Pushkar

Located in the middle of Rajasthan, Pushkar is a religious centre and is 14km (9 miles) from Ajmer. The name Pushkar means 'a pond created by a flower' and, according to the Padam Purana (a Hindu religious text) came into being when Lord Brahma dropped three petals from a lotus flower down to earth in an attempt to kill a demon. At the point where each petal struck the ground, a lake formed. The largest of these is revered as one of India's most sacred sites, and is surrounded by temples and 52 bathing ghats. To bathe at Pushkar in one of these ghats is believed to be more important than at any other place in the world, because Pushkar is considered to be the home of Lord Brahma and is reputed to have the only temple in India dedicated to him. It is the prime reason why Hindu pilgrims visit the town.

Around Pushkar

Pushkar is considered to be one of the most important centres by Hindu devotees, so be careful not to offend. Photography is prohibited on the ghats while the devotees are bathing, and shoes are not allowed beyond the steps of the lake.

For the wild life lovers among you, the area also has a thriving monkey colony which visits the lakes regularly foraging for food.

Pushkar Camel festival

Between October and November the famous five-day camel fair takes place. During this time, numerous competitions are held such as camel racing, horse racing, donkey racing, and camel-cart racing. In this part of India, the men sport very colourful (and large!) turbans and the women add to this riot of colour with their local village dress of gargara skirt, the design often specific to their caste or village. The festival itself is a major tourist attraction, but it is well worth hanging around after the racing for the "aarti" (evening prayers) after which hundreds of lamps are floated on the lake (known as "deepdan"), and the entire surface is illuminated.

Temperatures start to drop in October, reaching their lowest around mid January, so you'll need a warm pullover in the evening! The heat starts to build up from the festival of Holi at the end of Feb/beginning of Mar. By June, the heat can be intolerable and only the very brave (or the foolish) remain! Mid-July, the rains start to arrive and August sees the beginning of the monsoon season which brings cold winds, everything goes a lush green and the rivers start running.

Buses

A bus from the main bus station in Ajmer takes you into Pushkar (about half an hour). From there, bus services are available to Delhi, Haridwar and most of the major tourist towns of Rajasthan. Ajmer is a major railway station and connects you to a lot of India. Jaipur is about two and a half hours away from Ajmer by bus or train.

There are quite a few nice temples tucked into the mountains around the area (for mountains, read large rocky hills) which are great for picnics. You can also take a camel safari into the desert.

Pushkar to Ajmer Distance 11 KM
Pushkar to Jaipur Distance 140 KM
Pushkar to Delhi distance 415 KM
Pushkar to Udaipur distance 295 KM