Backpacking Pushkar

Backpacking Pushkar

A Small Hippie hole, A Hidden City with Easy going Vibe.

Pushkar has a magnetism all of its own – it’s quite unlike anywhere else in Rajasthan. It’s a prominent Hindu pilgrimage town and devout Hindus should visit at least once in their lifetime. The town curls around a holy lake, said to have appeared when Brahma dropped a lotus flower. It also has one of the world’s few Brahma temples. With 52 bathing ghats and 400 milky-blue temples, the town often hums with puja (prayers) generating an episodic soundtrack of chanting, drums and gongs, and devotional songs.

The result is a muddle of religious and tourist scenes. The main street is one long bazaar, selling anything to tickle a traveller’s fancy, from hippy-chic tie-dye to didgeridoos. Despite the commercialism and banana pancakes, the town remains enchantingly small and authentically mystic.

Pushkar is only 11km from Ajmer but separated from it by Nag Pahar (Snake Mountain).

the Holy Lake of Pushkar

Pushkar, “the rose garden of Rajasthan” is where traditional meets hippie in the desert state.

If this is the trouble of your life ... this gets solved in Pushkar for sure ..

The beautiful and mesmerizing sound of tumbi or ektara follows you everywhere through the streets. There is the sound of small bells trickling in the small shops. The temple bell rings throughout the whole town every once in a while. The sun goes down like a super star every day, with musicians from different countries playing at the ghat horizon.

And if there are any gaps left, it gets filled by speakers put in the streets by the cafe/ restaurant owners.

How To Reach Pushkar.

Take a Train From Ahmedabad Railway Station to Ajmer,Rajasthan

Train Name : Ala Hazrat Express

Departs from Ahmedabad Departs @ 20:20

Arrives Ajmer @ 06:00 

Runs on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday only.

Ajmer to Pushkar:

The best way to get to/from Pushkar from Ajmer is by bus (10 to 15 rupees). From Ajmer to Pushkar, buses leave from both the bus station ("bus stand") and the train station ("railway station"). At the bus stand, buses to Pushkar leave from the last stall, nearest the exit. From the railway station, ignore the rickshaw drivers who will tell you that you have to go to the bus stand (2 km distant) and cross the pedestrian overpass in front of the station--buses to Pushar stop across the street from the station, usually under the overpass.

From Pushkar, there are two bus stands--the "Marwar" bus stand and the "New" stand, just opened this year. The Marwar bus stand has through buses on their way to Ajmer and private minibuses that go back and forth between Pushkar and Ajmer; it is convenient if your hotel is in the north end of Pushkar (Milkman, Whitehouse or, my personal favorite, Rising Star). The New bus stand, on the bypass road, is the terminal for the big, new (sort of) public buses, the ones with electric signs on their fronts which may or may not be working; it is a bit closer to central Pushkar.

In the mornings and evenings buses leave every ten minutes or so, but in mid-day service is much less frequent, so allow at least an hour waiting in addition to half an hour travel time to Ajmer. Some private minibuses from the Marwar stand and some big government buses from the New stand go to the railway station, but if they don't you may have to take a share rickshaw (5 rupees, lined up in the street at the exit from the Ajmer bus stand) to get to the station. If you want to go to the bus stand and the bus goes to the railway station, share rickshaws to the bus stand leave from the same place as buses to Pushkar (underneath the overpass).

Stay:

Atithi Guest House

Rates could be around Rs. 300-500

More Details in Link below:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/rajasthan/pushkar/hotels/atithi-guest-house-pushkar

ChaCha's Garden

Rates Could be Rs. 200-400

More Details in Link below:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/rajasthan/pushkar/hotels/chacha-s-garden

MilkMan GuestHouse

Dormitory 7 Single Bed Room - Rs. 130

Double Bed With Share Bathroom - Rs. 250

http://hotels.eglobe-solutions.com/hotelmilkman/booking/detail#bookingsteps
Lotus Hotel

https://www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g319729-d2717746-Reviews-Hotel_Lotus_Pushkar-Pushkar_Rajasthan.html#
It has good rooftop cafe with Lake view and one of the favourite hangout place for backpackers.
Rates could be around Rs. 300-400

Day 1

1. Visit 2000 year old Brahma temple: Though Brahma said to be the God of Gods but as compared to other Gods, Brahma has only 5 historic temples in the world and the most important one is Pushkar. Attending the Aarti is recommended and don’t forget to listen to Kanhaiya Lal, a Khandani Nagada player, who  has been playing musical instruments at the temple for ages. Nathulal Solanki.
2. Visit the Pushkar Lake surrounded by 52 Ghats: Offer puja but beware of the ponga pandits who will lure you into offering puja by asking you to listen to the mythological tale by just paying Rupees ten for thepujathali. But that’s the catch, within minutes they’ll ask you to give Rupees Eleven hundred or more to offer puja towards your well-being. Don’t get into their trap. They are a big nuisance in the lake premise.

1. Shopping: Any trip, whether for leisure or spiritual reason, is incomplete without a good retail therapy session. And Pushkar doesn’t disappoint you in that department. The main shopping places in Pushkar are Sarafa Bazar, Baza Bazar, Sadar Bazar and Kedalganj bazaar from where you can buy textiles, unique embroidery clothes, casual clothes like gunji and lowers, ethnic jewellery which is specialty of Rajasthan, beads, brass utensil, lovely colourful bangles, great value for money camel leather goods, bags of different kinds but go for camel leather, shoes, paints, spices and much more. But if Jaipur features in your itinerary then I would suggest to buy it from there, considering in Jaipur you’ll get more variety and at a lesser price.

Where to buy

The major shopping areas in Pushkar are Sarafa Bazar, Baza Bazar and Kedalganj bazaar. Another great place to shop is close to Pink Floyd Café, Choti Basti where everything is for Rs. 20 only!
If you are looking for someone who can get you tailor made ladies garments in few hours, Jaipur Wala Tailor is the best place, located inside Old Rangji Temple. ሿ+91-935438419, hktextiles@rediffmail.com

Venus Leatherware is the manufacturer and exporter of colorful handmade bags and leather ware, uses recycled leather to create very fine handicrafts, near SBBJ Bank. ሿ +91-9829837885, +91-145- 2772053, www.venuscraft.com

Some of the stuff may be outdated, but if you dig in, you’re sure to find something you like. And, don’t forget to bargain!

1. The Pushkar Music School: Pushkar being a land where Saraswati, the goddess of learning and knowledge, is worshipped it is but natural to find writers, artists, scientists and all others coming here in pursuit of knowledge and blessings. So, if you are the creative one then Pushkar has something for you. You’ll find many Music and Art schools here. One such school is ‘The Pushkar Music School’ where you can learn classical sitar, tabla, harmonium, dancing and more, for Rs150 per hour in a peaceful lakeside location.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/rajasthan/pushkar/activities/other/pushkar-music-school

https://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction_Review-g319729-d6518065-Reviews-Pushkar_Music_School-Pushkar_Rajasthan.html

1. Rent a bike: Pushkar is a very tiny town and can easily be covered in a day or two. So it’s a good idea to head out for a scenic drive around Pushkar. Also, there are more than 400 temples around Pushkar that can easily be covered by a bike. There are a lot of Rental companies offering you a scooter for 150 rupees a day. But before you take a bike on rent, don’t forget to check the condition of the bike. You don’t want be stuck in the middle of nowhere. The best way to roam around is on bike. It can be easily hired from Ambay Motor Bike near Ajmer bus stand for 250/- a day excluding petrol. There are few more people around but Ambay’s bikes are better maintained. ሿ +91-145- 2773945, +91-9414300049.



Sun n Moon Cafe



Raju Terrace Garden  



Pink Floyd Cafe

2. Go Foodie: Pushkar, with more than 250 restaurants, is a vegetarian paradise. It is said that Pushkar has more number of restaurants and temples than homes. Being a holy place, Pushkar is a vegetarian town so no restaurants serves meat and alcohol. However, don’t be surprised to find all kinds of world cuisines here. There are many famous restaurants that you must try. For example the rooftop lake view Raju Terrace Garden Restaurant is a travellers’ favourite serving lot of Indian and continental dishes. Other restaurants that you can try are Pink Floyd café, Sun-n-Moon, Honey & Spice restaurant, Sixth sense, out of the blue, Om Shiva Garden Restaurant, and LittleItalyamong others. Also, Sunset Café is a good place to watch the sun go to bed. If you’re in Pushkar, head to Sonu Juice Shop in the main bazaar area to find some of the best juices in town. Our favourite was banana, coconut and dates, which is the best juice we have ever had in our lives. If you’re not in the mood for a juice, they also have lassis, shakes and breakfast muesli.
3. Sunset in Pushkar: The best time to visit Pushkar lake is at sunset. The view over the water surrounded by the ghats on all sides is picture perfect. The best place to view a sunset over Pushkar lake is at Folla Sui Ghat, in front of Sunset Cafe.
   There are two options to view a sunset over Pushkar lake. Depending on how early you get there, you can either sit on the porch of Sunset Cafe and enjoy a drink while watching the sun set, or you can sit on the steps of the ghat, like most other people, and enjoy the sunset.
   
   
   
   We would get a juice from Sonu Juice Shop and take it to the ghat to drink while watching the sun set over Pushkar lake.
   His beats were catchy that my body moved automatically to his rhythm, and I felt myself dancing while I sat on the steps of the ghat. His drum beat picked up tempo as the sun got lower in the sky till the setting sun was gone. It was quite a musical event leading to a crescendo of sorts at the end.
   
   It is a great place to watch the sunset over beautiful Pushkar lake. While the view of the setting sun over the calm, peaceful lake is relaxing, the drum playing is upbeat at the same time, providing a combination that is soul stirring.

While we stayed in Pushkar, every evening we would head to the ghat in front of Sunset Cafe to watch the sun set. About half an hour before the sun would set, a local man would start playing his drum. According to stories, he has been playing in front of Sunset Cafe for the last 20 years without missing a day.

Apparently it's completely safe. For 1$ you can hold it yourself.

1. Street food: 

Ganga restaurant

Banana Nutella Pancake @ Ganga Restaurant

Pohas – Every morning all along the roads people come with carts and set up street side  poha stalls. Poha is a kind of flat rice which is cooked with vegetable likes potato and peas and served with a garnish of fresh tomatoes, coriander etc. This simple dish served in a newspaper for just Rs 5 is the most amazing poha that I have ever eaten anywhere in India or at home. This is a must try for at least one day breakfast. 

Sonu Juice Centre – In the centre of the main street of Pushkar, you have a really small stall called the Sonu Juice Centre. Here for just Rs 40 – 60 you can try the most awesome fresh fruit juices in some pretty unusual combinations. From my own experience I tried a pineapple pomegranate and lemon and also a melon mint lemon and loved both of them. They also have some combinations like kiwi banana, chickoo pineapple banana etc. All the juices are made right in front of you, are chilled and super fresh and refreshing. A must during every break from the shopping and temple visiting in this town.

Ganga Restaurant – Just opposite the Sonu juice centre, there is again a very small stall called the Ganga restaurant. This place is famous for its falafels and pancakes. Since I am a pure vegetarian (no eggs either) I find very few places where I get falafels or pancakes and this place turned out to be one of my all time favourites. As you can see from the pic below they have a staggering variety of falafels (there is an additional printed menu too) and each falafel is a must try. Also each falafel is quite heavy and turns out to be an entire meal. Apart of the falafels, I also tried the banana nutella pancake and that too is highly recommended 

• Sarvadia Sweet House – In the middle of the main street in Pushkar, there is a sweet house called the Sarvadia Sweet house which makes a signature dessert called the rabdi malpua. Now don’t go by the looks of this place, it may look really down trodden but their radbi malpua (fried condensed milk) is the just mind-blowing. You only get this desert here in Pushkar and it’s a must must eat for everyone who has a sweet tooth like mine. In fact I packed them and brought them home for friends and family members; and they all loved this too.

• If you are too full from eating all the above mentioned food, then there is a small hand cart vendor near the Brahma temple who sells churan (spice mixtures for digestion). His entire cart is full of all kinds tasty churan combinations and again you can take your pick. 
• It is said that your journey to Pushkar is incomplete without tasting Malpua. Sarweshwar in Halwai Gali has gained name as the oldest sweet shop in Pushkar and for his quality food. His Malpua and milk cake make him even more special. ሿ+91-145-2772009, shrisarweshwar@gmail.com

Rainbow Café’s Lebanese/ Israeli cuisine: It’s like a mini Israel out here as most of the roadside eateries and café’s are known to serve Middle- Eastern dishes like hummus, wraps, falalfel. These eateries have number of choices to offer but all vegetarian. Being a die hard non- vegetarian I did not miss “it” at all with so many options different types of vegetarian options to try from. Falafel, hummus and pita breads with a dash of homemade garlic cheese is definitely worth a try. Rainbow Café’s couscous served with vegetable soup is one of the best and a hot favourite amongst tourist. These eateries also serve twisted burgers which have aubergine, tomatoes, cheese and grated cabbage.

Honey and Spice Italian Food: Honey and Spice is known for their yummy apple crumble. In the evening a vendor is seen selling goodies like apple tart and rum balls in his cart. One must try the special chocolate rum balls!

• Watch the evening prayers at Varah Ghat, a mesmerizing ceremony involving bells and lamps. In the evening, we witnessed a prayer at Varah Ghat, it was mesmerizing. They had huge lamps and chimes of bell. The people were dancing and they had to take turns in carrying a pile of pots on the top of their head

• At Night – Pushkar Lake is busy area of the town, where most tourists converge at night. You can spot various groups playing guitar and singing hymns. Fire twirling and poi swinging are also common sights.

GOING OUT, WEED ETC.

Pushkar is not the best place for going out. It can be problematic to get alcohol in most parts of India, Pushkar is a holy city, so alcohol is banned completely. Of course, it doesn’t mean you can’t get it. Some restaurants serve beer, especially the rooftop ones. It’s never on the menu, but if you ask they will bring it to you. The cost of such ‘luxury’ is around 2$ for a can. The same restaurants will also serve you bhang lassi, it might feature on the menu as ‘magic lassi’, otherwise just ask for it. In case you don’t yet know Bhang is a form of Cannabis that is legal in India, very cheap and available in government stores. It is not as good as it sounds but it’s worth a shot. You can’t buy weed but some shopkeepers sell hashish. The same rule as everywhere else applies – the more paraphernalia they have and the younger they are, the more likely they are to sell cannabis.

Where to buy weed and marijuana seeds in Pushkar,: 

 India There are quite a number of few brokers in Pushkar most of them are attracted by the hippy types. The previous years hotels such as Hanuman and the Sai saba had dealers who are residents though it is still unconfirmed if this is the case there currently. Try and ask around, inquire from travelers at the Sunset café or in one of the more off street cafes on town.

you can also get from The Laughing Buddha Cafe : 

https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g319729-d3506012-r166921145-The_Laughing_Buddha_Cafe-Pushkar_Rajasthan.html

Day 2


Go for Yoga and Meditation classes at pushkar lake at the time of sunrise.
Pushkar Yoga Garden is the best and it takes Rs.250 for an hour.
there are many other classes too.

Savitri Temple on top of pyramid shape hill , this temple is dedicated to second wife of Brahma name Savitri. This temple is devoted to the Godess Savitri, one of Brahma's wives, and is located on the highest hill above the Pushkar town. One can climb a long series of steps to reach the shrine which offers a panoramic view of the Pushkar Lake and surrounding sand dunes..

DRIVE TO AJAYPAL JI

Ajaypal ji temple is located 10kms from Pushkar. Raja Ajay Pal, the founder of Ajmer City, founded this temple in 11th century AC. The temple is surrounded on all sides by boulders of marble which makes the site amazingly beautiful. The drive to Ajaypal ji is one of the most scenic drives around Pushkar. It passes through the forest for initial 3kms which is replaced by sand dunes and then the valley surrounded by the hills. Drive through strikingly beautiful landscapes and small villages. You might as well want to stop and spend some time with simple villagers talking and clicking away. Most of the times when I do so, I am offered tea and local snacks. A mud house, a huge veranda, a well, giggling kids, smiling ladies in their vibrant attire busy with house chores and cattle is what a typical home will comprise of. And men folk with colourful turbans can be seen sitting on a platform below a tree having hookah and chatting.

Rent a motor bike or a scooter from the Pushkar market; look for the Bitumen road leading from the base of Savitri hill that takes you towards Kharekdi village. This road will lead you to Ajaypal ji Temple. Rainy season (August- October) is the best time for this drive when the greenery is at its best and you can see springs, streams and waterfalls all through the drive.

TAKE NAGARA LESSONS AT GANGAUR GHAT

Music is in the soul of Pushkar. While strolling around the lake in evenings, you can find many people learning and playing their favourite instruments. Around Gangaur ghat, look for coke-studio-fame Nathu Lal Solanki, the master drummer teaching the beats to drumming enthusiasts. You can join him and learn to play these local drums called Nagara. He still charges a negligible amount that he used to charge some 20 years back to teach Nagara. He considers this place his karmabhumi from where he has achieved the name and fame and it's his tribute to the place and the art

Roots of Pushkar Records is a music company dedicated to Rajasthani folk music, art and culture, brings together local artists and create world class music. One can trust them as a money changer and Western Union Money Transfer Agency also. ሿ +91-9414415287, www.rootsofpushkar.com

APPRECIATE HERITAGE AT THE COLLECTOR’S PARADISE MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Collector's Paradise is the only museum and art gallery in Pushkar where you get some rare cultural gems collected over 20 years by the recipient of numerous awards and camel decorator, Ashok Tak. The collection includes traditional dresses and textiles collected fromRajasthan, Gujarat, Pakistan and Afganistan and some rare stuff used for camel decoration. If you are fascinated by hand embroidered traditional textiles, then do take the time to go through the exhibits on display. A chat with Ashok Tak would give further insights into his journey and his passion for both camels and clothes.

COLLECTOR’S PARADISE MUSEUM

The best way to unwind after a fun filled day is to enjoy the Kalbelia dance performance. It is one of the most sensuous dance forms of Rajasthan performed by the lively Kalbelia tribe, a nomadic community that was essentially a community of snake-charmers until it was outlawed by the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. With their charm, unbelievably flexible serpentine shimmying and their lovely traditional black attire, they have the talent to absolutely mesmerise you. The beats and the movements will surely instigate you to join them in their dance.

Many hotels arrange the dance performances in their premises for their guests. Sai Haweli near Varah Ghat Chowk arranges this every Saturday. You can also contact the dancers directly and ask them to perform in the evening near dunes. You can find them roaming around in themarket and the desert area.

ENJOY A KALBELIA DANCE PERFORMANCE

The best way to unwind after a fun filled day is to enjoy the Kalbelia dance performance. It is one of the most sensuous dance forms of Rajasthan performed by the lively Kalbelia tribe, a nomadic community that was essentially a community of snake-charmers until it was outlawed by the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. With their charm, unbelievably flexible serpentine shimmying and their lovely traditional black attire, they have the talent to absolutely mesmerise you. The beats and the movements will surely instigate you to join them in their dance.

Many hotels arrange the dance performances in their premises for their guests. Sai Haweli near Varah Ghat Chowk arranges this every Saturday. You can also contact the dancers directly and ask them to perform in the evening near dunes. You can find them roaming around in themarket and the desert area.