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Different itineraries on obligations drew Keren and Noa back to Delhi, while I headed deeper into Rajsthan. Pushkar is a holy Hindu city where alcohol, meat and even eggs are forbidden. The lake, which is said to have appeared in this spot when Lord Brahma dropped a lotus flower on this spot is surrounded by Ghats, which are used for Puja (prayer). Basically, you go down to the water and after a prayer you throw in offerings such as marigold flowers, roses, food or you can even immerse yourself to wash away your sins. The city itself is very small and at first I was not impressed: one main street lined up with souvenir shops, hotels and restaurants. Sprinkled throughout are 400 temples to the various gods of the Hindu pantheon, including the only temple in India dedicated to Lord Brahma. According to legend, Brahma wanted to perform Yagna (self-mortification) on the lake, and when his wife Saraswati didn't attend he married another woman the spot. In revenge Saraswati vowed that he wouldn't be worshipped anywhere else.
Despite my first impression, Pushkar grew on me quickly. Its a peaceful place with a great atmosphere. The food is cheap and good, so is the lodging. While staying at Hotel Saraswati Palace I met a Francophone crew that consisted of myself, Momo (Italy), Kristel (Swiss) and Angel (Spain). Its unusual that the common language between travellers is French, and we had a great time together.
Next to the hotel I met Kaneya and Kamal who were demonstrating their ability at flying kites. Kite flying is immensely popular in India, and while on the bus to Jaipur I was surprised to see several hundreds of kites flying in the air. I learned later that Jan 15 is the Kite Flying Festival, but the frenzy went on for a good week altogether. Its interesting to note that flying kites is not the naive holding of a rope that we are familiar with; but a fierce combat. The kite-extremity of the rope is dipped in small glass shards and the goal is go and cut other kites loose by rubbing the glass-covered extremity of the rope against another kite's line. Its very difficult to achieve because the controls are limited: wind and thugs on the rope. Adults fly kites just as much as children. Kaneya and Kamal instructed me in the basic handling of the kite which was a lot of fun, but I was not very efficient at it. From the hotel's rooftop terrace I did spend quite a bit of time watching the combats and the suddenly set loose kites falling into the lake.
Two temples in Pushkar are particularly interesting: the Savitri Temple (Savitri is another name for Saraswati) and the Pap Mochani Temple, which are both located on top of the hills that surround the city. Despite having twisted both my ankles recently on the uneven pavement of India's streets, I decided to climb up to these temples to get some exercise and soak in the view. It turned out that my ankles suffered less during these climbs than on the streets. The views were impressive, but it was also an opportunity to meet Indian people visiting the city for religious reasons as opposed to the usual tourist fare who are there to shop and party. There is no escaping the tourist in Rajasthan, it is the most popular destination in India.
On the evening of the third day in Pushkar, I boarded the night bus to the Northern city of Bikaner on the edge of the Thar Desert. Bikaner was to be a quick stop on the way to Jaisalmer, on the far western edge of the state just along the Pakistani border. The ride was quite cold, and when I reached Bikaner around 5AM I managed to find a hotel where I could finish the night under a warm blanket. By mid-morning Keren and Noa called from Delhi to see what I was up to and whether I wanted to go to Varanasi with them... Travelling with a cell phone is very convenient, unfortunately when out of Delhi I can only receive calls. When we talked, half-asleep I mentioned that I was heading to Jaisalmer; but after hanging up I decided to change my plans and go travel with them. I could always return to Rajasthan later, on my own. Of course by then there was no way for me to call back and explain my new plan; but I decided to get on the night train to Delhi and hoped that they would still be there the next morning.
With a single day to visit Bikaner, I had to be efficient. There were two things that I was interested in seeing: Junagarh Palace and the Karni Mata Temple in nearby Deschnoke. The Junagarh palace is much better preserved than the palaces of Jaipur: its interiors are finely decorated and the furniture is still intact. The fort itself is quite impressive: protected by a 986m long sandstone wall and the surrounding Thar Desert it was inhabited by the Maharaja of Bikaner into the late 70s. Unconquered, it stands today in the middle of the city.
Deshnoke, 30km east of Bikaner is famous for the Karni Mata Temple better know to visitors as the rat temple. It is home to hundreds of sacred rats who are said to be the reincarnations of holy men. This being a temple, you start by leaving your shoes at the door and walk around bare feet — I kept my socks just for good measure. Walking barefoot in the middle of all these rats is a trying experience to be sure, very reminiscent of an Indiana Jones story. The rats are well fed, but I couldn't help but think of all the diseases that they are know to carry. And they don't all look healthy either. Spotting the single white rat is considered good fortune: it will change your destiny for the better... Now I realize that nobody told me in which way it would change, so I have to trust my good star. I made sure to check inside my shoes several times before putting them back on, to avoiding fighting rats in an enclosed space.
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