Pushkar

On Kartik Purnima, it is commonly believed that Lord Brahma performed rituals (yajna) at Pushkar Lake, where he also chose to build his temple. In the 8th century, Adi Shankara a Hindu Philosopher dedicated himself to temple renovation, however, Maharaja of Ratlam Jawat Raj is credited for the temple’s current structure as he took part in various modifications and repairing and conservation of this sacred temple. In honour of Lord Brahma on the auspicious Kartik Poornima, the entire town of Pushkar turns festive and the Pushkar fair is organised. Devotees from all over the country come and visit the shrine once they take bath and purify themselves in the Lake.

Pushkar is considered to be one of the most revered pilgrimage sites for Hindus and the Brahma Temple is an important and sacred monument. Pushkar Lake is the holiest lake in the country, it has prime significance to both Hindus and Sikhs for its rich religious and cultural history. The beautiful semi-circular-shaped lake located at 500ft above sea level is flanked by hills on three sides and a wide desert surrounds it on the fourth. The presence of more
than 500 Hindu temples encircling the lovely lake adds to its magnificence. There are 52 Ghats (steps) of different religious significance surrounding the lake where worshippers take holy baths. Known for its unique tradition and divine power of the lake, every year hundreds of pilgrims visit Pushkar to bathe in it for washing away their transgressions, cleansing their souls and curing skin-related diseases.

November marks the famous ‘Pushkar Mela’ a five-day-long livestock fair organized annually (from Kartik Ekadashi to Kartik Purnima as per the Hindu calendar). It is the biggest and most unmissable celebration of this location where tourists flock to this old and sacred site not just for pilgrimage, and sightseeing, but also to enjoy the Rajasthani culture and to experience the vibrancy of the trading and biggest cattle fair in India. One can even opt for the same- day Jaipur-Ajmer Pushkar tour or New Delhi to Pushkar tour to be a part of the vibrant festival. However, Pushkar belongs to an arid desert state, Pushkar experiences extremely sultry summers, moderate monsoonal rain and pleasant winters. Thus, the ideal time to visit Pushkar is between October and March when the city turns into a traveller’s paradise for exploring and touring this picturesque city with bright days with temperatures ranging from 8-25°C.

Simplicity and spirituality can lure anyone to fall in love with this holistic city right away. However, Pushkar also offers some of the many interesting recreational opportunities such as camel safari, boat rides, cable car rides, along with hiking and camping making it a well-liked option as a weekend getaway destination mainly among youths of neighboring cities such as Ajmer, Jaipur, Delhi, etc. To make your weekend worthwhile, one can take a same-day tour to Pushkar even from Delhi by car and cover all the key attractions in Pushkar, including the Brahma temple, lake and Ghats.