The two faces of the sacred city of Pushkar
For the Hindus, there are 5 sacred lakes, at least one of which they must visit with a pilgrimage in life, to enter its waters and purify themselves. Pushkar, a small town in Rajasthan, is one of the most important centers of Hindu pilgrimage and stands around the waters of Pushkar Sarovar, one of the five sacred lakes.
Getting there is more difficult than elsewhere, and the railway only leads to the town of Ajmer, which is a 45-minute drive from Pushkar. Many people come here, especially in October, when the famous camel fair is held.
The definition of a sacred city does not give an exhaustive picture of what you will find in this oasis in the desert, divided into two souls, the religious and the tourist one.
THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE
There are more than 500 Hindu temples rising around the lake. The town centre makes a ring around it, surrounded by shops selling junk and souvenirs. Seldom in India have I seen so many tourist traps, selling bags, clothes, poor quality jewelry for the many patrons who, for religious reasons or not, come to browse the city. The locals are very insistent in trying to sell their merchandise, and many of them try to offer their guidance to the temples, especially the great temple of Brahma which is swarming with worshippers and curious people.
STRICT RELIGIOUS NORMS AND POOR HYGIENE
Among the houses of the bazaar are hidden the entrances to the lake, surrounded by 52 ghats, blocks of steps that descend towards the waters, or to bathing pools where the worshippers go to bathe in the sacred waters that are believed to have healing powers for the body and skin. The waters are far from clean, and one wonders whether the body can really benefit from this ablution.
It is strictly forbidden for non-Indians to immerse themselves in these waters, and the guardians of the accesses to the lake are also very strict on the label that requires to take off the shoes to access the steps down to the lake. Respectable custom, if it were not for the dirt that covers the sacred ground. If you want to go only partially around the lake, without going back to get your shoes, you should take them with you, being very careful to put them in your bag and not to place them on any surface, another forbidden behaviour.
In India hygiene, as we Europeans interpret it, is notoriously not of primary importance: the sacred soil of the ghats is frequented not only by religious people and tourists, but also by cattle and large flocks of pigeons, which, although exceptionally picturesque in our photographs, certainly do not restrain themselves in using the bleachers as toilets. Get ready for an obstacle path to cross barefoot: although these folkloric situations are part of the experience of a trip to India, as a precaution I have kept my socks on, carefully rolled up and trashed once back in town.
SUNRISE AND SUNSET
Forget the hygiene measures anyway, because, sunrise and sunset, on the shores of the lake, are two unmissable shows. At sunset, the faithful, tourists, Westerners in search of their religious vocation and students of yoga schools, crowd the bleachers, and greet the sun disappearing behind the hills that crown the city.
At dawn the atmosphere is decidedly more mystical: even before the sun rises, groups of women in saree and men in boxer shorts go to the edge of the lake to take the sacred bath. Some get naked, some stay fully clothed, all dive into the lake or sprinkle sacred water to avoid entering the frozen lake in the cold morning.
When the sun hits all the ghats with a golden veil, the surface of the lake glitters disturbed by some magenta-coloured sarees, the buildings in the background are veiled and the flocks of pigeons start to cross the sky, however, you will forget the tourist traps and the filthy steps, because this sight will make you touch the soul of India.
