a few years ago we were blessed with the opportunity to visit Puskar Lake in Rajasthan. this sacred lake is one of the holiest sites in all of India. a bath in the lake is highly auspicious and purifying, so it is a very popular pilgrimage destination, especially during Kartik Poornima. however since there is also a very popular camel fair in town at that time, and we came in search of peace and tranquillity we chose an alternative date.
the lake is surrounded by hundreds of temples and bathing ghats
though the sacred lake was virtually free from anything commercial, any newcomer will inevitably be approached by touts, occasionally bothersome, offering more or less dubious goods or services cloaked in a spiritual pretext. happily, once barefoot and on the ghats the mood was relaxed and calm.
locals and pilgrims gathered on the ghats for their daily activities
joined by tourists taking photos of the historic and religious sites as well as each other and selfies. in the background is the footbridge with arches where rainwater from the surrounding mountains flows into the lake.
cows, dogs and pigeons completed the scene
the mood became even calmer around sunset, most people including the touts had gone and the ghats had become mostly deserted
a walkway goes around the entire lake allowing for a very pleasant scenic evening walk. pilgrims to the lake and temples typically take this walk, called a parikrama.
there was definitely a spiritual feeling during the walk though we had to watch where we stepped, especially since we were barefoot and wanted to avoid anything wet or mooshy
