Magical Pushkar

A sustainable perspective on travel & Pushkar’s spiritual hideaway

Written by Nina Karnikowski

---

There is a place in northern India that’s whispered about by those in the know. A laid back, lackadaisical little town that’s far from India’s usual honk and blare, it blooms like a lotus from a peaceful holy lake, opening out towards the surrounding rolling desert. Lean in and listen closely: the name of this spiritual hideaway is Pushkar. Say it out loud, and say it slowly. Pussshkaaar. Like an exhale, isn’t it? Which is exactly what you’ll do when you arrive in this place of solace and rest, one of the oldest and most holy cities in India, after an eight-hour train ride from Delhi.

Pushkar Lake is the geographical heart of this town, a lake usually so still it mirrors the elegant white Rajasthani buildings huddled around it, and the dozens of pigeons soaring overhead. This holy lake is said to have come into existence when the creator of the Hindu universe, Lord Brahma, dropped a lotus flower on the ground, and is described in Hindu scriptures as the king of all pilgrimage sites.

You’ll find dozens of bearded, saffron-robed sadhus, or holy men, praying on the banks, while locals, priests and pilgrims dip their bodies in and out of the healing waters. Take time to simply sit and soak it all in, and perhaps offer a famous deep pink Pushkar rose to the waters in gratitude. You might wander around the lake, visiting Gandhi Ghat where Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were scattered, and at sunset head to Café Lake View, to watch the day’s last light turn the waters apricot while sipping a banana lassi (for religious reasons, no alcohol or meat is sold in Pushkar).

No cars are allowed inside Pushkar town, so you can easily explore the winding laneways, passing crumbling candy-coloured buildings, stalls selling fresh sugarcane juice, holy cows and sweet stray dogs along the way. You’ll want to visit some of the town's 400 Sikh, Buddhist and Hindu temples, which you can do on your own, or enlist the help of a local expert on Vedic Walks’ two-hour ‘Four Religions in a Mile’ walk (vedicwalks.com). And speaking of spirituality, don’t miss taking a yoga class at Pushkar Meditation Temple in the grounds of Old Rangji Temple, run by renowned yoga teacher and mystic Swamiji Kapri.

Pushkar is as much a place for spiritual contemplation as it is for the contemplation of beauty, both natural and manmade. The laneways are dotted with hole-in-the-wall shops selling bejewelled Rajasthani textiles, vintage Bollywood clothing, antique silver jewellery, prayer beads and crystals, and the Sadar Bazaar buzzes with energy all day long.

After infusing your travel dollars back into the local community, it might be time to head out into the desert. Pushkar is famed for its annual camel fair, where 50,000 camels and 200,000 people gather in the desert each autumn in a riot of colour and music, and camels shrouded in bright textiles are seen year-round in the surrounding hills. To avoid animal cruelty, however, it’s best not to take a camel ride, and instead either take a hike or hire a motorbike to see the desert.

Whichever way you choose, if you time your explorations right, you’ll see the surrounding desert sands get set ablaze as the sun dips below the horizon. And you’ll be forgiven for promising yourself, at that precise moment, that you won’t tell another soul about this magical place – a secret to be kept all to yourself.

Stay

Inn Seventh Heaven is a hundred year-old mansion and one of Pushkar’s most special, locally-owned and staffed stays. Spread over five floors built around a central courtyard, it’s filled with indoor plants and lush vines tumbling from the balconies, and is dotted with beautiful Rajasthani art and textiles. The top floor is dedicated to yoga, Ayurvedic massage and meditation. inn-seventh-heaven.com