Being from Kerala, I never had the real experience of celebrating Holi in the real way, if you know what I mean! So, planning a trip to Vrindavan or Pushkar which are places known for celebrating Holi in an authentic and grand manner has always been part of my travel goal.
So here I’m excited to share my 4-day trip to Pushkar from Mumbai to celebrate Holi.
Day 0
Took an evening train from Mumbai to Ajmer which takes about 16 hours.
Day 1
Morning
Since we reached early, we decided to tour around Ajmer and visited few tourist spots – Dargah Shariff, Nareli Jain Temple, Akbar’s Palace & Museum and Shah Jahan’s Mosque. Hired an auto for Rs.1500 who took us to these spots and dropped at our Pushkar hotel by evening. Of course, it was extremely hot, so we choose an AC kind of place for lunch and landed up at Mango Masala. Worth a try 😊
Tips:
Be careful while going to the dargah – it is extremely crowded
Visit Nasiyan Jain Temple which I didn’t know about during my visit
Don’t skip the museum – it’s an architectural masterpiece. You will also see Hindu figurines dating back to the 6th & 7th century. Don’t forget to try the kachori and lassi outside the museum.
Evening
When we reached our Pushkar hotel, we encountered our worst nightmare – no booking in our name. A biggest lesson learned – never book via Agoda. After a 2-hour argument with the hotel guys/Agoda help centre, we managed to get a room. Phew!
An effort was made to move past the bad Agoda/Hotel experience we had and start the real “Pushkar” trip. It felt so serene when we stepped out to stroll around Pushkar ki galiyaan. I witnessed my first real Holika Dahan and was left mesmerized. The main street was completely packed with locals and tourists having the best of their life. It was such a vibrant view – the local shops, the street food, juice corners, bhang corners, tattoo shops, face painting, techno music and so on. In short, this place was ALIVE.
The night ended with me having watermelon bhang and knocked off haha!
Tips:
You cannot leave Pushkar without visiting Sonu Juice wala (known for his lip-smacking smoothie bowls, juices and of course bhaang based drinks).
Confirm your booking with the hotel personnel directly if you book online. Avoid using Agoda.
You can also stay at Madpackers hostel or Hotel & Café Lake View
Day 2:
Dressed in our beautiful white avatar which would eventually become colourful, we stepped out to celebrate HOLI! Yay!
And it was one of the best HOLI of my life! The photos will say it all 😊
Things were back to normal by late afternoon followed by dinner at one of the popular lake side cafes named Café Lake View.
Tips:
Carry a waterproof/dust proof cover for your mobile if you are planning to take photos.
Travel in a group since it is super crowded during Holi.
Day 3:
Go for sunrise hike to Savitri Temple. This is a must do while visiting Pushkar, you get to see the entire town and the surrounding valleys. A sight you cannot miss.
The evening was spent by visiting Brahma temple and sitting by the banks of Pushkar lake/sarovar – one of the five sacred lakes in Hinduism, and is believed to have been created by Brahma, the creator god.
Had dinner at a different lake view café – Mamasita Café
Tips:
Don’t forget to carry comfortable shoes.
You can also use cable car to visit the temple if you are not a trekking person.
Day 4:
Went for a day trip to the “White Rann of Kishangarh” – The Kishangarh Dumping yard - a man-made marble slurry dumping yard and a popular tourist destination due to its unique landscape, which is made up of white marble slurry which gives the yard a snowy appearance. The yard is also a popular spot for photography and drone photography.
Went to a popular pizza place for dinner named La Pizzeria.
Tip: You will need to bargain well. The ride will cost you between Rs. 1200 to Rs. 1400.
Day 5:
Time to head back home to Mumbai. But the return journey wasn't as smooth as expected and was an adventure in itself. Our waiting list train tickets never got confirmed :)
All the trains from Ajmer to Mumbai were full, and we had to think on our feet as we had to get back to our day jobs the next day. The only option was to catch a flight/train from Jaipur to Mumbai and there begins an expected trip to Jaipur and telling our bosses to extend our leaves :)
Have you ever been to Pushkar before? Would love to know more about your experience.
Any recommendations on where I should go for my next Holi? Comment below :)