PUSHKAR, INDIA, November 30, 2005: Foreign tourists visiting the holy Indian city of Pushkar in the state of Rajasthan have been issued with a strict code of conduct after a Finnish woman caused public outrage when she walked unclothed into a sacred lake. The behavioral guidelines were issued by local magistrates following complaints from locals upset by foreigners who failed to respect local custom and tradition. The city of Pushkar, which attracts many foreigners for its annual camel fair, is also a sacred Hindu place of worship where Lord Brahma is said to have created a lake by dropping a lotus flower.
The incident of the Finnish woman comes after allegations that a group of Israelis held an orgy around a camp fire. More recently an Israeli couple were found to have indulged in a passionate embrace at their Hindu wedding ceremony – a crime for which they were later fined. A priest at Puskhar said that such behavior was a form of “cultural pollution” and had led to local people petitioning Rajasthan state’s chief minister to put a ban on all Israelis entering the town. The minister rejected the calls, but sanctioned the 20-page booklet of “do’s and don’ts,” which has been published in English, French and German, in order to “educate foreign tourists about local culture and sensibilities.”
It sets out some well-known courtesies of Asian life – such as not shaking hands or touching women, keeping arms and shoulders covered in sacred places and not eating with your left hand. It also advises that public displays of affection – including holding hands – are not acceptable, even between man and wife.