Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Pushkar is a holy town in Rajasthan separated from the city of Ajmer by a mountain range. In Sanskrit, the word Pushkar means lotus flower. One mythological legend states that the Gods set free a swan with a lotus in its beak. Wherever the swan was to drop that lotus, Lord Brahma would perform a ritual prayer ceremony at that place. The place where the lotus fell was hence called Pushkar. Another legend states that Lord Brahma saw a demon who was harassing people. He immediately slew the demon with his weapon- the lotus-flower. During this fight , the lotus petals fell on the ground at three places, where springs emerged creating three lakes: the Pushkar Lake or Jyeshta Pushkar (greatest or first Pushkar), the Madya Pushkar (middle Pushkar) Lake, and Kanishta Pushkar (lowest or youngest Pushkar) lake. When Brahma came down to the earth, he named the place where the flower (pushpa) fell from Brahma’s hand (kar) as “Pushkar.”

Pushkar is a town of temples that dot the streets surrounding the holy Pushkar lake. Pilgrims travel from all over India to take ritual baths in the lake and to visit the temples around the lake. There are 52 holy banks (Ghats) of the lake. I stayed at Gau (Sacred Cow) Ghat, one of the several holy banks around the lake. One early morning, I photographed this old couple who undertook the holy bath at the ghats and then changed into fresh clothes for prayers at the bank. Not only was their devotion to the ritual and the lake astounding, but the manner in which they helped each other with the bath was heartwarming and beautiful. 

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Historically, the lake’s history is said to date back to the 4th century BC. The study of coins date the lake back to this time. Also, inscriptions at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh also suggest that Pushkar was a site of pilgrimage during the 2nd Century BC. Currently, the lake is 22 square kilometres and is fed by monsoon. However, in recent years, pollution and erratic monsoons have led to a reduction in the depth of the lake.  

When I visited Pushkar, the lake was without water and was being manually deepened. However, smaller ponds of lake water were formed at each of the holy banks so that pilgrims could continue with their rituals and baths. Ritual baths with water from the lake are believed to cure ones sins and any skin diseases one might have.

Also seen one early morning, the following photographs are of a female pilgrim taking ritual dip in the holy water. Following the bath, female pilgrims use long sarees as shields behind which they can change into fresh clothes and proceed to pray. 

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

A story of a ninth-century Rajput king states that the king reached the shores of the lake while on a hunting trip and feeling thirsty, put his hand into the lake’s water. His skin disease is supposed to have been cured in a few minutes and as word spread of this, more and more pilgrims flocked to the lake. 

Politicized historical accounts also detail the “atrocities” committed by Mughal Kings on the banks of the holy lake. These include “hunting, destruction of temples, slandering Hindus.” Today, Pushkar is an alcohol-free, vegetarian city, where tourists and pilgrims are cautioned to not utter any anti-Hindu remarks. 

This set of photographs was taken at Gau (Sacred Cow) Ghat which has recently been re-named Gandhi Ghat (as Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were submersed here). 

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

As mentioned above, Pushkar is a vegetarian town. Many temples and homes around the Ghats are dotted with cows, goats, dogs, and pigeons. Gau (Sacred Cow) Ghat is particularly known for animals that have adopted it as their home. The pilgrims and the priests in turn adopt the animals as their own. 

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

There are over 500 temples in Pushkar and dawn and dusk are the busiest and most beautiful times for prayer. At dawn, several priests offer prayers at the banks of the lake before they begin their days. At dusk, you can see the last prayers being offered and the sound of temple bells and prayer songs (aartis) take over the entire town. 

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Pushkar has one of the few Brahma temples in the world. Mythological legend states that he was cursed by his wife (in a fit of anger and jealousy) that he would not be worshipped in temples. Other than the famous Brahma temple, there are around 560 temples in the town and hundreds of holy men. 

When you first enter the town on foot (cars are not allowed beyond a point) you are surrounded by priests wanting to save your soul for nothing less than 200 rupees. Tourists are quickly identified (by their backpacks and cameras) and urged to go to the lake immediately, before they do anything else in the town. I am not saying that all the “holy men” in Pushkar are aggressive and looking for tourists, as many stay away from tourists as well, catering to pilgrims from across the country. However, it is interesting to witness the creation and sustenance of the “soul-saving” industry. Also, while I saw holy men and priests everywhere, holy women were rarely seen. The ones that were seen were begging for food and money instead of performing rituals and prayers for tourists and pilgrims. 

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

About 15,000 people live in Pushkar and about 100,000 visitors come to the town every single month (in October-November, during the time of the Pushkar Camel Fair, this number is higher). Previous years have seen 16-17 million visitors a year. Daily life in Pushkar seems to revolve around two things: catering to tourists and catering to pilgrims. While the second involves professions around temples and rituals, the first involves running hostels, markets, restaurants, tour operating companies etc.

On my visit, I noticed that restaurants and hotels had boards in Hebrew and almost all served falafel and muesli. The influx of tourists from Israel has increased significantly in recent years and now sign boards are in Hebrew. Also, every hotel offered me beer and chicken on the sly (I refused), saying that they understood that tourists needed these things. While the locals are exploring business ideas and tourists are indeed generating money in the town, this urbanization and demographic change left a bitter taste in my mouth, raising questions that are difficult to answer. 

I tried to ignore this side of Pushkar, preferring to explore the town, the ghats, and the lake and avoiding groups of backpackers and their haunts. But of course, I realize that with my camera and backpack, I was one of them and the best I could do was to acknowledge the limitations this brought to my “capture” of Pushkar. 

Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, Singapore

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival on a full moon night in the month of Thai (as per the Tamil calendar). Devotees carry a burden (varying from elaborate structures to pots of milk) that is known as the kavadi. The kavadi is attached to the devotee’s body through piercings (or is placed on the devotee’s head) and can sometimes weigh 20-30 kilograms. Additionally, the devotee often pierces parts of his face, chest, back, and tongue. Devotees fast for 48 hours before the morning of Thaipusam and on the day of the festival attach the kavadi to themselves and undertake a set route for pilgrimage (this can include walking 10-15 kilometers). Pilgrimages are made barefoot and by enduring the physical pain, the devotee thanks the lord for his gratitude and prays to him for the well-being of his family. 

In Singapore, where a significant portion of the population is from the Tamil community, the pilgrimage begins at Sri Perumal temple and ends at the Tank Road Temple covering about 4.8 kilometers. A small number of  ethnically Indian but non-Tamil devotees and a small number of ethnic Chinese and Malay community members also carry out this tradition.

The following set of photographs capture a young man’s preparation for the pilgrimage as his cheeks and tongues are pierced and he is blessed to begin his journey.

January 2011

Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, Singapore

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival on a full moon night in the month of Thai (as per the Tamil calendar). Devotees carry a burden (varying from elaborate structures to pots of milk) that is known as the kavadi. The kavadi is attached to the devotee’s body through piercings (or is placed on the devotee’s head) and can sometimes weigh 20-30 kilograms. Additionally, the devotee often pierces parts of his face, chest, back, and tongue. Devotees fast for 48 hours before the morning of Thaipusam and on the day of the festival attach the kavadi to themselves and undertake a set route for pilgrimage (this can include walking 10-15 kilometers). Pilgrimages are made barefoot and by enduring the physical pain, the devotee thanks the lord for his gratitude and prays to him for the well-being of his family. 

In Singapore, where a significant portion of the population is from the Tamil community, the pilgrimage begins at Sri Perumal temple and ends at the Tank Road Temple covering about 4.8 kilometers. A small number of  ethnically Indian but non-Tamil devotees and a small number of ethnic Chinese and Malay community members also carry out this tradition.

These photographs were taken in and around the temple as devotees prepared for the pilgrimage, left for the pilgrimage, and walked the set path of the pilgrimage.