Religious Public Space. Pushkar, Rajasthan, India.
The pictures display Pushkar Lake which is believed to have been created by the falling of lotus from the hand of Lord Brahma. Hindus associate the lake therefore with sacredness as well as divinity and make pilgrimages to it. Around the lake 52 white stone staircases called Ghats are found which allow the pilgrims to go down into the lake to do puja a ritual ablution. The Ghat shown in the pictures is called Gau Ghat - Cow Ghat. In this Ghat most people feed cows and carry out rituals that are specific to the cow. To Hindus cows are thought to be sacred animals and seen as a maternal figure as well as a care taker of the people, as they provide life sustaining milk. All Ghats at Pushkar Lake are open to everyone but managed so that visitors and pilgrims follow certain rules entering the space such as e.g. walking barefoot.