Wanting for water at Pushkar Lake
Trekking to the Pushkar lake for a ritual bath, thousands of Hindu devotees find the lake bed dry.
Script:
Their faces smeared with ashes, Hindu men crowd the narrow,
winding streets of ancient Pushkar, India...
They are on a pilgrimage that draws thousands each year to a
ritual bath in the Pushkar Lake....water believed to be blessed by
the Hindu creator Lord Brahma...
A group of women in colorful saris form a circle by the bank of
the lake, burning incense and singing religious songs.
But this year is different - After drought and a delayed
government de-silting program, many of the faithful were
disappointed to find the lake bed dry.
SOUNDBITE: (Hindi) BALBIR SETHI, A HINDU DEVOTEE WHO CAME FROM
FARIDABAD CITY NEAR THE INDIAN CAPITAL NEW DELHI TO TAKE A HOLY DIP
IN THE PUSHKAR LAKE: "We came here with the belief that our prayers
would be answered after bathing in the waters of the holy lake, but
our wish has not been fulfilled. We are feeling quite
disillusioned."
Still, some devotees made do...bathing and offering a prayer to
the Sun God from artificial ponds.
Other more recent draws at the Pushkar Fair went on as well...A
camel race took off in a sprint. A tug of war pitting locals
against tourists ended in victory for the locals.
Katharine Jackson, Reuters.