Rats ... well at a Pushkar

---

Bikaner

After a long drive we arrived in Bikaner. looking at the outside of the hotel we decided to try and find somewhere else with air conditioning following the sleepless night the day before. Mr. Singh recommended the Sagar Hotel as "the best hotel in Bikaner" at first glance the room seemed clean and we managed to bargain down the price even of the room. five minutes later however, I couldn't flush the toilet, the tv didn't work and for once we only had hot water. Now as people who know me will know, I have little difficulty in complaining when things aren't as they should be. so five minutes later we had a man come confirm that the toilet indeed wasn't flushing. ten minutes later we had five men and a hammer confirming the bathroom needed mending. fifteen minutes later we had been upgraded to a better and bigger room where all the appliances worked.

We whiled away a lazy evening watching Ghost Rider between very cheesy Indian adverts.The big American breakfast the next day made up for them trying (but failing i should add) to tax everything we had agreed.

In the morning we headed to Janagarh Fort in Bikaner. the audio guide was also a welcome relief from for guides touts. The beautiful Chandra Mahasl, a room filled with golden deities and delicate paintings from floor to ceiling was my favourite so far. At the end of the tour we came across an old world war one plane, a gift to Maharaja Ganga Singh from the British. The whole complex was the best laid out of all we have seen in India and we both enjoyed wandering round the palace rooms and armouries.

Pushkar

On the way to Pushkar Mr Singh suggested we go and see the “baby tigers” in Deshnok. The Karni Mata or Rat Temple in Deshnok is definitely the weirdest place of worship I have ever been to. Followers believe that the rats or Kabas are souls that have been saved by the God of Death and so are worshipped by feeding them with blessed food and milk. Pilgrims and the sick come to eat food which has been blessed and then nibbled by the rats known as Prabas. Andrew whose feet have been bitten alive by mosquitoes decided that rather than catch bubonic plague he would remain outside. I meanwhile went in to look at the shrine and see the holy rodents for a grand total of five minutes, taking great care not to step on any rats – I would hate to have to placate the deity and have to buy a golden rat.

When we arrived in Pushkar we were greeted by the very hippy owner and cook of our Hotel. Between the pictures and sounds of Bob Marley and the clientelle's harem pants we realised we had arrived in hippy dippy central. Pushkar draws some 11,000 tourists a year to its camel fair. And ever more pilgrims who come to throw rose petals in the lake and make Pushkar Puja. We took a stroll around the lake to take in the town and as we walked, a man got off a motorcycle and handed us some rose petals for the lake, before riding away. Not long after, while Andrew was nearby being attacked by a man with a cut-throat razor, I was accosted by a man who said I was not allowed to visit the lake until I bought some rose petals from him. We both made a swift exit across the Ghat, and returned to our hotel. Being a holy town, Even Gandhi's ashes were sprinkles in the lake) no meat or alcohol are allowed. Not necessarily the place for Andrew and I, but we did greatly enjoy our veggie burger.

---