Tales from a recce – Pushkar Pushkar (born of flower which Hindu mythology has it comes from the Swan with lotus that was sent by the gods so Brahma could perform his Yagna) is one long stretch of open land and is located just 14 kilometres off Ajmer. You would wonder what makes this deserted stretch of land famous. It is essentially the Pushkar mela besides of course the only Brahma temple*. During any time but the mela, Pushkar would look no different from any other village or town in Rajasthan. Acres and acres of barren land, kids on swings, people walking past you, often Camel in tow, women in colourful outfits, folk musicians and of course a huge crowd headed for the Pushkar lake and the Brahma temple. The kids by the tea-shop are a regular fixture I would presume. They have made the tree with the swing their own and are joyfully playing totally oblivious to the world around them. Their smile can wipe out the tiredness from any face. The path to the Pushkar lake is lined by shops on either side. You will find hawkers selling all kinds of stuff, really interesting and curious stuff which will make you wonder how they think up some of these products with tourists in mind. As you walk past the narrow streets it would be difficult to miss all the colour and a passing folk musician's music will announce his arrival. Pushkar is definitely worth a visit, more so during the mela which boasts of the largest camel fair in the world. This is a favourite haunt for the foreign tourists and is rivaled in colour and scale only by the Kumbh mela. With Camel races to set off the event and also sale of livestock, textiles, trinkets and folk music and dance accompanying it would sure be a sight to behold. For those interested the Pushkar mela happens in November and begins on a full-moon day. But then you missed it this year when it happened between 18 and 24 November. You will have to wait another year to witness it. You won't regret being there. I sure hope to be there when it happens in the very near future. Until then I will take pleasure in the fact that I did go there. So what if I only imagined the Mela happen right in front of me. * Brahma was cursed, mythology has it, that he wouldn't be worshipped for reasons that have been passed on through various stories. One story goes thus : Brahma performed a Yagna with Gayatri, a local milkmaid. Incensed, Savitri cursed her husband that he would never be worshipped anywhere except in Pushkar and that too only once a year. Savitri left for Ratnagiri Hill after cursing her husband and immolated herself there at which location you have the Savitri temple. Another story goes : Shiva asked Brahma and Vishnu to find the end of the 'Linga' J. Vishnu came back tired. Brahma said he had indeed found the end of 'Linga' to which Shiva said there is no end or beginning to the Linga. And for uttering this lie he was cursed. After Brahma apologized he was allowed worship at one place, Pushkar. Any other myth any of you have access to please share.
