Pushkar Tour

About Pushkar
Comfortably ensconced in the Aravali valley at the foot of Nag Pahar, Pushkar is situated in the central Rajasthan 154 kms from Jaipur. This little town that covers an area of 16.34 sq kms is cosidered a holy place, ‘ the abode of Brahma’. According to a mythological story, the lotus flower of Brahma fell from his hand at this place while he was on a lookout for a place to perform a yagna on earth. It was after thsi that the place is called Pushkar or the ‘Flower child’.

Pushkar attracted the attention of the Moghuls, the Scindias and later the British who brought this place under their direct contro (thereby making it the one of the places in Rajasthan that was not a part of princely state). For a tourist visitng Pushkar, there are many attractions in store, the most prominent being the ghats (52), temples (400 temples) and the pushkar fair. It is, infact said that for a genuine Hindu, a visit to Pushkar is must to complete his pilgrimage.


Attractions
» The Brahma Temple - Pushkar is the only place in entire India where Brahma is worshipped as such the Brahma temple becomes the most prominent attraction in the town. The marble temple, which is situated on the Brahma Ghat, houses the four headed idol of Lord Brahma with an image of his coy wife Gayatri. There is also a silver turtle that enhances the beauty of the temple. Devotees visiting the temple have since long put coins in the temple black and white chequered floor and temple walls as a mark of respect to those loved ones who have died or those who have been recently born. The walls also have images of peacocks as they are considered to be the vehicle of Lord Brahma as well as his wife Saraswati (firts wife).

» Savitri Temple - This is the second most important temple in Pushkar. It is said that when Brahma couldn’t have his fwife Savitri to sit with him at the yagna, he married a local maid, Gayatri and performed the puja with her. When Savitri arrived, she was infuriated with Lord Brahma and cursed him that people will not worship him anywhereelse in India except Pushkar. With this she left for the Ratnagiri hills and immolated herself at the same place where her temple stands today. There is a statue of goddess Sarswati inside the temple. Reaching this temple requires a bit of effort as driving is not possible here and tourists can see this temple closely only after a 4 kms of steep climb. However, the views from atop the hill (of lake Pushkar and sand dunes nearby) is worth that extra effort..

» Pushkar Lake -The Pushkar lake holds a special place in the lives of Hindus who believe that the flower that fell from the hands of Lord Brahma fell in Pushkar and created this lake. Like the Ganges, a dip in the Pushkar lake is also supposed to purify the human body from all the wrongdoings especially during the occasion of Kartik purnima (the pushkar fair is organised during this period). The lake is surrounded by 52 ghats with the Brahma Ghat being the oldest one. The other important ghats include the Gau ghat, the Varha ghat and Narsimha ghats. The Gau ghat is the place from where the last remains of the important leaders of Indian history were immersed. There are also 52 palaces around this sacred lake.

» Pushkar Fair - Every year, on the occasion of Kartik Purnima (in the month of October - November), Pushkar comes alive with the liveliest and most popular fair in entire Rajasthan, the Pushkar fair. Infact it is this fair that has earned Pushkar its significant place in International map because it is the only one of its kind of fair that is organised in entire world.. Lakhs of people from around India come to take a dip in the holy water of the Pushkar lake. However, the Pushkar fair is most famous for the camel fair that attracts around 200,000 people with around 50,000 camels. Camels are not only sold here, rather they also participate in races. There are other animals like cows, sheep and goats that are bought and sold during this festival.

The festival that is celebrated for a week also witnesses Rajasthani music and dance programmes, skits, magic shows, monkey and snake shows. Tourists can also pick up various handicraft items from the stalls.


Reaching There
» By Air - The nearest airport is at Jaipur at a distance of 145 kms. Flights from Jaipur fly to other major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Ahmedabad, and Aurangabad.
» By Rail - Ajmer is the nearest railway station for Pushkar at a distance of 14 kms. Trains connect Ajmer to and from Jaipur, Delhi, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and other major destinations in the region
» By Road- Pushkar is connected by buses to Ajmer. Buses from Jaipur start for Ajmer at a gap of every fifteen minutes and reaches Ajmer after two hours. Jeeps and taxis, though a bit costly, are also available.