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off). The priest will then tie a thin red thread around your wrist, which you can brandish at the next Brahmin priest who will almost certainly approach you, but who will quickly retreat upon seeing your “passport.” To experience Pushkar from a pilgrim’s perspective, and not as a disenchanted tourist, try to gain a closer insight into what makes this an important place for Hindu pilgrims, and gain your wrist thread without being ripped off, call on Giriraj ( 94-1430-0053; puja fee Rs 150), a local priest who is also a licensed guide. His English isn’t perfect, but he can throw some light on the history and background of the area, and help out with practical information; he charges Rs 350 a half day, and Rs 500 a full day.

ESSENTIALS

VISITOR INFORMATION Pushkar doesn’t have its own tourist office. The rather useless RTDC office is located at the very mediocre RTDC Hotel Sarovar ( 0145/277-2040), and is open daily from 9am to 5pm.

GETTING THERE Pushkar lies about 3 hours west of Jaipur; a deluxe bus here costs about Rs 125. Udaipur is 300km (186 miles) away by bus (Rs 300); Jodhpur 215km (133 miles; Rs 265); and Jaisalmer 550km (341 miles; Rs 1,050). Pushkar lies 145km (90 miles) from the closet airport, which is at Jaipur and is 400km (248 miles) from Delhi (Rs 500 by bus)

GETTING AROUND Pushkar is easily explored on foot. There is no public transport system (and only a limited number of cycle- or auto-rickshaws) in town. If you prefer not to walk, the only option is to hire a small private taxi that costs in the region of Rs 800 to Rs 1,000.

WHERE TO STAY

You really want to get a room overlooking the sacred lake—despite the early-morning and evening chanting calls to puja and blaring temple music, it’s by far the most atmospheric location in Pushkar. Of the surprisingly limited options that offer direct lake views, Pushkar Palace (reviewed below) is the only luxurious option; for the rest you’ll have to rough it (we’re talking basic furnishings—a plastic chair and bed and the possibility of sharing a bathroom and toilet).

Far and away the best budget option in town is Inn Seventh Heaven (next to Mali ka Mandir; 0145/510-5455; www.inn-seventh-heaven.com; Rs 600–Rs 4,000), located in a 100-year-old haveli with rooms (with names like “Hilly Billy” and “Rapunzel”) around a fountain and garden courtyard. Anoop, the enterprising young owner, has ensured that rooms are clean and dressed with some sense of style; despite its location (away from the lake), it has a pleasant, informal, homey feel, and the great second-floor restaurant does satisfying Indian food. If you plan well in advance, you can bag the most recently added room, “Asana,” also the most expensive, but it’s bright and situated on the roof, where there’s a good view. It has antique furniture and four-poster beds (as do some of the other rooms).

Green House The newest (2009), most luxurious option in Pushkar is located just 7.5km (4 1⁄2 miles) outside town, on the Kishenpura-Tilora Road. Touted as a “most luxurious eco-boutique resort,” its 20 luxury tents are arranged around manicured lawns with indigenous ardoo trees and a lovely pool. While the word “eco” should be entirely removed (“green house” refers to the two huge plastic tunnels dedicated to raising a multicolored variety of exotic Dutch rose, and the restaurant and bar, housed in a similar uninsulated plastic, are blasted with A/C during meal times), the other descriptors do indeed hold. The tents are beautifully decorated with comfy beds and crisp new cotton linen; travertine bathrooms have walk in glass-encased rain showers and most of the tents have outdoor wooden decks from where you can watch the sun set and the moon rise over the Aravalli hills reflected in the pool before you.

The Greenhouse Resort, Kishanpur Rd., Village Tilora, Pushkar, Rajasthan 305022. 0145/230-0079 or 0145/322-6137. [fax] 0145/277-3704. www.thegreenhouseresort.com. reservation@thegreenhouseresort.com. 20 tents (8 superior, 8 premier, 4 suites). Winter rates Rs 6,700–Rs 7,700 superior and premier (only bathrooms have walls);