Seeking peace in Pushkar

By Niranjan Chandrasekhar
Posted: 29/04/2012 in Featured Story

We were all set, the� destination chosen was Pushkar and we [my family along with a family friend] were due to leave on the 5^th November, 2011. We drove down from Delhi to Pushkar. As we entered the town, we could feel it was buzzing, literally alive with people, and vibrant colours. The Pushkar fair was just around the corner. Itching to go talk to the people, i had to control my excitement and go with the agenda planned. With a family friend leading the group, we headed straight to the Old Rang Jee Maharaj temple. They had an ashram inside the temple complex that oozed with calm and serenity.

After a brief but fulfiling� darshan, we managed to return to catch a glimpse of the Brahma Aarti that takes place every evening. We were glad to have reached there at 6pm for the crowd was overwhelming.

The temple, the streets, the hotels are all filled with people, tourist, most of whom were on a backpacking tour around Rajasthan. There� were also the odd Sadhu amidst the crowds, who seemed to be lost in their own world, oblivious to the rest of us. One needs to know how to weave around the crowds to get to places of importance in Pushkar.Since there were many elders in our group, the agenda was primarily around the temples and holy places, including taking a dip in the river.

And before we knew it, our trip was coming to an end, but not before we saw the procession of people heading towards the Pushkar fair. People from all over the country and world, every religion seem to be a part of this group, quite an array of colours and life bringing the entire place to life.� For us, rather for me this particular holiday was more than just sight seeing and adventure, it was about learning the nuances of our Hindu culture, the different hues we see in people and ofcourse the importance people give to Holy places, and the satisfaction they achieve from visiting/saying a prayer/performing a pooja/taking a dip/sitting still for a few minutes.

Feel the essence of Rajasthan and enjoy the hospitality of our resorts in this state when you visit Puskar. You can book yourself into The� Flora , Udaipur , The Fort Kumbalgarh, Kumbalgarh or Roop Vilas, Nawalgarh, each of which adds a touch of contemporary feel to the ancient air of the heritage town. If you have the time, �do visit�Kumbalgarh and Udaipur, towns rich in history and culture.