Pushkar

ne of the oldest towns in the country, Pushkar is held in reverence by every Hindus. Pushkar lies on the shore of Pushkar Lake at a distance of 11 Kms. from Ajmer on the edge of the desert. Pushkar is one of the sacred places for the Hindus, with 400 temples of which the most important is dedicated to Lord Brahma - the creator of the universe. Fifty-two ghats bind the lake. The Brahma Temple in Pushkar is the only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma in the country.

Pushkar lake has a mythological significance associated with it. According to myth, Lord Brahma was on his way to search for a suitable place to perform a 'Yagna' (a fire sacrifice). While contemplating, a lotus fell from his hand on the earth and water sprouted from three places. One of them was Pushkar, where Lord Brahma performed his Yagna. Surrounded by hills on three sides.
 

The holy lake has 52 ghats and pilgrims taking a ritual dip in the lake are a common sight.  Pushkar is also associated with Pushkar Fair - the world's largest camel fair.

Pushkar is one of the best places to capture the true Rajasthani culture and colors.
                                                  

How to Reach Pushkar?

By Air
The nearest airport from Pushkar is Sanganer Airport at Jaipur at distance of 146 km from Pushkar which is well connected with all the major cities which include Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Indore, Jodhpur and Udaipur.
 

By Rail
The nearest railway station from Pushkar is Ajmer, which is on the Broad Gauge and hence connected to the major cities of India. A Broad Gauge track is being laid from Ajmer to Pushkar.

By Road
Pushkar is 11 km from main Ajmer bus stand. Rajasthan Roadways run very comfortable deluxe buses from Jaipur. There are buses from Jaipur to Ajmer very frequently.

Distances from Pushkar

Pushkar to Jaipur - 138 km                    Pushkar to Bharatpur - 305 km

Pushkar to Delhi - 392 km                     Pushkar to Jodhpur - 210 km

Pushkar to Ahmedabad - 526 km            Pushkar to Udaipur - 303 km

Pushkar to Jaisalmer - 490 km               Pushkar to Kota - 200 km

Pushkar to Bikaner - 233 km

Sightseeing  in Pushkar
 

Pushkar Lake- The prime attraction of Pushkar is the Pushkar Lake which is considered sacred by Hindus. Pushkar has become a place of Hindu pilgrimage because of this holy lake. Legend has it that this lake was consecrated to Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe when a lotus dropped from his hand into the vale and a lake emerged in that place.

Brahma Temple- The most important temple in Pushkar is the Temple of Lord Brahma, one of the holy trinity of Hinduism. In fact it is the only Hindu shrine in the world where Lord Brahma is worshipped. The temple enshrines a life-size idol of Lord Brahma.
 

Savitri Temple - This temple that is located at the top of the Ratnagiri Hill is dedicated to Savitri, the wife of Lord Brahma. The temple houses a magnificent statue of Goddess Savitri.The one-hour trek up to the hilltop Savitri Temple overlooking the lake is best made early in the morning; the view is magical.

Old Pushkar - Old Pushkar lake is rebuilt and is located around 5 km from Pushkar lake.

Varah Temple - Originally built in the 12th century, Varah Temple was, like many others, destroyed by the Mughals which was reconstructed by Raja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur in 1727, the temple has an interesting and richly ornamented image house.

Mahadeva Temple - A Beautiful temple built in the 19th century with remarkable elegance. It is also noteworthy for its white marble Mahadeva image, with its five faces.

Ramavaikunth Temple - One of Pushkar's largest and most intricate temples, the Ramavaikunth Temple was built in the 1920's and has beautifully sculpted images of no less than 361 different deities.

Chamunda temple - This is one of the 51 Shakti peeths. It is also known as Manibandh.
 

Panchkund Shiva temple - It is around 2-3 kms from the pushkar lake. The shiva temple is said to have been built by Pancha pandavas.

                                                        Pushkar Fair

The festival lasts 10 days and is divided into 2 parts, the first part being the cattle fair where thousands of cattle, camels and horses are brought to Pushkar to be bartered for and sold. Every year thousands of domestic and international tourists come to be a part of this amazing Pushkar Fair. This fair is organized in between October-November.

This fair time is the most busy time for them, as this is one of the largest cattle fairs in the country. Animals, especially camels, are brought from miles around. Trading is brisk as several thousand heads of cattle exchange hands. Also special stalls are set up selling finery and jewellery for the camels. Camels at the Pushkar fair are decorated with great care. They wear jewellery of silver and beads. There are silver bells and bangles around their ankles that jangle when they walk. An interesting ritual is the piercing of a camel's nose.

Rajasthan Holiday Packages

Royal Rajasthan (14 days)	Forts and Palaces tour (21 days)
Rajasthan with Golden triangle (16 days)	Rajasthan Cultural Tours (16 days)
Pushkar Fair Tours (19 days)	Rural Rajasthan Tour (12 days)