Nature leaves a mark on you and you dont leave a mark behind!

Pushkar – land of camels n temples

Pushkar is a town in the Ajmer district in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is situated at 14 km North West from Ajmer at an average elevation of 510 metres (1673 feet), and is one of the five sacred dhams (pilgrimage sites for devout Hindus). It is often called "Tirth Raj" - the king of pilgrimage sites - and has in recent years become a popular destination for foreign tourists.

Pushkar is one of the oldest cities of India. Pushkar lies on the shore of Pushkar Lake. The date of its actual origin is not known, but legend associates Lord Brahma with its creation. It is mentioned that Brahma performed penance here for 60,000 years to have a glimpse of Vishnu.

 

Pushkar Fair

Pushkar fair continues for five days and these five days are a period of relaxation and merry-making for the villagers. This fair time is the most busy time for them, as this is one of the largest cattle fairs in the country. Animals, including over 50,000 camels, are brought from miles around to be traded and sold. Trading is brisk as several thousand heads of cattle exchange hands. All the camels are cleaned, washed, adorned, some are interestingly shorn to form patterns, and special stalls are set up selling finery and jewelery for the camels. Camels at the Pushkar fair are decorated with great care. They wear jewelery of silver and beads. There are silver bells and bangles around their ankles that jangle when they walk. An interesting ritual is the piercing of a camel's nose. It has more than 400 temples including the only one temple in India dedicated to the Hindu God Lord Brahma, the Creator of the Universe.

According to Indian Mythology, after visiting all the Hindu pilgrim towns and temples (Four Dhams), if Pushkar is not visited for Pooja, then salvation is not achieved. According to the Hindu calendar Pushkar Fair commences in Nawami (Ninth Moon) and ends in Purnima (Full Moon) in the month of Kartika, which can be in October or November depending on the Moon calendar In Pushkar, one of the biggest Cattle Fair is also held for trading purposes and the best cattle in all categories are awarded. Countless people in their colourful attire gather to take a dip in the Holy Lake and pray to the deities. The whole town comes alive with vibrant folk music and dances, magic shows, horse and camel races and various other traditional entertainment competitions.Pushkar, with more than 12 local fairs and festivals of 10 –15 days duration is a year round destination. It is a mellow town by the great lake of Pushkar amidst the perfume of jasmine and rose flowers. More than 4,000 to 6,000 visitors from all over the world come to Pushkar everyday

 

Pushkar is a town which many may have heard of due to it being one of the Hindu pilgrimage sites or as the destination where every year where over 5,00,000 camels are traded. Pushkar is also famous for its holy lake believed to have been created and blessed by Lord Brahma which is said to provide salvation for all those who take a dip here. Thus the multitudes of camels are replaced by multitudes of Hindus as the camel fair ends with a religious festival. Though the town is rumoured to have over 400 temples and palaces, the temple of note is the one dedicated to Lord Brahma, which is the only one of its kind in the world.

The town is quaint in all its aspects – a lake, surrounded on all sides by temples & palaces, small lanes dotted with silver, antique and temple-ware shops, cafes catering to tourists and pilgrims crowded with people from all walks of life. The evenings start with a magical sunset and as the last rays of the sun touch the water of the lake, the temples come alive with the evening arti ceremony. The sounds of the temple bells are accompanied by chanting, smell of incense and the showering of flower petals.

 

Located just a ten minute drive from the center of town is the luxury resort Orchard. The resort was so named because it was built on an actual Amla (Indian Gooseberry) orchard. The resort is spread over 33 acres with the accommodation available over 12 acres. In keeping with the ethos of Pushkar, where all pilgrims and traders live in tents and carts, Orchard too provides its guests with tents for accommodation. Unlike those used by the locals, the tents at Orchard are a statement in luxury. Each tent is almost 700 sq. ft. with an attached permanent bathroom. All tents have a bedroom, a living area and a dressing area. Interiors are kept contemporary with traditional touches brought in by the famous Jaipur blue pottery and marble lamps from the neighboring marble mines of Kishangarh. Each evening the resort does its very unique Orchard Aromatherapy Turndown Service with incense and rose petals providing a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere.

 
 

En-suite bathrooms are equipped with hot & cold water, herbal accessories and fine linen which include beautiful Orchard signature bathrobes. All rooms have a hair dryer, telephone, hardwood furniture and a private veranda with chairs. 

 
 

Meals served are a mélange of Indian and international cuisine, though being a holy town no meat or alcohol is served at the resort.

 
 

The resort offers a huge number of entertainment options from Hot Air Ballooning, to yoga, its very own dance troupe that performs in the evenings and camels and camel carts to take people to Pushkar or surrounding areas. Apart from these the resort offers a huge array of outbound training and exercises.

 
 

What is also commendable is that the staff of the resort comprises of locals who own the land on which the resort is built, thus the service that you get there is that much more personalized and warm. There is always someone who is available 24 hours to look after any needs a guest may have. The resort also offers people an opportunity to give back to society as it arranges special lunches for a neighborhood school which has approximately 300 children.

Holidays round the corner …..Travel tips

CHECKLIST TIPS

» First things first please check the travel documents, tickets, passport (with sufficient validity period), currency, insurance, valid visas etc.

» Medicines with the prescriptions, carry suggested alternatives to deal with emergencies

» Children stuff goes first

» Gadgets wont work unless charged, so pack your chargers for camera, ipod, mobile, ipad etc etc

 

 

CLOTHING TIPS

»  Coordinate your clothes around one or two basic colors. This cuts down on the number of shoes and accessories
    you have to bring.

»  Take as few clothes as possible. Plan on laundering. One person suggested one week's worth of clothes. I take
    fewer unless they are my washable silks.

»  Wear and carry washable silk clothing whenever possible. It is as warm as and as cool as cotton. It dries overnight
    and 10-15 pieces take no more room than two pair jeans. There are some other manmade fabrics that travel as
    well if not better, but they cost quite a bit more.

»  Plastic rain coat can double as a bathrobe or windbreaker.

»  Take older clothes that can be discarded along the way. Great for growing children. Many places, the local people
    are pleased to get these castoffs. There are travelers who take nothing but old clothes so they have that much
    more room for bringing souvenirs home.

»  Jeans - I never take them as they take so long to dry. If both the time and money for laundering are concerns, take
    lighter weight pants.

 

 

HEALTH TIPS

»  If you have any food allergies, learn the names of those foods in the languages used in the countries you'll be
    visiting. This way you'll be better equipped to stay on the look out for them.

»  Find out what types of diseases are common to the area you'll be visiting and take actions to prevent your exposure
    to those diseases.

»  Find out what types of vaccinations you will need to enter the country, there may also be medications you'll need to
    take before, during and even after your trip. Get your vaccinations early in case you have a reaction and need some
    recovery time.

»  You should consider a dental appointment if you haven't had a check up in a while.

»  Be careful what you eat and drink.

»  Carry complete health information with you on your trip.

»  How can I protect myself from traveler's diarrhea while traveling abroad?

• When you are traveling abroad, don't forget that drinking another country's water can be dangerous.
• Stick with bottled or boiled water and carbonated soft drinks.
• Remember that the ice in your drink turns into water, so order them with out ice.
• Wipe off the tops of cans before you drink from them, or better yet, bring some straws to use for drinking.
• Avoid raw foods, as they can also be a good way to get sick.
• Only brush your teeth with bottled water and keep your mouth shut when you're in the shower, even an accidental
  spray can get you sick.

 

MONEY TIPS

»  Take your major credit cards, such as, Visa, Master Card and American Express.

»  Make sure they are really credit cards and not just debit cards with a credit card company's logo on them. Many
    locations require a credit card and will not accept a debit card, so they may have limited use on your travel.

»  Leave all your local store credit cards in a secure location at home; there will be no need to carry them with you.

1.  Why should I contact my credit card companies before I leave?

You want to notify them of your trip. They may delay you if they are unaware you are traveling. The unfamiliar spending patterns might cause them to suspect that the card is being used fraudulently and delay your approvals.

They will be able to explain many of the services that they can provide while you are on your trip.

2.  How can my credit card company help prepare me for my trip?

You can arrange to pay bills that will come due while you are gone.

They will be aware that you will be making charges from another country.

They will be able to give you an idea of how acceptable their credit card is in that particular country.

They can verify acceptance at certain foreign locations.

They'll be able to see if your PIN number will work in the countries you are visiting. They can also issue you another PIN number if your current PIN is unacceptable to the foreign bank's system.

They can explain cash advance, ATM, foreign purchase and foreign exchange rate policies and fees.

They can explain any services they offer, such as, extra insurance for your rental car, luggage or purchases. Make sure the coverage offered extends outside the United States and will be valid in all the countries where you'll be traveling. Also, be sure to note any other exceptions.

They may need to give you another phone number to call in case you need to reach them. The 800 number listed on the back of your card may not work from foreign locations.

You can find out if they charge a currency conversion fee, so you can find the most economical card on which to place your foreign purchases.

3.  Should I use my ATM card while traveling?

Yes, you'll have access to cash during your trip so you won't have to take as much cash with you and using your ATM card can also be a good way to get cash in foreign countries.

The ATM will issue money in local currency.

You should exchange at the bank's wholesale exchange rate. You may still want to shop around to different banks since some will charge a high usage fee for their ATMs. Although, even high ATM fees may be less than others will charge for currency exchanges.

Don't wait until you're out of money to go to an ATM, the machines can run out of money or break down.

4.  What should I know about using travelers checks?

If the particular brand of travelers checks are accepted in the country you'll be visiting.

How widely they are accepted within the countries you'll be visiting.

Any fees for purchasing and using the travelers checks.

The travelers check company's loss, replacement and refund policies.

5.  How can I protect my travelers checks while traveling?

Take the same precautions you would to protect your cash. Be sure to learn and follow the procedures required if you lose your travelers checks. You'll also need to make copies of your travelers checks before you go and keep separate from them the following information.

The serial numbers of the travelers checks.

The denomination of the travelers checks.

The date and location of their purchase.

The phone number to call to report them missing.