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Published: March 5th 2009
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Life in India is unlike anything I have ever experienced. The Indian people are both friendly and standoffish. They are both Mean Spirited and highly religious. You can hear them yelling at each other and chasing acow away with a stick and you can watch them burn incense and pray. Here in Pushkar there are over 500 Temples. The size of the city is small, about the physical size of Taos. The population here is about 20,000 people. That size swells to over 80,000 in November for the Camel Fair and will swell also on March 10, another religious festival day. We are leaving for Reshekesh on the 8.
The City itself was said to be formed as " An integral part of the history of Pushkar is related to Brahma and the Brahma Temple situated at the vicinity of the lake. Allusions to Brahma’s killing of the demon Vajra Nabh is refereed to. It is said that Brahma killed the demon with a lotus flower. Some of the petal of the lotus went haywire and landed in three places in Pushkar. A lake sprang up at the place where the petal landed. This is the origin of the Pushkar
Lake. The scenic lake is believed to be the holiest in India. A dip in the lake is supposed to give you that ultimate salvation that all the pilgrims are looking for. Brahma temple is the only temple in India where Brahma is worshiped. Interestingly enough though Brahma is one of the holy trinity, he is not worshiped anywhere else in India or no temples are dedicated to him except in Pushkar."
The main market road is filled with vendors selling their goods. In each small building there are also private little shrines with incense burning all the time. And prayers being made at certain times of day.
Most temples non Hindi's can visit. Not all. Inside the temples strict laws are in place. No shoes, no touching of the opposite sex, appropriate dress, no outward signs of affection. A big stink has been made recently when someone filmed a couple smoking cigarettes and kissing inside a temple compound. It has been making front page news as we travel through out India. One local merchant told me that it was an Israeli couple. I don't know if that is true. I do know that here in Pushkar there
are a lot of French and Israeli folks. The ones we have met are not friendly at all. Russian , UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, all of these folks have been friendly.
When we were at the Temple Odissi Dance it was inside a Temple compound. It was hard not to reach out and touch Annya's hand. The music was incredible and the dancing unbelievable. And if we did, we would have violated some rule. So I can see how something can be taken out of context. I also see how inconsiderate some travelers are. So, I believe the event could be true.
Traveling the streets have less beggars then anywhere else we have been. There are a few. The first night i was bombarded by two boys, 10 yrs old and 8 yrs old. Buy Chapati they say to me. I told them no. They said no want money, money no good for children, buy Chapati. I still said no. Over the days I seen them often, with the same spiel. One night while I was buying water, the 10 yr old shows up. I buy him some crackers for 10 rupees. He is very happy and goes
and shares it with his brother. I ask the shop owner about these guys and he says they live about 4 km outside of town and are very poor. Over the next few days I see them often. They grab my hand and call me brother. They tell me that there Mom is sick, there Dad just died and they are hungry. It might be a hustle, and I am moved by them. I end up buying them a 50 lb bag of wheat and a can of cooking oil. They are in Heaven. Costs 400 rupees. I don't know if they really took it home. They invited me to come with them to their house. We were already scheduled to do something and it was late in the day, early evening and I said no. Maybe a few mouths can be fed with what I did.
What was surprising was how fast the word spread thru town. Soon others boys would approach me and ask, please buy chapatti. Also store owners would say to me, you buy chapatti for boys, good Karma.
Another interesting thing about India is the cows in the street. We have gotten accustom to just walking past them down the narrow streets. The other day Annya told me how she was going thru the market area and a bull brushed its horns against her shoulder. she said he did it meanly. I was surprised. The next day I was walking towards our Hotel and a big black Bull was coming towards me. Did not think anything about it . he was right next to me. I heard a shop keeper yell to me "watch out". As I looked at him I saw out of the corner of my eye the bull lowering his head and his horns and thrusting towards me. I leaped into the shop keepers doorway as the bull rushed with his horns. What an adrenaline rush. The shop keeper waved a stick and the Bull moved back into the center of the street. A western woman was watching the whole thing unfold and she says this Bull is a bad bull. You have to watch out for him. I waited until he past the door and made my way safely to the hotel. Now we are both more wary when moving past any of the animals we see. This morning a cow walked into the lobby of our Hotel. The workers gently led her back outside.
As i was writing this blog a few days ago, in a internet cafe. A small room, 10 x 15 feet filled with computers, no food. A woman next to me starts yelling your mouse, your mouse. I look at my computer mouse and she says no, look on top of your computer. There is a little brown mouse, just looking at me. I jump back in my chair and the mouse jumps down next to my computer on top of my hat. The lady who yelled, grabs my hat and the mouse jumps down to the floor and scurry's away. No one thinks twice about what happened. I waited to put my hat on after washing the top at the Hotel.
What treats.
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