Pushkar Travel Guide

Location : Located in the state of Rajasthan in the north India.
Major Tourist Attractions : Pushkar Lake, Brahma Temple, Nag Pahar, The Ghats.
Best Hangouts : Pushkar Lake
Best Buys : Cattle during the cattle fair (Pushkar Camel Fair)
Best Activity : Camel Ride during the Camel Fair
Festival : Pushkar Camel Fair
Nearby Tourist Destinations : Ajmer, Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur.

About Pushkar
Pushkar is a sacred town for the Hindus, situated 11 kms. to the North-West of Ajmer. The charm of this sleepy, lakeside settlement so captivated the great Indian poet, Kalidas, that it found a place in his classic, Abhigyan Sakuntalam. The Great Hindu epics of Mahabharat and Ramayana make references to this religious place regarded to be Adi Tiratha. Evidence points to its having existed during the fourth century B.C. lake in the inhospitable surroundings of a desert is no less than a miracle.

The legend about the Creator God, Bramha describes the creation of this lake. When the demon Vajra Nabha killed Brahma's children, he in turn struck him with his weapon, a lotus flower. Vajra Nabha died with the impact, and the petals of the lotus fell at three places. One of them is Pushkar, where a lake sprung into being. Brahma is supposed to have performed sacrifice at this lake on Kartik Purnima (the full moon day of the Kartik month), hallowing the place. Sacred to Brahma, Pushkar boasts of its temple dedicated to him, which is the only one of its kind in the world. A dip in the waters of Pushkar and worship at his temple ensure salvation. So thousands flock to Pushkar to observe the ritual on kartik Purnima, or on any of the four days preceding it.

Tourist Attractions in Pushkar :

Pushkar Temples
One can see numerous temples of all sizes here. The most famous temple is the Brahma Temple, said to be only one temple dedicated to Brahma in India. Another important temple is that of Goddess Savitri Temple, wife of Lord Brahma located on a hilltop. It takes a one-hour trek to reach the temple, but it has an amazing view of Pushkar Lake in the morning.

The Ghats
You can have a great spiritual experience at the numerous ghats of Pushkar running down the lake. The holy lake has 52 ghats and piligrim taking a ritual dip in the lake is a common sight.

The Pushkar Lake
The Pushkar Lake is considered no less sacred than the Holy Ganges. The lake has a mythological significance associated with it. On the auspicious occasion of Kartik Purnima, devotees from all over the country throng the lake for a holy dip, which is believed to wash away the sins.

Pushkar Cattle Fair
Although a peaceful town, Pushkar bustles with life with the arrival of much awaited joyous celebration held on Kartik Purnima. Every year thousand of devotees pull into the town and throng the lake around the full moon day of Kartik Purnima in October-November to take a holy dip in the lake. A huge and colourful the Pushkar Camel Fair, is also held during this time. The festival is marked with dance, music and cultural events with several colourful shops springing up around to add more colours to this fair. Also on sale are mouth-watering traditional delicacies. Colourfully attired village folk enhance the fun of the occasion. Cattle auction and camel races are also a part of the festivities.

Getting There
Air : The nearest airport is Jaipur Airport (145 km), from where one can take flights for Delhi and Mumbai.
Rail : Ajmer is the nearest railway station from where one can take trains for the major destinations in Rajasthan and other parts of India.
Road : Pushkar is connected to Ajmer by road. Buses, jeeps and taxis are also available.

Accommodation in Pushkar
There are several luxury accommodations available in Pushkar. The Pushkar Hotels ranges between luxury and budget. We offer you best accommodation option available in Pushkar, keeping your interests and expenses in mind.

Temples in Pushkar & Ghats in Pushkar

Varah Temple
The Varah temple of Hindu was built in the 12th century and, and the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb is said to have destroyed it. Aurangzeb was understandably rather upset with the huge statue of Varah, the god with the body of a man and the head of a boar. However, Raja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur thought differently, and in 1727 reconstructed the temple which now has a highly decorated inner sanctum where an idol of Varah is placed.

Mahadeva Temple
The 19th century Mahadeva temple with its five-faced statue of Mahadeva is made entirely of white marble. This Hindu temple is remarkable for its elegance of structure, and is perhaps the finest of all temples in and around Ajmer and Pushkar.

Ramavaikunth Temple
The Ramavaikunth temple is an intricately carved Hindu temple dating to the 1920 and has images of 361 deities. Its high stone spires atop pagodas and the rest of the temple were built by masons especially brought for this purpose from south India. The Savitri temple is located on top of a hill overlooking the lake. The hike up the hill is long and arduous via a stairway built in the 4th century, and if panoramic views are a necessity for you, the trek will be worth it. This temple is dedicated to Brahma’s wife Savitri and its origin dates back to over 2,000 years.

Gayatri Temple
The Gayatri temple on the other side of Pushkar is in honour of the wife who sat by Brahma’s side in Savitri’s absence during Brahma’s ceremonial sacrifice. Legend says that Gayatri was an untouchable and to purify her she was put into the mouth of a cow and taken out from the other end. To reach the Gayatri Hindu temple the best route to take is from behind the bus stand and walk up a hill. Both the Savitri temple in Pushkar and Gayatri temple in Pushkar are closed – so to say – during lunch hours and the best time to go is either before noon or in the evening.

Raghunath Temples
Two Raghunath temples exist in Pushkar; one is the old one and the other is relatively new. The Old Raghunath temple was built in 1823 and houses images of Venugopal, Narasimha (Vishnu’s fourth incarnation) and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. But there’s a bit of a problem for foreign tourists visiting these two temples because of one little sign which says "Foreigners not allowed." These are probably the only binary temples in India where such segregation exists.

Pap Mochini Temple
Towards the northen section of Pushkar is the Pap Mochini temple, not really popular for its architecture or deity but for the simple belief that anyone who kills a Brahmin will be purified of this deed by visiting the Hindu temple, of course, all that was applicable in olden times, for today a murder is a murder and the law would hear nothing else.

Bathing Ghats
Where there is a mass of holy water there will be bathing ghats, and in Pushkar it is the same as all over India. Pushkar lake is surrounded by hundreds of ghats where Hindu pilgrims assemble to bathe, pray or just loiter around. Removing ones shoes would be a good idea unless you want to be glared or shouted at! Photography is a strict no-no, especially of bathing women. Pushkar is quite used to tourists, but unlike Varanasi, is home for orthodox Hindus, and a little care to observe Hindu traditions can help.

Shopping & Recreation in Pushkar :
The contrast to the blank desert is the riot of Colours - the large gaudy turbans of the native males arriving here to trade their animals or to set up the stalls to cater to the booming captive market, and the loud hues of the pleated ghagaras (ankle-length skirts) of the belles bangled by the armful, be jewelled from head to toe-adding charm and zest to the massive affair. A large number of traders gather at the Pushkar Fair and set up shops. They sell a host of products like bead necklaces of Nagaur, woollen blankets of Merta, textiles printed in Ajmer and Jodhpur, brassware of Jodhpur and Jaipur etc. Also on sale are saddles, ropes, and assorted household items. Vendors peddle their dazzling range of wares at hundreds of roadside stalls. Small groups of men and women can be seen tatooing names and pictures on their hands and other parts of the body. During the fair, cultural shows and exhibitions are organized to enliven the event.