The picturesque Pushkar is set in a
valley just about 14 km off Ajmer in the north Indian state of Rajasthan.
Surrounded by hills on three sides and sand dunes on the other, Pushkar
forms a fascinating location and a befitting backdrop for the annual
religious and cattle fair.
Pushkar is among the five
dhams or pilgrimages that are held in high esteem by Hindus, the
others being Badrinath, Puri, Rameswaram, and Dwarka. It is said that in
battle lord Brahma killed the demon Vajra Nabh with a lotus flower, whose
petals floated down to earth and landed in three places in and around
Pushkar where lakes sprang up. According to legends, Pushkar Lake was
surrounded by 500 temples and 52 palaces (several rajas and maharajas
maintained palaces here for pilgrimage) at one point.
The
Brahma temple is the most important temple here and is, in fact, the only
Brahma temple of India. It is interesting to note that Brahma is not
worshipped, even though he is one of the Holy Trinity of Hinduism. Brahma,
it is said, had descended on earth to perform a Yajna (fire-sacrifice). His
wife Savitri was not with him at that time and the Yajna would be incomplete
without her. Therefore, Brahma married a local girl and sat down for the
Yajna. Meanwhile Savitri landed on earth and, upon finding this new bride
sitting next to Brahma, cursed him that he would never be worshipped
anywhere else on earth.
| » Major
Attractions of Pushkar |
Pushkar Fair
: The Pulsating beats of vivid images of the Sacred Brahma land, Pushkar
brings alive the rich tradition of Rajasthan enhancing the glory of the
golden sand. Spectacular Fair Ground in the month of Kartik with bedecked
Camels, decorated cattles, adventures competitions, breathtaking events,
jostling rustic crowd, meditating sadhus, holy dip, vivid stalls, exotic
fair, colorful desert, so typical, so obvious, It can be nothing else but
Pushkar Fair.
An amalgamation of a marvellous juxtaposition of
commerce and devotion, Pushkar Fair, a lifetime experience in the very holy
land. The fair in conjunction with having religious entity is famous for its
Cattle Fair. Camels, Horses, Donkeys, Bulls, etc are bought, sold,
beautified, raced and paraded on the sand. In fact, the fair is
predominantly a rural gathering, where villagers from different parts of
state comes with their animals and lakes are flooded with the pilgrims for
the Holy Dips (SNAN).
Nag Hill : Considered to
be one of the oldest hills in the world ,its height is said to have been ten
crores yojanas in Satya-yuga, ten lakhs yojanas in Treta-yuga, and ten
thousand yojanas in Dwapura-yuga. In Kali-yuga, its height is decreasing day
by day because it is sinking into the earth. Visiting this hill on your
pilgrimage to Pushkar will resolve all your differences. Above the hill is
Nag Kund. The story of this hill is that Rishi Chyavan cursed Vatu, the
grandson of Brahma, to become a snake on the second day of the sacrifice
performed by Brahma. Agastya Muni's residence is said to be a cave on Nag
Hill.
The Brahma Temple : It is the only temple in India
dedicated to Lord braham. The temple is marked by a red spire and over the
entrance gateway us a beautiful statue carrier of Lord Brahma.
Savitri
Temple : A temple dedicated to the first wife of Lord Brahma the Savitri
temple is located on the hill behind the Brahma Temple which can be reached
by a flight of steps. The temple offers a panoramic view of the lake and the
surrounding desertscape.
| » Places to
Stay in Pushkar |
With the increase in the popularity of Pushkar and the interest
shown by the tourists abroad, the place has now many decent accommodation
options available. One can chose from a variety of options like budget,
mid-range, and luxury accommodations.
A popular accommodation
option nowadays is the tourist village where tourists stay in the tents.
This is a good place to feel the culture and tradition of Rajasthan in the
idyllic environment.
Pushkar has an extreme climate. The maximum temperature during the
summers can go up to 40 to 45°C, while in the winters it can be below
10°C. There is not much rain during the monsoon. The best season to
visit this place is in the winters from October to March.
An array of stalls all along the main bazar are renowed for
embroidered fabrics and shoes colourful beads and bangles, brass utensils,
belts studded with brass, cloth covers for cammels with mirror work
colourful saddles and leather goods beautiful wall hanging and shoulder
bags. The prime shopping spots are home circus, Bazar, Sarafa bazar,
Malakhera Bazar and kedalganj Bazar.
Air : The nearest airport is Jaipur (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, which is around 14 km away. We would provide you all India
tourist permit vehicles for the local transportations and also for the
intercity drives too.
Pushkar
Tours
