No longer shall our countrymen need to venture beyond India’s borders for a journey to the Middle East. Instead, the steadily rising influx of Israeli travelers to Rajasthan’s camel town of Pushkar has resulted in its surprising transformation into a mini Israel of sorts.

One may receive salutations like ‘shalom’ in the streets of Pushkar, where now it is easier to find an assortment of Israeli delicacies than it is to get a plate of traditional indian cuisine! Menus printed in English and Hebrew offer jachnoon, the traditional bread with tomatoes and eggs, humus, wraps, dumpling sopu,  moussakas, cinammon cakes and even the humble vegetable cutlet. Baked dishes and special sauces abound, though the culinary experience here remains strictly vegetarian.

 

Several signboards and hoardings in this town are in Hebrew. Local residents and shopkeepers have slowly picked up Hebrew with some even opting for language classes. Certain hotels  in Pushkar accept shekels, which is Isareli currency.

With its lake, desert safaris, camel rides and more, Pushkar makes for an attractive tourist destination. It is home to the only temple in the world dedicated to Lord Brahma and is a fascinating merge of the ancient with the modern.