INDIA - PUSHKAR - holy lake, Brahma, Rajastan, ... ~ Travel Magic

hill view - near the Pushkar lake

So I am online again. Playing with the photos to find out how easy it will be for me to get some of them online. Well, looks like very dificult. I have to shoot some of them specially in JPG if I want to get them online, otherwise I would have to do two conversions from RAFF (big file format :))

I will be leaving for Agra tonight. Pushkar was nice, small place. Really touristy orientated. At the moment it is low season, so there is not many tourist at all. Holy lake is surrounded by the bathing ghats with many temples and interesting buildings. Some of them used to be a hotels, but now all the inner circuit hotels are closed for religious reasons. Goverment did not liked tourist taking pictures from hotel balkonies and also tourist siting above pilgrims vere disturbing for many of them. Inner circuit is surrounded by a bazar, which is really tourist oriented. You can get here everything. In the top corner of the lake is Brahma temple, very unique one. It is supposed to be only a few of them in the world dedicated to this devine. It is said Brahma himself choosed this lake for his holy place. The most amusing thing on the lake is the fish living in its waters. Although it is not possible to see them whole they look masive. I guess life of fish in holy lake eating holy food is not bad after all.

Good view on the lake and city itself is from nearby steep hill, with a small temple on its top. The best time is to go there for a sun rise, otherwise it is too hot. One evening I went out of the city on the dusty road. It is amusing to see, how different it looks out of the city. So grean, with trees and grass in the middle of the desert. We met interesting man on the way, who was just going to the city to sell some kind of fruit. I do not remember its name, but it looks like small cherry with the stone inside. The taste is diferent though, quite refreshing. He has invited us to see the nearby farm and trees, where the fruit grows. He spoke good English, because he is in tourist business for about 20 years. Usually he does Camel Safaris, but not is no business for two months of the heat, so he is selling that fruit. Should be quite expensive. He has a family living on the farm, watering the trees. They are there for one year lease and then can stay if they like it another year or go. He seems quite nice employer. We went to see them and had the best milky tea so far. It was made on the wood fire, with proper assam tea and fresh milk from the goat. The most surprising were the lovely green cups he has served it in. Family is of five members and the kids were 5 (boy), 3 (girl), 1 (girl). The oldest one was so helpful to his mum. He was bringing water for the tea and other things. Completely different life to European kids. They are so lucky to just play all day, .... Well, you might ask why I say we? It was me and two Swedish girls I met in the morning.