PUSHKAR -- AJMER -- JAIPUR
Pushkar is one of the Holiest Cities in India and the Annual Camel Fair there attracts close to 5,00,000 tourists every year including the 40,000 foreign tourists . The fair this year was from 5-8 November . My Uncle & Aunt were in Jaipur this weekend which prompted me to plan a Trip out there .
We set out for Pushkar early on the saturday morning . Pushkar lies 400 Kms from Delhi ( Delhi - Jaipur = 250 + Jaipur - Pushkar = 150 ) . The Delhi Jaipur is a part of the Golden Quadrilateral with wonderful Toll roads lined with Greenery. The crowd was an enthusaistic lot and the time flew as we drove towards Pushkar. As we reached Pushkar the Traffic grew and roads became immensely crowded and we finally reached the city after an exhausting 7 hour Drive.
PUSHKAR : Its a rather dusty quaint town with nothing much to boast of other than the Famed Brahma Temple and the International camel fair. We had to walk almost 4 kms from the parking lot to the city . The roads were extremely crowded & dusty but the festive mood kept the air ringing. After a long walk we reached the fair Grounds. Most of the camels had been sold out by the time we reached there ( Since it was the last day ) but we still managed a glimpse of close to 500 camels and horses. The camel ride was exhilirating ( the Takeoff & landing of a camel is a adventure unto itself !!) and we spent the next few hours wandering through the fair. The camel is a fascinating Animal which as adapted itself wonderfully to the Dry Desert Conditions ( It can stay waterless for days , has a very dry skin & foot adapted to wade through the sand & thick eye brows to shield the eyes from Sand etc ..) . The average price of a camel ranges anywhere between Rs.2000 - 30000 ( Depending on the age , both factors being inversely proportional ) .
We next visited the Brahma temple. It is apparently the only temple for Lord Brahma in the world , though there is nothing much spectacular about it. We then had a holy dip at the Pushkar Lake which had some illumanted lights with the back drop of a wonderful sunset .
AJMER : we then headed to Ajmer which is 12 kms from Pushkar towards Jaipur. Ajmer is famous for the Dargah of Moin-ud-din Chisti , a 12th Century Sufi saint. Its one of the Holiest places for Muslims. We visited the Dargah which had a stunning ornate entrance although the supposed to be Holy place unfortunately is more of a money laundering machine these days ( A sad thing which I had noticed in Vrindavan too ) .
JAIPUR : We left for Jaipur early sunday morning. Our Driver would put to test Schumi's winning record had he competed in F1 !! The city palace is beautiful in parts and has some good collection of fabrics & weaponery. There are plenty of the famous Madhubani paintings of Rajasthan there . We then Went to Jantar mantar which is just beside the palace. Jantar Mantar was built by sawai Jai Singh in the 18th Century and uses huge Geometrical figures to Calculate the Time & other astronomial phenomena. Its a dream place for astronomers and it calculates time with an amazing accuracy for a place so old. we then saw the Hawa Mahal (Palace of winds) . The view from hawa Mahal is quite spectacular & the front facade of the monument offers some great photographic moments . We then met up with my uncle & aunt and had some good food at Dasaprakash. We then visited the Amber palace & fort located 11 kms from Jaipur on the jaipur - Delhi Highway . Its a beautiful palace and the sheesh mahal has some intricate carvings & glasswork which leaves one spellbound. The view from the top is very good too . We then headed back to Delhi and ended a very memorable trip.
TRAVEL ADVICE : The best time to make the trip is when the camel fair is on. The camel fair dates get fixed based on the Lunar calendar and the full moon day. Nov-Dec is the best time to travel since Rajasthan is very hot otherwise. People with Dust Allergy should bring plenty of medication . Come with loads of Cash if you want to buy a Camel or Horse !!
Pushkar is one of the Holiest Cities in India and the Annual Camel Fair there attracts close to 5,00,000 tourists every year including the 40,000 foreign tourists . The fair this year was from 5-8 November . My Uncle & Aunt were in Jaipur this weekend which prompted me to plan a Trip out there .
We set out for Pushkar early on the saturday morning . Pushkar lies 400 Kms from Delhi ( Delhi - Jaipur = 250 + Jaipur - Pushkar = 150 ) . The Delhi Jaipur is a part of the Golden Quadrilateral with wonderful Toll roads lined with Greenery. The crowd was an enthusaistic lot and the time flew as we drove towards Pushkar. As we reached Pushkar the Traffic grew and roads became immensely crowded and we finally reached the city after an exhausting 7 hour Drive.
PUSHKAR : Its a rather dusty quaint town with nothing much to boast of other than the Famed Brahma Temple and the International camel fair. We had to walk almost 4 kms from the parking lot to the city . The roads were extremely crowded & dusty but the festive mood kept the air ringing. After a long walk we reached the fair Grounds. Most of the camels had been sold out by the time we reached there ( Since it was the last day ) but we still managed a glimpse of close to 500 camels and horses. The camel ride was exhilirating ( the Takeoff & landing of a camel is a adventure unto itself !!) and we spent the next few hours wandering through the fair. The camel is a fascinating Animal which as adapted itself wonderfully to the Dry Desert Conditions ( It can stay waterless for days , has a very dry skin & foot adapted to wade through the sand & thick eye brows to shield the eyes from Sand etc ..) . The average price of a camel ranges anywhere between Rs.2000 - 30000 ( Depending on the age , both factors being inversely proportional ) .
We next visited the Brahma temple. It is apparently the only temple for Lord Brahma in the world , though there is nothing much spectacular about it. We then had a holy dip at the Pushkar Lake which had some illumanted lights with the back drop of a wonderful sunset .
AJMER : we then headed to Ajmer which is 12 kms from Pushkar towards Jaipur. Ajmer is famous for the Dargah of Moin-ud-din Chisti , a 12th Century Sufi saint. Its one of the Holiest places for Muslims. We visited the Dargah which had a stunning ornate entrance although the supposed to be Holy place unfortunately is more of a money laundering machine these days ( A sad thing which I had noticed in Vrindavan too ) .
JAIPUR : We left for Jaipur early sunday morning. Our Driver would put to test Schumi's winning record had he competed in F1 !! The city palace is beautiful in parts and has some good collection of fabrics & weaponery. There are plenty of the famous Madhubani paintings of Rajasthan there . We then Went to Jantar mantar which is just beside the palace. Jantar Mantar was built by sawai Jai Singh in the 18th Century and uses huge Geometrical figures to Calculate the Time & other astronomial phenomena. Its a dream place for astronomers and it calculates time with an amazing accuracy for a place so old. we then saw the Hawa Mahal (Palace of winds) . The view from hawa Mahal is quite spectacular & the front facade of the monument offers some great photographic moments . We then met up with my uncle & aunt and had some good food at Dasaprakash. We then visited the Amber palace & fort located 11 kms from Jaipur on the jaipur - Delhi Highway . Its a beautiful palace and the sheesh mahal has some intricate carvings & glasswork which leaves one spellbound. The view from the top is very good too . We then headed back to Delhi and ended a very memorable trip.
TRAVEL ADVICE : The best time to make the trip is when the camel fair is on. The camel fair dates get fixed based on the Lunar calendar and the full moon day. Nov-Dec is the best time to travel since Rajasthan is very hot otherwise. People with Dust Allergy should bring plenty of medication . Come with loads of Cash if you want to buy a Camel or Horse !!
posted by Cogito at
Monday, November 10, 2003
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