Pushkar is a small and charming hill city right outside of Ajmer. The town curls around a lake that is supposed to be holy, and Hindus have to visit the lake at least once in their lifetime. Since it is a pilgrimage town, we felt like we had to take part of one of the religious rituals the town had to offer. When we came to the famous Brahma temple, we were offered a tour through the blue temples, where no donations or payment were asked for. BUT at the end of our one hour tour, they separated us by the holy lake, making us sit down in front of each our statue of Hindi gods, where a man would make us swear on our family that we would make a donation of at least 500Rupees/60NOK to the temple. After they fed us with bad consciousness, one of us gave in, and the other one refused. There is no need to say who was who in this situation, but if anyone should visit this temple in the future, one should prepare oneself for guides who will do whatever it takes to make you feel bad and give a donation.
Except from riding camels around a mountain, we have spent the days washing clothes and shopping for new supplies. Compared to many cities in India, Pushkar has a both spiritual and relaxing atmosphere, where you will find a lot of interesting tourists, living a life where they take everything at ease.
