Pushkar

City of Faith - Pushkar

Pushkar ‘a sacred pilgrimage’- is a quaint little town, offering the best and variant
experiences to its travelers. It has its ancient history, diverse culture, international food options, multi- lingual locals, Gipsy tribes, hippy backpacker lifestyle and much much more.

Location

Surrounded by hillocks on three sides, just 16 km from Ajmer at an average elevation of 510 m.

The Name - Pushkar

In Sanskrit, Pushkar means a blue lotus flower. It is also known as ‘the rose garden of Rajasthan’.

Why Only One Temple in the World

History says that When Brahma Ji performed the yajna at Pushkar, his wife Savitri could not reach the yajna in time. So Brahma performed the pooja with the help of his creation, Gayatri – who then became the second wife of Brahma. This enraged Savitri and cursed the Lord for misusing his powers of creation. She doomed Brahma Ji for having ‘no other’ temple or giving any offerings like prashad.

Later she sulked off to the hilltop. Then the agreement was made that Savitri would always be worshipped first. This tradition still continues, first, the aarti is performed at Savitri temple and then at Gayatri temple. Idols of both Savitri and Gayatri are seen in the Savitri temple.

Creation

The home to the only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma in the whole world. According to the legends, the Pushkar lake was created when Brahma ji dropped his lotus at this site. The sacred water of the Pushkar Lake is believed to wash away the sins. There are 52 Ghats around the lake surrounded with more than 500 temples out of which 10 ghats are most important- the Gangaur Ghat, Karni Ghat, Jaipur Ghat, Yag Ghat, Gau ghat, Kota Ghat, Gwalior Ghat, Saptarishi Ghats, Dadhich Ghat and Varaha Ghat.

Pushkar Mela

Moreover, It has primarily been famed for its annual ‘Pushkar Mela’ which is a Cattle Fair organized during the month of ‘Karthik’ (October/November) for five days. It is the biggest and grandest celebration in the town where thousands of locals and tourists gather to savor rides, folk performance, shows, and the most important event of all – the trading of numerous cattle, horses and camels from distinct parts of the country.

Present Day

In the present day the tourism of Pushkar is thriving & has become a popular weekend getaway for people, especially the youth living in nearby cities like -Jaipur, Ajmer, Delhi etc. for its many offerings of recreational activities like – camel safaris, camping and hikes, cable-car rides, shopping for local handicrafts, silver jewelry and more.

Seasons of Pushkar

Since Pushkar is part of the torrid desert state, it has particularly hot summers and pleasant cold winters with clear starry skyline. In Monsoons, it rains moderately with the sight of natural waterfalls flowing through streams of mountains.

Festivals in Pushkar

The two prominent Hindu festivals – Holi and Diwali are celebrated with much penchant and glee, making it one of the unmissable sightings.

In India, the city of Pushkar is well-known for being a place of worship. It boasts a rich cultural heritage that has been conserved. It is a holy town with hundreds of temples, including the ‘only’ 14th-century Brahma Mandir that is dedicated to the God of Creation. is located in the middle of the endless Thar Desert and the tranquil Aravali.

With its 52 ghats, where pilgrims bathe, one can go around the world. Do find any of these in the market as souvenirs- Rose water, Silver jewelry,, precious gemstones, incense sticks and oils, are among the antiques available in the ancient city alleyways.

Additionally, leather products and ethnic Indian apparel are also sold at the bazaars.

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