Delhi - Pushkar by Car
It was 17 November before departing Delhi by car to Puskar. We first swung by the
Garmin office to pick up the GPS, but they couldn’t load the map either. Hopefully, this
would be my last public transport in India, as I was itching to get going.
Finally, Pushkar was reached, and what an unusual place. Being a holy town, virtually
all Hindus will visit the town at least once during their lifetime. No beer or meat is sold
in the city, but I’m sure one can find it if you wish. A holy lake forms the centre of
town, and it’s said to have appeared when Brahma dropped a lotus flower. Featuring
more than 50 bathing ghats and hundreds of temples, constant drumming and
chanting filled the air. Sleeping in was no option due to gongs, drums and chanting
starting around five in the morning—a blessing as I wanted to get up early to catch
the morning light.
The famous camel fair is where Rajasthan’s people come to show, auction, and buy the
best camels and horses the area offers. The outskirts of Pushkar were a sea of camels
and a place where traders lived in makeshift tents. Still, a festive mood prevailed. Kids
ran about wanting their pictures taken, and men sat on their haunches in serious
bargaining conversations. I was impressed by the horsemanship and horse trainers. It
was quite impressive what they could make the animal do. These desert horses'
distinctive features are their ears curving in, practically touching.
Taking pictures of all that was happening was trying, as the event was considerably
more substantial than I anticipated. The place was swarming with people, camels, and
horses—getting a clear shot of anything was quite an achievement. Feeling out of my
league amongst the countless professional photographers, staying out of their way
was made possible by slinking around the back.