Pushkar
General Information
Pushkar is an enchanting small town
located exactly on the edge of the desert
and is situated just 11 kms from Ajmer,
but separated from it by Nag Pahar,
the Snake mountain. The town frequently
visited by the devotees lies to the
side of the small Pushkar Lake with
its multitudes of bathing ghats and
temples. Pushkar is a very important
pilgrimage centre for the Hindus and
is thronged by plethora of sadhus and
devotees.
Pushkar is recognised in the country
for its Camel Fair which takes place
here each October/November. This huge
assembly of camels, cattle, livestock
traders, pilgrims, tourists and film-makers
is one of the planet's most incredible
events. Its an event that should not
be missed.
Pushkar is a "City of Temples"
, though not as much old but in number
as generally claimed. The Brahma Temple
is the most famous temple in the town
and is said to be the only dedicated
to Lord Brahma in India. Pushkar is
the only pilgrimage shrine dedicated
to Brahma in all of India, and few pilgrims
visit the shrine, relative to the great
numbers that come to such celebrated
sites as Varanasi, Tirupati, Chidambaram
and Rameshvaram. It has been suggested
that this waning of importance may be
attributed to the fact that the function
of Brahma - creating the world - has
been completed, while Vishnu (the preserver)
and Shiva (the destroyer) still have
relevance to the continuing order of
the universe.
There are five principal temples in
Pushkar, all of relatively recent construction
since the earlier buildings were destroyed
by the Mugal emperor Aurangzeb in the
late 17th century. Numerous bathing
areas, known as ghats, surround the
lake and pilgrims immerse themselves
in the holy waters for a cleansing of
both body and soul. During most of the
year Pushkar is a sleepy little town.
Each November, however, over 200,000
people arrive with 50,000 cattle for
several days of pilgrimage, horse dealing,
camel racing and colorful festivities.
Pushkar
Camel Fair : This is
an important fair which makes small
town of Pushkar well-known in world
tourist map. According to the
legend, the Pushkar lake was formed
where Lord Brahma - the lord of creation
- dropped a lotus on the day of the
full moon. Every November, the famous
Pushkar Fair is held for 7 days which
begins on Noami ( the ninth day of the
month of Kartik, Oct- Nov, of the Hindu
calendar) and finishes on Kartik Poornima
(Full Moon). The Fair is marked by a
gathering of thousands of camels, cattle
and horses for trade, with added attractions
of games, races, local folk dances,
song and entertainment. During this
internationally known colourful
cattle fair recieves thousands of devotees
/ tourists from all faiths assemble
to take a dip in the holy lake. Dance,
music, gaily-attired folks and various
cultural events add to the fun and chrisma
of the occasion. The phenomenal camel
races are the most interesting part
of the fair augmented by cattle auction
and colourful shops exhibiting beautiful
handicrafts..
Main
Sightseeing of Pushkar
Pushkar Lake : Pushkar
is a small town located at a distance
of 11 km from Ajmer in Rajasthan.
It is famous all over the country
as the most important pilgrimage visited
by people all round the year. The
Pushkar lake and the Brahma temple
are the major attractions here. The
sacred Pushkar Lake is said to have
been created by the falling of lotus
from the hand of Lord Brahma, the
creator of the universe. It is believed
to be as old as the creation. The
lake is one of the most holy spots
in the town, and it is said that a
single dip in the waters of lake on
Kartika Poornima is same as performing
yagnas for several hundred years.
This enigmatic lake has fifty-two
bathing ghats, built around it. The
water around each ghat is supposed
to have special powers. The Naga Kund
is considered to give fertility, Roop
Tirth bestows beauty and charm, the
water of Kapil Vyapi Kund is said
to have powers to cure leprosy and
a dip in the Mrikand Muni Kund gives
the blessing of wisdom. The Pushkar
lake is encompassed by hills on three
sides and desert on the other side.
It is saaid that the cave of Saint
Agasthya was located on the snake
mountain here. Itis also believed
that Kalidasa, the great poet of the
ancient times, chose this place as
his locale for his Sanskrit drama,
Shakuntalam.
Brahma Temple :
This is the most revered shrine in
Pushkar, which happens t be the only
temple devoted to The Lord Brahma,
worshipped as the Creator of the Universe
in the known Hindu Trinity. According
to legend, Brahma performed a Yagya
here.
Varah Temple : The
Varah Temple is devoted to the Lord
Vishnu, the preserver in the Hindu
Trinity of Gods. The temple is houses
an image of Vishnu in his fifth incarnation
of wild boar and was built by the
King Anaji Chauhan (1123-1150) and
is equal in importance to the more
well known, Brahma Temple. As per
the legend, the Lord Vishnu came to
earth to kill the demon Hirnayaksh
who had stolen the Vedas and then
took the shape of Varah (wild boar)
and killed the demon thereby liberating
the world from his atrocities.
Savitri Temple : This
temple is devoted to the Godess Savitri,
one of Brahma's wives, and is located
on the highest hill above the Pushkar
town. One can climb a long series
of steps to reach the shrine which
offers a panoramic view of the Pushkar
Lake and surrounding sand dunes..
Go to Top
Excursions
from Pushkar
Ajmer :
At a distance of 11 kms from Pushkar,
Ajmer is an oasis wrapped in the green
hills. The city was founded by Raja
Ajay Pal Chauhan in the 7th Century
A.D. and continued to be a major centre
of the Chauhan power till 1193 A.D.
When Prithviraj Chauhan lost it to Mohammed
Gaure. Since then, Ajmer became home
to many dynasties. Today, Ajmer is a
popular pilgrimage centre for the Hindus
as well as Muslims. Especially famous
is the Dargah Sharif-tomb of the Sufi
saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, which
is equally revered by the Hindus and
Muslims. It is a centre of culture and
education, the British chose Ajmer for
its prestigious Mayo College a school
exclusively for Indian nobility. Ajmer
is also the base for visiting Pushkar
(14 km.), the abode of Lord Brahma,
lying to its west with a temple and
a picturesque lake. The Pushkar Lake
is a sacred spot for Hindus. During
the month of Kartik (Oct./Nov.), devotees
throng in large numbers here to take
a dip in the sacred lake.
Kishangarh : At a
distance of about 35 Kms this small
town of Kishangarh was founded by Kishan
Singh a Rathore Prince. In the 18th
century it acclaimed fame as one of
the finest schools of miniatures paintings.
Though a smaller school with a much
shorter duration it had a more refined
style. It peaked under the patronage
of Savant Singh an heir to the throne,
who later became a hermit. It is said
that Savant Singh modeled as Krishna
while his mistress nicknamed as Bani
Thani modelled for Radha. Paintings
of Bani Thani are it most celebrated.
The artist of this school favoured evening
lights and grey skies with fine colours.
This outstanding school lasted only
a few decades. Today the artists still
create duplicates of the work. The town
is now an industrial town for marble
and textiles. Kishangarh is connected
by train and bus.
How
to reach Pushkar?
By Air : The nearest
airport from Pushkar is located in Jaipur
which is 131 km away.
By Rail : Ajmer which
is situated at a distance of 11 km from
Pushkar, is the nearest railway station.
Ajmer in turn is well connected with
major destinations in Rajasthan.
By Road : Pushkar
has to two bus stands. The Marwar bus
stand is situated to the north of the
town by the post office and has buses
to some long distance places including
Delhi, Jodhpur and Bikaner.
