After our informative orientation walk, we sauntered to the lake to view sunset and eat dinner with a view, at the aptly named Sunset Café. The deep orange sky over the lake was exquisite, the water itself gave off a pink glow as it reflected the sun and the gentle wind blew softly around us, as we had an opportune chance to be still and contemplative amongst the rush of travelling. There was a magical feeling in the air as we soaked up our surroundings.

The following morning, some of us opted to participate in a Puja ceremony. This is a worship ritual performed by Hindus that is said to bring them good karma, remove the bad karma and give good health to both themselves and their family, as well as honouring and worshipping gods or loved ones that have passed. Whilst the ceremony can take place at home or in a temple, there is something even more special about participating in the Puja ceremony by Pushkar’s holy lake.

We walked to the lake and were met by a Brahmin Guru (the highest caste in India’s Caste System) called Giri Raj. We were told to remove our shoes and sit by the water’s edge. We were each given a coconut and a metal plate containing red and yellow spices in the form of powder, flowers, rice and sugar.

We then washed our hands with holy water and this was to metaphorically cleanse our minds, our ears and our souls. The red powder symbolised good health and was placed in the shape of a bindi on our foreheads, alongside some of the water and rice.

The rice represented prosperity, the sugar was for happiness and the yellow powder symbolised the further cleansing of our souls. The flowers were blessings for our family and friends and we had to follow a set of mantras. We listened to the guru as he talked us through the order of the ceremony, and we could hear other worshippers singing and chanting, whilst drums were being played softly in the background and birds and cows roamed around undisturbed.

After the blessings, we were instructed to throw the flowers into the lake, followed by the other items on our plates, as offerings. Now we had started afresh, and we all agreed that we did feel a genuine sense of peace. This ceremony was now supposed to last us (and our families) a lifetime of good health and happiness.

We were then given red and yellow string bracelets to mark the completion of the ceremony, and which we were told was our “Passport to Pushkar”, meaning that we would not be approached as tourists anymore (though we definitely still were!).

Feeling calm and revitalised, we then wandered around the many markets in the city centre, purchasing a few of the beautiful wares (including some warmer clothing as many of us had not anticipated the colder weather in this part of India. It was February and the tours only run until March as it gets too hot after this. Right now though, it was surprisingly chilly, especially at night).

I purchased two pairs of lovely trousers and a new bumbag, as the zip had sadly broken on mine and I love a bumbag! These three items came to just 900 rupees, which is the equivalent of around £9.

Whilst Pushkar was quite crowded, it still boasted a relaxed feel and after a great time exploring the markets, some of us went for a lovely lunch at a rooftop café, which was recommended by Lonely Planet and gave us serene views of the ancient city.

We then headed back to our hotel and got ready for our afternoon and evening activity. Many of us opted in for this, as it promised to be an unforgettable experience.

We rode rickshaws to our starting location and I was at the rear, facing the oncoming traffic. In such an open vehicle this was an interesting affair, and it sometimes felt like I was about to be ploughed into the cars behind, as we often broke very suddenly.

We arrived to meet our hosts for the night, and they were a group of local cameleers, who would lead us on their decoratively dressed camels into the Thar Desert. I have not previously enjoyed camel riding, but these camels seemed very well looked after and I knew that my tour company, G Adventures, only supports organisations who treat animals with the utmost care.

We rode for around an hour on the bumpy trail towards the desert, and it was funny witnessing everybody clinging on for dear life as we bounced up and down on the uneven ground. By the end I was very grateful to disembark and stretch my legs. My camel’s name was Johnny and as camels go, he was very friendly!

We were given masala chai tea upon arrival, which I knew I had to purchase once back home, so that I could be reminded of the sights and smells of incredible India. Then we were presented with traditional Indian clothing, which we had the opportunity of wearing for the night. These were beautiful and I felt like an Indian princess!

We observed the sun setting in the tranquil desert, away from the roads and the hustle and bustle. It got much colder, but we sat down in the sand to watch a very interesting magic show by a humorous magician called Romin. He made coins and balls disappear and duplicate, he appeared to swallow and regurgitate marbles and large silver spheres, and he conjured up two white pigeons from nowhere! Though he had broken English, this almost added to the enchantment and his tricks were very impressive.

Romin the magician

Sitting on the sand enjoying the wonderful entertainment

We were then joined by members of the gypsy tribe of Rajasthan (where Romani people also originated). They live a nomadic lifestyle and their origin dates back to around 500 AD. They pitch tents where they can and they perform singing and dancing to earn the money they need to get by. We were told that they prefer this way of life as it gives them the freedom they desire.

Their singing and dancing was beautiful and we were able to get into the spirit when they invited us to join in the dancing. I felt very clumsy next to the practised performers, but this was a lot of fun and the group bonded over the evening’s shared experiences.

A blurry image of us joining in with the dancing

Our authentically Rajasthani dinner was cooked by the cameleers and consisted of batti (bread balls), rotti (bread), rice with dal (lentils), laddu (sweet wheat balls), poppadom, potato and cauliflower, and spicy chutney (made from chilli, garlic, tomato and onion). It was absolutely delicious.

The evening’s live entertainment, flavoursome food, and stunning surroundings were absolutely wonderful and I felt very grateful to partake in this cultural, fun and memorable activity.

I loved my time in Pushkar, a colourful city with cascading architecture and much culture. However, as with any fast-paced tour, it felt as though we were leaving just as quickly as we arrived, and tomorrow, we would be heading to our next destination by train.

Known as “The Venice of the East” or the “City of Lakes”, Udaipur promised to be just as enchanting as Pushkar. So watch this space to find out more about the most romantic city of Rajasthan.