Religion can be quite contradictory, same can be Pushkar. It is a sacred city for Hindus, during their religious procedures by the lake they have to leave shoes by the entrance to keep the place clean and calm. That doesn’t apply to tractors which occasionally pass on the same area without breaking ‘shanti’ atmosphere. Cows here are still considered a sacred animals, however they are whipped with a stick and kicked out of the way. Scammers can also take advantage of you on what is considered to be a holy land. Local authorities prohibit you from smoking, but spitting a betel nut everywhere is totally legal. With its lines of shops and temples Pushkar have appeared to be a tourist trap. Shops in central part of town offer things only for tourists, almost nothing for locals. Just 50 years ago this place had no hotels, only few houses were open for travellers for 10-20 rupees per night. Today this place is swarmed with hippies, who hilariously believe that the world is a reflection of yourself, which is not true, because Pushkar is far from being a reflection of me.
