pushker.
arrival in ajmer, ride to pushker one of the holiest places in india. at the city border they ask for some mysterious fee. somehow i can avoid to pay, pretending i already paid. as usual they don't want to drive us to the hotel we want. but it's ok and we get it for a better price. the village is rather quiet and people seem not to enjoy bargaining.
we're 'invited' to a festival at the ghat. the brahmans sell tikas and entrance fees to the 500 temples of the village. after we've done the whole ceremony the priest suggests a donation of 400 or 500 rupees. i give him 20 (that's the right reaction to the scum the lonely planet warned about). the priest is mad: 'i'm a holy man you have to give me more money. money is not more important than the soul'. i ask why he's not satisfied with the money i've given to him then. he should rather follow his own advice and care about my soul than about my money. i ask him if he as a holy man doesn't fear a bad effect for his kharma if he blackmails people emotionally? is it allowed to behave like that at a very holy place like the lake? i'm really in the mood to discuss it in detail but i'm thrown out of the ghat. ok, i asked the false questions and got a response. to hell with their false religious behaviour, this is as bad as european medieval times: you pay, you'll reach paradise - you don't pay, you'll end up in hell. annik is in a bad mood because of all the ripping off. i just take is as it is. they try to make as much money as possible. nothing to get upset about. except the abuse of religion to make money.
we stroll around the lake to the top hotel for breakfast. nice place, view of the lake, good hot chocolate. for lunch we sit under some trees with lots of birds. i'm an interesting target for them. they hit me twice. the other people found it funny.
we're 'invited' to a festival at the ghat. the brahmans sell tikas and entrance fees to the 500 temples of the village. after we've done the whole ceremony the priest suggests a donation of 400 or 500 rupees. i give him 20 (that's the right reaction to the scum the lonely planet warned about). the priest is mad: 'i'm a holy man you have to give me more money. money is not more important than the soul'. i ask why he's not satisfied with the money i've given to him then. he should rather follow his own advice and care about my soul than about my money. i ask him if he as a holy man doesn't fear a bad effect for his kharma if he blackmails people emotionally? is it allowed to behave like that at a very holy place like the lake? i'm really in the mood to discuss it in detail but i'm thrown out of the ghat. ok, i asked the false questions and got a response. to hell with their false religious behaviour, this is as bad as european medieval times: you pay, you'll reach paradise - you don't pay, you'll end up in hell. annik is in a bad mood because of all the ripping off. i just take is as it is. they try to make as much money as possible. nothing to get upset about. except the abuse of religion to make money.
we stroll around the lake to the top hotel for breakfast. nice place, view of the lake, good hot chocolate. for lunch we sit under some trees with lots of birds. i'm an interesting target for them. they hit me twice. the other people found it funny.