Same Year - Holi in Pushkar and Mathura-Vrindavan

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So we were sitting on the serene bank of Pushkar lake, the famous 52 ghats of Bhrama Pushkar lake when someone with a lathi comes charging at us.

'Mumbling' as Pita and Yam would say.

Near he came and told us that it's not allowed to sit with our shoes on the stairs by the Holy Lake. And we happily obliged.

There I came around a very interesting story about Holi.

Apparently, Holi Is played because God's aren't looking on that very day and that's why it is allowed to do whatever we want to do. That's why the big party.

Actually, this is what I was told by a new girl in the city that I happen to meet on this trip, Sapir (that's Hebrew word for sapphire).

And that's what she told is believed by all the Israelis that come to Pushkar for Holi. And I was amused by the idea and what's more, is they live by it.

For instance, the night before this, at 'Holika Dahan' I really saw a group of people break dancing on shlokas that were chanted before Holika Dahan (steps were really cool if you want to know the truth).

So they were really deep into the story. Indeed God's aren't looking!!

The thing is I'm not very crazy about Holi. It's not that I don't like all the sweets and good food of the festival but just the idea of getting colored and then bathing for hours getting all crazy with the scrub. Coming all red out of the bathroom, some with the remnants of the gala that you were in and some of the harsh brushing that you just did all over your body like a wacko to get all that color out of your skin.

But the color stays true to its color, it'll hold dear to you for at least a week no matter how stepmotherly you treat it.

So yes, back home I lock myself up on the day storing enough food for the day because shenanigans never happen to get over. {They get all their guns out to get you out of the room because apparently, the festival is not so much about who's already colored and who's ready to play the color game; it's always about the one with the clean clothes on this auspicious day. This is blasphemy, God orders himself thou should get colored!!

So they hunt only the clean ones.}

Earlier it used to be a phone call, but times have changed and so have the reasons to call you out now. Now it's like they need something right away and it's in the same room you're locked in and earth couldn't be saved without it, the clock's ticking. But I stay adamant you see. I'm smart. But this year round, I have happened to attend the two most famous holis in the country. Yes. It's for real. All this drama and I play Holi in 4 different cities this time. Now I guess I know why people back home were pissed off at me. How's it possible. 4 different cities. No way. It is actually. Because Holi in Mathura Vrindavan starts way back from the Holi day.

So it was :

PART ONE: THE CULTURAL ONE

So the hill's very holy in Hindu religion and you can see people flocking there all year round. Mostly you'll see people taking the parikrama barefooted, but what's also not rare is people taking the 21km parikrama rolling on their body, bowing down - standing up - again bowing down (Shastanga pranam). And this is for a whole 21km of parikrama.

Some do it on their own, some do it with their spouse, some with their children. But you'll feel and see a whole different panorama of devotion there like never before. It's not a very rare scene to spot a group of foreigners with a 'radhe radhe kurta' singing dancing on Krishna-radhe bhajan taking the pilgrimage barefooted. There's no vehicle on this Parikrama, only E-rickshaws you'll see, for the people who can't take the pilgrimage on foot.

The way is flanked by devotees offering you prasad (that ranges from puri-sabzi to Sabudana to Halwa to dal-rice to lassi) all for free and as much as you want. One thing is for sure, you won't feel the way tiring and people won't let you do the Parikrama empty stomach. One thing I got to know is no one's hungry in Krishna's hometown. So I started the Parikrama with my sandals on when my chacha and other cousins were all barefooted, but left/gave up them on the way at a temple (I don't know if it was peer pressure or I did it of my own)

On the way you get to see Radha Kund - a pond that is believed to be a wish-fulfilling one, for real or not I don't know but it was indeed very beautiful. So eating prasad and drinking lassis on the way we completed our Parikrama in 4 hours of time.

As we already had our bellies full, we just headed back to room changed and left for the Latha maar holi in NandGaon.

Latha Mar Holi :

Latha mar Holi is a part of Holi Festival that is played days before Holi. In this gops (Shephards) are being beaten up by gopis (shepherdesses) with lathis (sticks).

{Now I was being warned back home that I'll be beaten up and that's what most people tell me that you must have got beaten up by lathis when you were there, but let me tell you not everyone is beaten up, its local tradition and it's played between locals and not all who've come to the city is being beaten up.}

Legend is that Lord Krishna went to Radha's village (Barsana) from Nandgaon and teased and played with her friends. Radha and her friends, in turn, got angry and charged Krishna and his friends with lathi.

And the tradition has been carried since then. Every year gops from Nandgaon put the shringar (makeup) and dress up like Krishna with a flute in one hand and shield in another and goes to Barsana. There they sing teasing songs and provocative songs (all in BrajBhasha) for gopis. Gopis in turn charge lathis at them on their shields and gops have to evade from the place.

Now I didn't see this but have heard that ones who are caught by gopis are made to dress like women and made to dance in public.

Then the next day gops from barsana goes to intrude Nandgaon. And same lath Mar holi happens there.

I missed the one at Barsana but I happen to be there on next day at Nandgaon and it was a spectacular scene to witness. The place was filled to the brims. There was color coming from all sides. Random splash of water from roofs, pichkaris full of bright red color shooting at you, people coloring you with gulal, loud music, dhols, majiras, people dancing all over the place!!! Oh, it was a feel to savor.

We all were dancing like there's no one watching and actually no one was. All you could see is people with both hands up eyes closed lips shut tightly and jumping awkwardly to the tune of mixed music of speakers and dhols and nagadas. It was crazy!!

The Kurta that I bought specifically for the occasion saw more colors on the very first occasion that I expected it to be..!!

Exhausted, dancing like maniacs we moved out of the crowd.

After getting our breaths back we headed back to the parking and headed ours for Barsana. Barsana is the only place in India where the temple of Radha Rani is there. The gates were closed when we reached Barsana, so we joined the crowd that was already there waiting for gates to get open.

And what a scene it was to see so many people get inside from such a small opening. And the temple was really a thing to admire, beautifully carved out pillars, wonderfully place drawings and so vivid in colors.

As soon as the patt (main door) was opened you can actually see people gasping in unison, all amazed, all moved, getting drawn to the idol of Radhe Krishna like magnet's pulling a metal. In every second or so all the hands going up in unison 'radhe - radhe' 'radhe - radhe' and then splashing of gulal starts.

Most of the people were carrying kilos of gulal and were blasting out canons of gulal in all direction, some had children sit on their shoulders only so their canon is a little higher than others. Red, cyan, yellow, orange, green every color coming out of fists filled with color. All you have to get colored was to be on the premises because the color was flowing in the wind. Everyone was like radhe-radhe and then boom... Color all around.

The time I came out of the crowd I had like a kilo of color in my hair.

And I had to shrug myself like a mad dog to get the color out.

But it was all fun, never ever have I ever played holi with no colors in my hands but all over my body. Then I just sat there for a while to enjoy the ambiance.

As if haven't played enough holi for the day yet, we headed out to Vrindavan. Now in Vrindavan, the next day was decided for the Holi, but at the Bake-Bihari temple Pushpa holi (flower - holi) was about to happen and we didn't know about this but just happened to be there at the right time.

The only thing I can tell you about bake-Bihari temple is the crowd. This was the greatest number of people I've seen packed in a place this small, I for sure must've missed breath or two!! And the priest was pouring lots and lots of flowers on the people in the temple. This was the Pushpa holi, wasn't able to enjoy it too much, but it was a different kind of experience.

And we were done for the day. Now in 2x: Went to Mathura next day, had Darshan there. Went to Yamuna ghat and drove all the way back to hometown.

PART TWO: FULL POWER

The day I came back home, I felt like I'm not done with holi yet. So, I booked a ticket to Ajmer for the next day and as the time was less and I was in no mood of convincing anyone I just decided to travel on my own. Alone. Solo. With no one. Yes, I do get so many questions asked on this, but that's a discussion for another time.

So the plan was: No plans. I just packed the same holi kurta from Mathura-Vrindavan and some more and headed to the train to Ajmer.

On the way, I got to know I had way more than enough time (like one day extra), so on very beautiful advice, I got down at Jaipur.

I was on a budget trip so instead of getting a room, freshening up, getting a taxi and telling 'Bhaiya idhar chaliega, Bhaiya aage se baya lijiega' I decided to rent a scooter. Googled some, got some, locked on the cheapest one and how cheap : (Rs 240 for a day) thanks to 'Onn bikes'. Talked with some friends, googled some.. It was already 4pm, the time I had was not so much so just ate a bhel and whooshed my Scooty up the hill to the Nahargarh Fort.

The road was hilarious to the top and I swear if I had an extra, we would've never made it to the top (yeah that steep). But even the way up was very beautiful, you could see whole city riding up.

The Fort was all okay and all for an art illiterate like me, but I was all in for the sunset. Oh, what a beauty!

I'm so crazy about sunrises and sunsets, I can't even tell you. Wherever you are, always make time for sunsets.

Okay so today, promise yourself one of these : rise or set. But let your eyes have the pleasure of consuming the beauty it's surrounded with. Take a cup of your drink and see the sky turn bright to red to blue. There's nothing magical like it. I believe and you'll see it for yourself that the sky has its own mood, it never repeats its color, it always has new color for each day. Just get yourself to see one or two and you'll see. (though you might not be as free as I am I know).

So...after sunset I went to Jaisingh Fort which was already closed by the time and then to Amber Fort and it's the only Fort that remains open during hours after sunset.

Amber Fort should be seen after sunset, it's more beautiful in the night lights. There they've light and laser show of one hour (7pm-English, 8pm-Hindi) The ticket entry for the Fort is Rs 100 for Indians.

When you're there to hire a guide, the Fort will be nothing more than few selfie spots to you without the thousand stories it carries with it.

After this, I roamed around the city, met an old friend, had dinner, dropped her back home and then found then roamed some more all alone in the city. And when I was done for the day, I took out my phone checked for the nearest OYO rooms (cheapest one of course) and then that was that for the day.

After a good heavy breakfast, time was to see some more of Jaipur before I leave the city for Ajmer at 2pm. So, just headed straight to Hawa Mahal, bought the ticket went inside, and when I was getting bored started making up my own stories of how this room or these windows must have been used. I even entertained a Punjabi family with a fantasy story about the Fort. Just for the hell of it.

And

Zug Zug Zug... I'm in Ajmer.

Got out, Pushkar's 10km asked Autowala.. 'Kitna Bhaiya'. Bhaiya says a meager 600 Rs.

Open Google, walk 1km to bus stand, take a bus, reach Pushkar in Rs 13.(I even got my change back, bought two Mango bite).

Aah Pushkar. Finally. A city in itself. It's not a very big town. The city is famous for Lord Brahma who's believed to be the creator of the universe. The fascinating thing is there's just one temple of Lord Bhrama in the whole country, in a country that has a temple at every 100mtr and that's in Pushkar.

It's believed that you start your Tirtha (pilgrimage of a lifetime) with Pushkar, taking a dip in Bhram-Pushkar lake (52 ghats) on Kartik Poornima (full moon). So I was now in Pushkar.

People were flocking to the city for the Holi, I was a day early. (thank god for that)

I had booked a hostel bed in Pushkar for 3 nights while I was in Jaipur on the previous day. So where the bus dropped me I checked on Google, the hostel was good 1.2km from there. But also I enquired for some rooms if there were any.

None I got for less than 2k a night. So I called the hostel owner, asked him what I could get, to get to the hostel and he replied auto would get me to the hostel, he also told me Auto will ask for at least 100, but you can bargain and get it to like Rs 80 at max. I said Okie and hung up.

And walked all the way to the hostel.

It was way deep in the interiors from the market, but the place was nice and the walk was cool.

So I was just 200mtr away from hostel and Auto honks at me and says sit, I say no thanks I'm just at the destination. He says again, 'that's okay just sit, you're the one who called no... I'm the owner of the hostel'. And I was like, "Oh!!"

So I took the 10-second auto ride to the hostel.

And the hostel couldn't have been shadier. It wasn't like dirty or anything but could've been a perfect place for a horror movie. And what happened is I just saw a hostel while I was walking to this haunted place. So I decided I'll try my luck there. So picked up my bag and went to the hostel, so no luck, no rooms were available but yes, they had this awesome common space. So what they told me is that they can give me a bed in a common area and I said why not if for a good price.

And the price whatever he told, I bargained it to a whopping... Da da da da... Rolling drums... Da da da da... Rs 350 a night. Yes yes. Thank you thank you..!!

So yes I freshened up and decided to explore market a little and look for cheap food. That's how you do a budget trip right!!

So when I travel cheap, I try to spend as little as possible on traveling (I travel sleeper class, local buses, hitchhike), I try to spend as little as possible on stays (as long as there are clean bathrooms), I try to spend as little as possible on food (unless I want to try an exquisite specialty of the place).I'm very glad that I walked to that very restrau, at that very hour, when all the tables were full, but for two chairs that were not occupied on a table of four, so I asked if I can sit (wondering if the people sitting can understand English) and the guy says Yes.

The guy was to become a very dear friend in coming days, a name was "Yam", Young man with an older soul.

The conversation starts and I come to know he's from Israel and traveling here in India with his girlfriend from the past four months in his Omni. We were just in conversation and walks in the girlfriend "Sapir" - a very chirpy, jovial, jolly person with sunshine in her smile. I with another friend gave them the name, "love birds"

The thing was I connected with these two instantly. It was like the conversation was meant to be, it flowed very naturally.

I've made acquaintances with foreigners before in Kasol and Rishikesh, but it was just a dinner or lunch and then bubye, it was nice to meet you and whoosh.

But with them it was different, and the reason was that I found them very much similar to me. They were not hanging out in a Restrau with Israeli dishes, Hebrew menu filled with Israeli people, but having thali at an Indian Restrau with none of their people around.

And what's more was their inquisitiveness, we started with common places we have traveled and experiences they had.

The most excited I was about was all of their questions, about Indian culture, the Indian food, about Indian people; and you really find it beautiful to explain about your country to people from the foreign land.

And another thing we connected on was "THE CHAI". And their craze of collecting Chai mugs.

So we had our dinner and I asked if they want to have tea, and even people from Israel can't refuse for Tea. And next thing is we discussing varna system over a cup of tea, then it was the whole panorama of topics.

It was late and we decided to call it a day, it's when I asked them if they have any plans for the next day (it was Holika Dahan - so a day was almost free). And when even they haven't heard about the place Ajmer before, decided to join me. Next day we took a bus to Ajmer. On the way, I met the third

Musketeer, the man with the lion mane, Nitai (he likes to be called Pita). He has traveled in India with his bullet and has joined Yam and Sapir for a patch.

The two, Yam and Pita have served in the army together for some time and I'm super jealous with their fitness. And I just can't help but envy that both have served in the army for three years and they're just 24. And just look at the way they travel, living the dream, exploring a whole new country with a totally different culture, no knowledge of language and just flowing through the trails.

And then when Yam says that they're young people with old souls, I can't agree more; indeed traveling makes your soul old.

On the way, I came to know that Pita already knows things I told Yam and Sapir the day before, and nothing brings you more joy than being given attention to. So we started on some new topics, now on Islam and Sikhism. By the time we were discussing dargah and shrine history and who Moinuddin Chisti was, we reached Ajmer. So we were in Ajmer for Dargah Sharif.

Dargah sharif is a sufi shrine of sufi saint, Moinuddin Chishti. The shrine has the grave of the revered saint, Moinuddin Chisti. And people from all religions come to ask for wishes or well being of dear ones at dargah or just to visit the dargah. I didn't expect how it actually turned out in Dargah. So first of all these people had never seen crowded places and kind of mosques they've in Israel are very different and the thing was this was my first time in a mosque too. So I was also not very much familiar with the environment. So we were all treading very slowly there following how other people were going about things. We prayed at the dargah, saw the shrine and what I felt was not very different from what we Hindus have in our pilgrimages. I saw the same devotion and spirit of worshiping the one, whether it was surrendering your soul in front of the one or asking for something; it all felt so similar. Whether you're a believer or not places like these makes you come a little closer to oneself.

After visiting the shrine, it all started. I think not much of the foreigners comes to visit dargah, so people were all confused to see Sapir, Yam, and Pita at first, then they were like okay they're here, why not take a selfie and mélange of poses started pouring in.

People were all going gala to take selfies, and a majority of the times I was just the photographer or the translator. People with their families, friends were all clicking, then someone even handed Sapir her kid and clicked.

Initially, it was all fun, then it was becoming tiring because just as we thought it's the last one someone with an extra wide smile comes and we had to oblige.

I don't know about you two, Yam and Pita but Sapir did manage to give selfies to 90% of the people present outside dargah.

After the celebrity treatment, we all came out to roam around a little, had lassi, had lunch, then I saw love for Chai of Yam and Pita when they had guts to order Chai in 42 degrees of temperature. Really bravo!!

After reaching Pushkar we went to our hostels and after changing and freshening up, it was already 5:45pm and I didn't feel like resting and it was sunset time.

So I thought to myself that if I manage to get a lift then maybe I can make to the lake for the sunset. And it's obvious from the tone I did get a lift and reached lake just in time, the sun was still up in the sky.

And boy, I wish you were there. It was crazy, people were juggling balls, balancing their hula hoop, playing with their yo Yo and all this was crazy because this was all on 52 ghats, near the Bhrama temple on the banks of Pushkar lake where just next to this was a stage that was being set up for MahaMangal Pushkar Raj arti.

And 90% of the crowd was of foreigners. But it was not like they were disrespecting, but they were all enjoying themselves because you couldn't spot even a single person with their shoes on.

It was kind of gala going on among all this medley of people.

And then the Aarti, oh the visuals couldn't do justice with a decor and the ambiance the place had. I could still listen to those chants if I close my eyes, that powerful.

The people present them whether they understood the shlokas, the rituals or not but for sure they were spellbound by the environment created by the paraphernalia of the arti. It was all very grand in its visuals and the sounds.

After the arti was the time to burn some of those calories. And I savored every moment of it as no one, let me stress it a little more, No one knew me there even my new friends weren't present so boy did I dance like crazy. I was all over the place; kicking in the air, headbanging, matching steps with strangers, doing all off the beat steps. I couldn't have cared less.

This was time when people were all already leaving towards the main square where holi dahana takes place.

It was for obvious packed as something, but I did manage to get to the top of the building using ninja techniques that an acquaintance from Germany just showed me (tbh he made it look a lot easier than what I went through climbing that damn building).

But I did manage to get good shots, even though I was just there for the views.

This year the full night trace party was canceled and was canceled the famous "Kapda Phad holi". But it was all okay I was not in great shape anyway.

But they did play dhols till one in the night and I burned some more calories with the crowd, by this time I managed to find the love birds and Pita in that crowd. After that nothing much happened that night, we went to our hostels. For some time I sat in the café by my hostel, people were playing guitar there, sang at top of my voice and just went to sleep.

I think that's the beauty of traveling alone, you don't have any baggage, you could be anyone you want to be, do anything that you feel like and not worry about being judged, and even if someone is: chances are you're not going to see the person ever again. So yeah, that's about it.

The next morning I woke up with full emery after taking full 3 hrs of sleep, all pumped up: Full Power.

Took bath, drenched me in oil, had poha, drank power drink Tea and headed out to play Holi.And about holi.

Oh, it was holi, how would you expect it to be. It was kinda same people coloring each other, but here it was like 5k to 10k people partying together on trance music, 60% crowd is foreigners and people are dancing as they dance after having glasses of bhang (oh you thought it would be different here).

Didn't click many pictures as I didn't feel like taking out my phone in all those colors, just some (majority of these are from Sapir's phone)

So that my friend was a chapter about Holi.In the evening, the markets were all looking clean, we were clean. And again we were looking for tea. Finished our tea and then went out and sat by the lakeside.

And that's where I came to know about Israeli story of Holi.

Then I kind of narrated whole Holika story, and on the same day they also had this festival called Purim where a demon by the name 'Haman' wanted to kill all the Jews but FAST FORWARD (this is how you told me Sapir) he was killed and now the occasion of Purim and on this day they drink and eat all they want and why BECAUSE GOD ISN'T LOOKING..!! I get it now!!

And they eat a sweet that Yam gave me on the way back home, which is apparently ear of Haman and it's very sweet. The thing is, the time by the lakeside was the zenith of the trip for me. When I look back at my trip, the first thing that I see with my closed eyes is Yam, Sapir, and Pita singing 'Jonathan Hakathan'. It was a lovely time back there. You. People are real gems. I wish I had more time in Pushkar. But I think what I had was enough, I scored a treasure when I got friends like you.

Especially you Yam, hope to see you soon brother. And you Sapir and Pita.

And thanks for the lovely breakfast, you people.

Hope to see you soon guys. And I hope a trip like this comes again and again in my life where I get to have so many new experiences, make new friends, do new things, try new dishes, read new books, see new places, meet more philosophers, more storytellers, more patient listeners, more seekers.

And I just love this quote from into the wild so I'll quote it again here:

'I think you really should make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing or been too hesitant to attempt.

So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may seem to give one peace of mind,

but in reality nothing is "more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future"The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. If you want to get more out of life, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first seem to you to be crazy.

For once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty.

And so, in short, get out of City and hit the Road. I guarantee you will be very glad you did. But I fear that you will ignore my advice. You think that I am stubborn, but you are even more stubborn than me.

For some reason incomprehensible to me you want nothing but to bolt for home as quickly as possible, right back to the same situation which you see day after day after day.

I fear you will follow this same inclination in the future and thus fail to discover all the wonderful things that God has placed around us to discover. Don't settle down and sit in one place. Move around, be nomadic, make each day a new horizon. You are going to live a long time, and it would be a shame if you did not take the opportunity to revolutionize your life and move into an entirely new realm of experience. You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only or principally from human relationships. God has placed it all around us. It is in everything and anything we might experience. We just have to have the courage to turn against our habitual lifestyle and engage in unconventional living. My point is that you do not need me or anyone else around to bring this new kind of light in your life. It is simply waiting out there for you to grasp it, and all you have to do is reach for it. The only person you are fighting is yourself and your stubbornness to engage in new circumstances. So just reach out and grab whatever that's tempting you..!! The time will never be perfect!! Conditions will never be ideal!!!

You'll never be a hundred percent sure... It's just life and it happens..!! '