MY DAY IN PUSHKAR

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Jaisalmer, (the desert city I was in the other day), and Pushkar, (the city I am in now), will probably both hold a special significance for me.

Jaisalmer was the place last Friday, (after much panic and concern after getting a message at my hotel to phone home), where I discovered my dad had died. While Pushkar was the place last night I was while his funeral was taking place.

To those of you who don't know, my dad chose to opt out of my life 25 years ago, and indeed had my step sister not chosen to opt back into my life 3 years ago it is doubtfull I'd have ever have known the time or location of his death anyway. So Earth shattering news this was not as I had come to regard him as part of my past a long time ago.

I'm fairly pragmatic about the whole thing, and this has not in any way ruined my holiday. However I'd be lying if I said I've given no thought to it over the last few days, and consider it one of those life markers that come along every now and then.

In many ways it was fortunate I was in India. It's taken out of my hands all those issues and rights and wrongs concerned with whether or not I'd attend the funeral, and in a nation where life and death go hand in hand, and reincarnation is seen as the natural order of things it's given me the ideal enviroment to contemplate life the Universe and Everything.

I've not told the rest of the group.

See no reason to put a dampner on their trip, and don't want people either treading egg shells around me, or for that matter thinking me a total insensitive bastard.

I did come to the decision that at the time of my dad's funeral I should probably seperate myself from the rest of the group and spend a bit of private time. Not so much as a mark of respect, (that would be too strong a term), but as a recognition of a passing and the baring that has on my own place in the world.

As it was circumstances conspired to put me in an environment that seemed appropriate for the occasion. We are currently in Pushkar, (the holiest place in India), which is a small normally sedate town in a valley next to a circular lake that is considered most Holy.

One of the options open to us last night was a Hindu blessing at the lake, which would coincide roughly at the right time for me. I was not the only one who chose to do this, Paula, Jamie, Glenn and Joan came along as well.

The ceremony takes place on the ghats, (steps leading down to the lake), by the lake edge, and last evening the setting was perfect, with the sun setting over the hill above the city, and the town peacefully marking the end of the day.

The Hindu priest goes through a ritual that asks for peace, health and long life for not just us, but 'all our family', and at the same time absolves all our past bad Kama. It was all nicely done, in just the right atmosphere, and to me seemed the most appropriate thing to be doing in the circumstance.

(Right...Deep and meaningfull bit over)!

Pushkar is a bit of a new age town.

NOTE… ""Historically, Pushkar always had great strategic importance and was sacked by Mahumud of Ghanzi on one of his periodic forays from Afghanistan. Later it became a favorite residence of the great Moghula. One of the first contacts between the Moghula and the British occurred in Pushkar when Sir Thomas Roe met with Jehangir here in 1616. The city was subsequently taken by the Scindias and, in 1818, it was handed over to the British, becoming one of the few places in Rajasthan controlled directly by British rather than being part of a princely state.

Located just 11 kms from Ajmer, the holy lake of Pushkar is believed to have been created by Lord Brahma himself. It is as important as Benaras or Puri. Devout Hindus believe that it is essential to visit Pushkar at least once in their lifetime.

No pilgrimage is consedered complete without a dip in the holy Pushkar lake. Pushkar has as many as 400 temples and 52 ghats and the only temple in the country that is dedicated to Brahama is to be found here. While Pushkar is a heaven for the religiously inclined, it is also the venue of one of the country's most colorful cattle fairs - the Pushkar Fair".

It is strictly vegetarian, and no alcohol is served. However Canabis is freely available so on the whole the locals and visitors alike are not too bothered by the lack of drink as half of them are off their heads on the 'special' lasies, (yoghurt type drinks with that little something extra), available everywhere, (the mixture of dope and easy to hire motorbikes makes some of the narrow streets at night a dangerous place to be).

Pushkar has a lot of Hippys, (which makes sense), and a lot of young Isrealies, (which does not)! For a reason I can't suss it's the top destination for Isreali youth to come to relax after their term of military service is over? (Can't help but feel Pushkar is ripe for a terrorist strike one day)!

Usually the town is very relaxed but in November they have the Camel fair, (the largest cattle market in asia), and so right now the town is teeming like Bethlehem was on Christmas Eve year Zero!

Our hotel, though a bit run down and shabby, is very relaxed.

My room has a balcony looking out over an unkempt rose garden and then out to the mountains, (though I suspect if there are King Cobras lurking anywhere in the undergrowth it is here)!

Last night after the blessing we walked the streets and took in the sites and sounds from the bazzar and then ended up at a rooftop hippy joint that Vipal frequents.

All very relaxed, we laid on the floor and ordered food, amongst a few Hippy Isrealies smoking weed, and the whole thing would have been perfect but for the fact the owner decided to put 'Dusk till Dawn' on the DVD for us all to watch?

To my amazement I am the only one of my group to not only have seen this film, BUT TO HAVE ACTUALLY EVEN HEARD OF IT AT ALL!!!!!!

As such I waited until the bit half way through, (where the plot switches from escaped convicts hold captive family to escaped convicts and captive family find themselves in Mexican service station with load of Vampires), and took great amusement at everyones bewilderment, before making my exit to find a cyber caff.

This morning I was up at 5am.

To the East of the town is a high hill that has a temple on top, and by all accounts the view of the sunrise was worth seeing.

NOTE… Savitri Temple is the temple dedicated to Lord Brahma's first wife. It is located on the hill behind the Brahma temple, and one has to climb a long series of steps to reach the destination. It gives a panoramic view of the lake and surrounding sand dunes.

So I set off with my torch, made my way through the dark waking up streets of Pushkar, out into the countryside and up the long run of crumbly steps that wind there way up to the temple on the hill.
It is a long and tiring climb, (but nowt I cant handle), and indeed the sunrise this morning was well worth it.

Pushkar itself lost some of it's spirituality for me in the harsh light of day.

As part of my blessing last night I had a piece of cord wrapped around my wrist which is known locally as the 'Pushkar passport'! It has some other significance that I can't remember but the use of it is that it signifies you've had a blessing, which therin stops you getting hassled by other Hindu priests wanting to give you a blessing and then extricate money from you for the service.

Also don't accept flowers from folk, cos they want money for that too under the guise of it having spiritual meaning, and try and turn nasty if you refuse.

(Didn't cut much mustard with me)!

I had a day walking around the bazzars and after haggling with traders, and sidestepping beggers on a very muggy day I got a bit tired. (I'm fairly certain I bought a pile of tat actually and seem to be developing a cold which is a bit of a nuisance)!

Almost had a nasty encounter at one point.

For those of you who don't know I have a bit of a phobia thing where snakes are concerned.

My tour companions are aware of this, and this morning while I was examining a stall of carvings Micheal suddenly called across to me from the street ....

'Tony Come here now!'

I turned and looked at him, and he repeated...

'Seriously, just walk right across to me right now, come away from there!'

I thought maybe he thought the trader was trying to cheat me and was a bit unimpressed with this sudden over protective attitude. Then Jamie suddenly came running down the street across to me, gripped me firmly by the arm and said...

'Ok Tony, come with me, right now, across the street, no arguments!'

Everyone was just suddenly acting very odd, and I looked at both of them confused when suddenly the penny dropped and I went sick inside.

'Where the fuck is it?' I asked. Jamie told me that didn't matter and that I was just to look straight ahead and walk with him straight down the street right now, which I did without argument.

Turns out directly next to me. I MEAN RIGHT DOWN NEXT TO MY FEET, was a bloke sitting on the ground pulling a cobra out of a basket!!!!!!!!

We went along to where the Camel fair was setting up and that was all very interesting and busy.

NOTE… Every year thousands of devotees throng the lake around the full moon day of Kartik Purnima in October-November to take a holy dip in the lake. Huge and colorful cattle fair "The Pushkar Fair", is also held during this time. Pushkar fair is well-known for it's Camel trading and other attractive activities.

Dance music and colorful shops spring up during this fair. Also on sale are mouth-watering traditional delicacies. Colorfully attired village folk enhance the fun of the occasion.

A host of cultural event against the backdrop of this pretty setting is also organized including attractive puppet shows. Cattle auction and camel races are also a part of the festivities.

(Bought a knife and some bamboo fighting sticks), and then had lunch in the Rainbow rooftop restaurant which was a really bad idea. (It's recomended by Lonely planet and Rough guide.. but believe me, just go somewhere else)!

I walked back to the hotel with Glen in the afternoon. Poor man will have to hire porters soon to transport everything Joan has bought, and every time she mentions shopping I'm sure he's on the verge of cardiac arrest.

This evening we all went down to the Sunset cafe, (which as the name suggests is a key place to watch the Sun set). They bang drums and carry on through the whole process which I think is supposed to be atmospheric, but we all found it a bit obtrusively noisy.

We had a table down by the lake, Vipal, Micheal and Jamie opted for 'special' lasies, but I feel sufficiently seperate from reality currently to have the need for one myself. Tomorrow we're back on the road and on route to Jaipur!

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Photos

Us getting a blessing.
Glen, Jamie, me and Paula.

Me aged 1
This photo was taken in Zambia in 1969 and shows me, (in the centre), with my parents either side, and my sister behind me.