Pushkar’s Festivities and Parade
November 19, 2011 • Photography & Travel, Spiritual Adventures
Continuing our coverage of our recent spiritual adventure to northwestern India.
It’s our last day in Pushkar. So much going on during the Pushkar camel fair that we feel like we have so much to share. The camel trading is winding down and many of the traders are making the long walk home. The attention is now shifting to the town and sacred festivities leading up to the full moon day.
The streets are teeming with pilgrims and a spectacle of color. Rajasthan, to me, is the most colorful state in India, despite its arid landscape. And Pushkar today is the most colorful town. The ghats are lined with pilgrims taking a bath in the sacred lake, the Brahma temple has a constant flow of worshipers and every priest in town is happily performing a ritual.
About 9am the sounds of drums could be heard along the main bazaar. Is it an Indian parade? I hoped so. And surely enough it was. A parade of sadhus no less. What an experience for our group to witness and be part of. A cart piled high with flowers was being drawn as sadhus reached into it and grabbed handful of flowers showering all those who stood along the sides of the street with flowers. But this went both ways. Locals and pilgrims in turn showered the parade of sadhus with flowers from rooftops and the side of the street.
The air was fragrant, the street a carpet of flowers, chanting, drumming and joyous cheers the entire parade which lasted over an hour.
Here are some photos from this gala event.
Parade of Sadhus
The streets are filled with color...what a sight!
Flowers being showered from the roof tops.
Rose petals fill the air...
Flowers showered from the rooftops carpet the streets with color.
A cart full of flowers is being drawn through the streets. Sadhus use these flowers to bless the pilgrims in town.
Eran purchasing some bangles from a street vendor
Julyne is in love with India
Watch a video of the parade
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