Pushkar (Varanasi-lite)

Pushkar is simultaneously a religious pilgrimage destination for Hindus who believe its lake's water is holy and for the backpacking crowd who come for the spectacle, the yoga, and the bhang. Ghats - temples that step down to the water's edge - line the lake shores. They are as sacred as any other temple and you must remove your shoes to walk along them. The lake serves more than religious purposes though: we saw people bathing, washing clothes, and collecting water right alongside those who were there to worship. Here you can see saris drying on the ghats:

Pushkar is also home to the Brahma temple:















And this insane gold-leaf depiction of a Jain procession:














Other shots were sharing were of these rose-shaped dairy sweets:
And the street-side caterers, who cooked in large iron woks and then sent their hot food on its way in the brass pots via motor bike:
All good stuff, and we were happy to have had time to stay in Ajmer (with the home cooking) and make day trips to Pushkar.

xoxo Jessie