Pushkar

I wanted to post several, well, actually many, pictures from our March visit to Pushkar in Rajastan. As I said, I had never been to Rajasthan before and we didn't get to spend nearly enough time there, but we'll definitely go back next year. Pushkar is one of the most sacred spots in India and every Hindu hopes to visit it once in their lifetime. At the center is Pishkar Lake, which features over a hundred shrines and over fifty ghats (bathing stations for ritual purification). While in Pushkar we also were able to visit one of the only temples dedicated to Brahma in the world. Brahma may be the great world spirit, it's always been Vishnu and Siva who have inspired the more fervent devotion.

A view of Pushkar Lake as you walk into the main entrance. We were catching a train that afternoon so we made it to the lake fairly early so it was quiet.

Here part of the crew sat enjoying the quiet or actually meditating. We had a very uncomfortable meeting with a Hindu priest who blessed us but also stopped half-way through when he realized that we each weren't going to give around fifty dollars each (we happily donated, just not that much).

One of the bathing stations. I think you can actually join in, at least at some of them, as long as you are respectful, which definitely would not have been a problem with the great group of students we brought.

The shopping area in the town itself, which had a manic but also lovely vibe. We were walking up towards the Brahma temple.

Nik, Anna, Charlie and Ashley (featuring her infamous Genius shirt, which she would always point to whenever I had the temerity to question her smack talk).

Charlie, ably assisted by our friend and guide Santosh, blade shopping. Genevieve and Kelly laughing about some mischief.

One of the many shrines around Pushkar Lake, this one featuring a lingam. Women hoping to get pregnant tosses flowers onto the top of the very phallic lingam.

As we know, it always comes back to Hanuman and the Ramayana.

Another Hanuman themed shrine.

And another of the hundred shrines that surround the lake.

And another lingam at a small shrine.

The view as you enter the lake.