazilian woman with a glorious nest of dark dreadlocks perched high on top of her head. She sat surrounded by hundreds of crystals and was clearly busy with some online work. She looked up, smiled at me and proceeded to engage in conversation. We very quickly dived into the deep end, sharing opinions and insights about our countries' education systems, parenting and children. Chini was her name. It made me think of the Xhosa expression "chini tisa wam" (spelling?) and so, easy for me to remember. She had a strong motherly energy. I liked her.


I was surprised by the connection I felt in this village, the energy strong and the surge to create pulsing through my veins despite the heat. Chini welcomed me to take a walk with her around the lake that first afternoon. Pushkar has become a place of Hindu pilgrimage because of this holy lake. No eggs, meat or alcohol are allowed in Pushkar. Legend has it that this lake was consecrated to Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe when a lotus dropped from his hand into the vale and a lake emerged in that place. Devotees walk clockwise along the water's edge, completing at least one loop a day, shoes in the left hand and include a dip in the sacred water, known to have healing properties.

Peering through the entrance of one of the piers.

The bathing usually takes place in the early morning or before sunset. We popped our shoes in our left hands and off we went. I don't think I will quickly forget my first walk around this lake; the sun was soon to set, Hindus frolicking in the water surrounded by the ancient walls and temples of the city. I sit here and shrug my shoulder. I can't put this experience into words, other than saying I felt a deep connection here and weaved my way around the lake, in awe, with tears impatiently sitting in the catchment of my eyes.


The following morning, I awoke not a minute past 6 am, suddenly feeling rather hot. I came to learn that there is a morning power cut from 6 to 9 am, thus the saviour - my fan - would be but a useless space holder for 3 hours a day. I took the opportunity to walk around the lake at this time. Again, moved to tears. I loved it here. The peace, the presence of spirit, the simplicity of life. At the end of my loop, I shared some chai with a beautiful British woman, Victoria, who now resides in Pushkar with her father, whilst we watched local devotees share their daily cleans.


After a couple of days, I was informed that Raj's actual name is Bobby, but I continued to address him as Raj and his wife as Raji - which they both loved as I was in essence referring to them as king and queen. And they were, in their own humble way, the royalty of their home. Each evening, without fail, around 7 pm they would carry out the daily puja and aarti along with their sons which involved chanting, bells, incense and prayer. I am unsure what was being said, but it certainly left me feeling lighter.


Evidence of a wedding.

I spent most of my days walking around the village between the temples and the market, drinking sugarcane and mint refreshments for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I met so many kind locals - Krishna the juice man, Addi the gemstone man, Raj who made the best Lassi in town - just to name a few. Everyone seemed to be surprised that I was visiting Pushkar 'for fun' as it was the off-season. One man commented, "I haven't seen a blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman in 2 years!" I witnessed a wedding in the streets with bright pink Pushkar rose petals scattered along the streets, I got head-butted by a cow and spent a decent amount of time sitting in crystal shops, absorbing all the good vibrations. I also made sure I snuck in some retail therapy - Pushkar is the place to purchase jewelry, gemstones, and clothes - and one of the cheapest in India.


Back to the dream that I had before I embarked on this little travel journey: at one stage in the dream, I realised I had left all my valuables exposed to theft or vandalism. I rushed back to my belongings, relieved to find them still where I had left them. An Indian man was nearby and as I sighed with relief, he looked at me with concern. I told him not to worry about me, I am from South Africa, I am streetwise, so to speak, I'm familiar with crime. As he continued with his work, whilst looking down he shook his head, “There is crime and deception all over the world. Be careful.”


Well, I learned the hard way that this was a foreshadowing, a warning to take heed in India. And so, without going into too much detail, I found myself R1300 poorer after getting totally sucked in by one of the Brahmans at the main Shiva temple. I'll be happy to tell you the story in person if you'd like to know more. But I did feel utterly embarrassed. Shame. Naive. Stupid for being conned by someone I should have been able to trust, to be safe with. But he saw an opportunity and he took it. I was proud of myself for requesting to have my money back before I was dropped back at home. And surprisingly I did manage to retrieve half. Despite this, I felt that my open heart had been violated and it actually hurt. I cried and cried. And cried some more. And then I felt better.



My friend, Vivian, whom I had met in Pokhara, had insisted that I try the local dish - Dal Bhatti - whilst in Pushkar. So, on my last full day in Pushkar, Chini made s special request to Raj. The meal was prepared by the whole family but first Chini had to get buy-in from all the guests to make this possible. With her warm insistence, no one turned her down and when dinner time came around, the table was full - of friends, of food, of sharing and of laughter. After dinner, many instruments were pulled out and we sat in the sweet vibrations of sound and the energy of the new moon.


Ancient walls and cows, a sacred symbol.

Chini and I ended the evening by taking a last little walk to the lake, hanging our feet in the water as we sat under the moon sharing stories of the heart. I was surprised at how easy it was to be around her and share with her, not only matters of the heart but hugs and food too. Grateful to have met her as she was quite frankly another angel sent my way. She had spent 6 months in India every year for the past 15 months. She was the perfect person to meet at the beginning of my India trip as she shared all the pearls of wisdom she had come to collect throughout her time in this intriguing country. The next morning, I jumped into a tuk-tuk at 5:30 am to make my way to Ajmer where I would catch the first train of my 24+ hour route to get all the way east, to Varanasi.




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