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Pushkar
[ Edit ] Overview
Pushkar meaning ‘born from a flower’ is situated on the banks of the Pushkar Lake. It is believed according to Hindu mythology that Pushkar is the place where Brahma performed his yagna and is considered to be one of the holy pilgrimage places.
Pushkar is situated at a distance of about 14 Km from Ajmer. Pushkar has five main temples and lots of small temples. Pilgrim who come here, take a dip in the waters and visit the temples. Apart from the temples, Pushkar is also very famous for the annual Pushkar Camel Fair (camel mela).
Though there are many temples in Pushkar, a lot of them were destroyed by the Moghul ruler Aurangzeb.
[ Edit ] History
Pushkar has a lot of mention in the Ramayana and Mahabharata. According to Ramayana, Vishvamitra performed various rituals here and it is said that Apsara Menaka came to Pushkar and took a dip in its sacred waters.
In the Mahabharata it is said that during Yudhishthara's travel, he bathed in this river. Nahadarava, a ruler of Mandore, restored this place as a pilgrimage center in the 7th century. It is also said that sage Parasara was born here. His descendants are found to be living in areas close to Pushkar.
Quick Facts
[ Edit ] State
[ Edit ] Location
Eastern Rajasthan
[ Edit ] Best Time To Visit
September-December
[ Edit ] Tourist Offices
Tourist Reception Center, RTDC Hotel, Khadim.
[ Edit ] STD Code
145
Sightseeing
[ Edit ] Brahma Temple
This temple is said to be the only temple in the world to be dedicated to Lord Brahma. A silver turtle stands on the floor facing the main deity and there are many silver coins around the turtle. The flooring is made of marble and has coins with the names of the donors on it.
[ Edit ] Mahadeva Temple
Mahadeva temple was built in the 19th century. There is a huge marble statue of Mahadeva with its five faces here.
[ Edit ] Pushkar Camel Fair
The Pushkar Camel Fair is held annually in the Indian lunar calendar month of Karthik which falls in October or November. The fair attracts large number of local and international tourists, cattle, villagers and pilgrims. The town gets transformed during the Fair.
[ Edit ] Rama Vaikunth Temple
The largest temple in Pushkar, this temple was built in the 1920's is said to have sculpted images of about 361 deities. The outer gopuram is ornate and it is said that masons from south India were brought to do it.
[ Edit ] Savitri Temple
This temple is said to be the only temple in the world to be dedicated to Lord Brahma. A silver turtle stands on the floor facing the main deity and there are many silver coins around the turtle. The flooring is made of marble and has coins with the names of the donors on it.
[ Edit ] Varah Temple
Built in the 12th century, the Varah temple like many other temples in Pushkar was destroyed by Aurangzeb. The temple was however, reconstructed BY Raja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur in 1727.
Planning a Trip
Getting There
[ Edit ] Air
Jaipur is the nearest airport, located at a distance of 138 km from Pushkar.
[ Edit ] Rail
Ajmer is the closest railway station. It is connected to key cities like Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Ahmadabad, Udaipur and Jodhpur.
[ Edit ] Road
There are plenty of buses which ply from Ajmer to key cities like Delhi.
[ Edit ] Getting Around
Pushkar is a very small town. You can easily visit the town by foot. But there are autos which can take you around, or alternatively, you can get around in a cycle.
[ Edit ] Other Information
[ Edit ] Shopping
The main bazaar is narrow and has shops from where you can buy stuff like Rajasthani turbans, statues of Gods and books. Best buys would be jewelry, glass lamps, embroidered fabrics and Rajasthani puppets. You will need to bargain to get a good price.
[ Edit ] Food
Alcohol and non vegetarian food is forbidden in Pushkar.
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