Pushkar Holi

Holi is one of those festivals that are super unique to our country and known almost everywhere around the world. It celebrates the coming of spring, brotherhood and the evil defeated by good. I am sure most of you already know how we celebrate it – in a big and messy and super fun way!
During Holi, Pushkar gets filled to the brim with tourists from everywhere in the world who come especially to take part in this festival.

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This year,I was in Pushkar, a small holy town in the state of Rajasthan,to experience Holi and get colored up , but this time all the way from Mumbai to Jaisalmer to Pushkar .

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Pushkar would have been a beautiful destination at any time of the year but during Holi it was a bit more magical than usual.The festivities began the night before with an enormous bonfire namely Holika Dahan. People usually surrounded the bonfire and threw wooden garlands , branches onto the pile before setting it alight and offering prayer to represent the triumph of good over evil.

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Unfortunately, i was not able to catch Holi Dahan but i really did not want to miss the Pushkar Holi .So , I took evening bus from Jaisalmer to Ajmer. By midnight around 1:30 i arrived Ajmer By pass.There was complete silence on the highway except few auto rickshaw and co passenger . Meanwhile with another bus Chaitanya Tekada, Preet Desai and Shweta Bankura arrived. Then we hired OLA cab to reach Pushkar. The way to Pushkar from Ajmer Sharif was a pleasure drive .Road though narrow well maintained. The road gives superb view of the valley and several photo opportunities due complete darkness we can’t. There was minimal to no traffic at all and by 3:00 a.m. we reached Pushkar.

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Pushkar welcomed us with its decoration of color on the street and amazing view.Due to Holi eve we could still see lot of people on the street. We looked for Hotel but all of them were accommodated.So we decided to spent time sitting in Pushkar Lake till sunrise. Meantime we had Kulhad chai and Poha in roadside stall.

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Pushkar lake is a glassy sacred lake in the center surrounded by gleaming white temples.Encircled by numerous temples and ghats.Foremost of all its greatness to see the cleanliness of the area.It was so peaceful and serene.

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As day move on we started to feel the vibe of Holi Celebration .I quickly fall in love with the vibe,energy and culture of the place. The serene ghats, the colourful markets and Holi seemed like the perfect excuse to visit Pushkar.

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During Holi, Pushkar gets filled with tourists from everywhere in the world who came especially to take part in that festival.From the cafes to the pan shops to the pakoda stalls – we saw travellers just milling about like ants. .The best opportunity for anyone to make tons of friends and secure a couch for oneself to stay– in Spain, Armenia, Israel, Portugal, Greenland and the list goes on.

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Holi in Pushkar is celebrated at the famous chowk where thousands of people gather together throwing gulaal in the air,some high on bhaang, and others, on life. The speakers blare psychedelic trance music, which only adds to the ambiance,there’s no Balam Pichkari or Rang Barse and somehow, for the good.

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Locals say people go crazier during the holi event than anything else they’ve ever seen!There is no alcohol but there were DJs playing thumping electronic music,hundreds of people dancing, getting coloured and throwing fistfuls in the air.It was truly a magnificent sight and can only be experienced in person.

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At a least a thousand people, completely covered in shades of blues, pinks, greens, reds and yellows,were dancing freely and madly about to the heavy beats of… electronic music and Dhol. Not what we expected at all.In the widest part of the street, revelers young and old, locals and tourists laughing, jumping, hugging, smearing, spraying, and splashing each other with dry and wet powder.

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We forgot about everything outside and just loses ourself in that massive celebration. ELECTRONIC MUSIC THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON THE STREETS and there was great hippie crowd with lots of energy.

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‘Bhaang’ was a local drink that was made by infusing cannabis extracts into lassi or thandai and is available around the city in abundance. Travelers swear that Pushkar bhaang is some of the tastiest and most refreshing they have ever tasted.There was no way we were ever going to experience anything like that ever again unless of course,one decide to come back next year.Lastly we planned to come back next year.

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