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For a devout Hindu Pushkar is a very important pilgrim centre, for one visit to this holy place in a lifetime is highly prescribed. Brahma forms the great Hindu trilogy of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, each symbolising the lifecycle of birth, preservation and destruction. Brahma the creator is depicted as of four bearded heads and four hands each holding a book of Vedas (knowledge). His vehicle is the swan and his consort is Savitri.

According to the legend Pushkar means a pond created by flower, was formed when Brahma dropped a lotus flower on the earth to determine a place for his yagna, a holy sacrifice. The story goes that Brahma wanted to perform the yagna at the most auspicious time but his consort Savitri whose presence at the yagna was vital for its performance kept him waiting. Irritated by this Brahma married Gayatri, a milkmaid and installed her instead.

Savitri on seeing someone else in her place was infuriated and cursed Brahma that he would be forgotten by people on earth and never worshiped. She relented on pleas from other Gods that he could only be worshiped in Pushkar, hence there are no Brahma Temples elsewhere.

Pushkar is a much loved tourist destination, many who visit there just fall in love with the place and overstay. Situated on the edge on the desert it is separated from Ajmer by the Nag Parbat (the snake hill). The town has very distinct tourist excitement with narrow lanes lined with shops selling various accessories and rooftop restaurants. Despite its high tourist profile the town maintains some mystical charm.

Pushkar is world famous for its cattle fair normally held in the Hindu month Kartika, which is around Oct-November. At this time the town jam-packed with tribal people from all over Rajasthan and tourist. It is commonly known as Camel fair, bringing with them several camels and cattle to the pilgrimage. A Fair ground is fashioned and is packed with shops selling souvenirs and eateries. Games and circus shows also goes on. And villagers come sell camels, horses, elephants and cattle and other livestock. Elaborate arrangement for staying of visitors is made including luxury tents. Just don’t miss the Pushkar Fair if you are India around that time.

Places to See

Savitri Temple :
A temple dedicated to the first wife of Lord Brahma the Savitri temple is located on the hill behind the Brahma Temple which can be reached by a flight of steps. The temple offers a panoramic view of the lake and the surrounding desertscape.

Man Mahal :
On the banks if pushkar is the magnificent palace built by Raja Man Singh 1 of Amer now converted into the RTDC Hotel sarovar it offers a comfortable accommodation to the visitors.

The Brahma Temple :
It is the only temple in India dedicated to Lord braham. The temple is marked by a red spire and over the entrance gateway us a beautiful statue carrier of Lord Brahma.

Lakes in Pushkar

Pushkar Lake :
The pious Pushkar Lake, believed to have been created by the falling of lotus from the hand of Lord Brahma. It is considered to be as old as the creation. The lake is considered as one of the most sacred spots, and believed that one dip in the waters of lake on Kartika Poornima is equivalent to performing yagnas for several hundred years.

The charming lake amidst the hills has fifty-two bathing ghats, built around lake. The water around each ghat is supposed to have special powers. The Naga Kund is belived to give fertility, Roop Tirth gives beauty and charm, Kapil Vyapi Kund water helps in curing leprosy and a dip in the Mrikand Muni Kund grants the boon of wisdom.

Temples in Pushkar

Nasiyan Temple :
The red temple is a Digambar Jain temple which has a double- storey hall adjacent to the main temple. The hall displays a series of large gold plated wooden figures depicting legends from Jain mythology. The entire hall is richly adorned by glass mosaic, precious stones, gold and silver work. The place is also popularly called Soni Ji Ki Nasiyan.

Brahma Temple :
This is the only existing temple dedicated to lord Brahma and was constructed in the 14th century, standing on a high plinth with marble steps leading up to it. A beautiful carved silver turtle sits on the floor facing the sanctorum or Garbha Griha. The marble floor around the silver turtle is embedded with hundreds of silver coins, with donors name engraved on them.

Old Rangji Temple :
Lord Rangji is an carnation in of lord Vishnu. This temple was built in 1823 by Seth Puran Mal Ganeriwal of Hyderabad.This temple is unique due to confluence of South Indian style (Dravid) Rajput and Mughal style of architecture.

New Rangji Temple :
The gracious temple is very conspicuous, due to its south Indian style of architecture. It has a high rising Gopuram typical of southern India Pushkar has more than 400 temples, the other important temples are Balaji la Mandir and Man Mandir.

Savitri Temple :
The temple of Lord Brahma's first wife. It is located on the hill behind the Brahma temple and one has to climb a long series of steps to reach the shrine. It commands a panoramic view of the beautiful lake and the picturesque surrounding of the villages.

Saraswati Temple :
Saraswati is the wife of Brahma. Literally her name means 'the flowing one' .In the Rig Veda she represents a river deity and is connected with fertility and purification. She is considered the personification of all knowledge - arts, sciences, crafts and skills. She is the goddess of the creative impulse, the source of music, beauty and eloquence. Artists, writers and other individuals involved in creative endeavors have for millennia come on pilgrimage to Pushkar to request the inspiration of Brahma and Saraswati. According to a theory,the shrine myths are often metaphorical expressions of the particular power of a pilgrimage place, the lake, hill and area of Pushkar have a spirit or presence that awakens and stimulates the human capacity of creativity.

Fairs & Festivals

Pushkar Fair :
The famous Pushkar Fair is a great tourist attraction. People from around the globe come to the ancient religious town of Pushkar which is transformed into a spectacular fair ground in the month of Kartik. People bathe, worship and delight in the dazzling wares of roadside stalls. Camels are bought, sold, beautified, raced and parade. Most unusual are the small groups of men and women seen busy tattooing their hands and other parts of the body.

The fair is predominantly a rural gathering. Villagers come from different parts of the state and bring their cattle with them. On spectacular sanddunes camel, horse and bullock races are great crowd pullers. All roads lead to the lake, which is flooded with pilgrims. The movement of the crowd is like a tide of colour with currents of crimson, yellow and turquoise.

Evenings at the Pushkar Fair have their own charm. The silent night is pierced by calls of camels. Ballads are sung by actors in passionate tones. Folk dramas, skits and folk dance are organised for the entertainment of the tourists. The Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) puts up a tourist village during the fair.

The tourist village is self sufficient and specially designed to complement the natural beauty of the site. It has a Coffee Shop and Dining Hall which can cater to 1 500 guests at a time. The village is arranged in blocks of tents, each with its own identity, being named after the famous dances of Rajasthan. The village also has huts with attached western style toilets and running water. One can also stay in Sarovar Hotel, Pushkar and Khadim Tourist Bunglow at Ajmer.

Destination Pushkar :
Amongst the grandeur of Rajasthan, discover a unique gem - Pushkar. Lord Brahma - The creator of the world in a search for his abode on earth, performed the supremely spiritual vedic yagna at Pushkar. It is thus the site of the only Brahma Temple in the world.

A city of Pilgrimage from time immemorial with over 500 temples and ghats Pushkar begets a legacy of timeless architectural heritage. Pushkar radiates an ambience of peace and spirituality that casts a lure to visit again and again.

How to Reach :

Rail :
Ajmer, situated at a distance of 11 km from Pushkar, is the nearest railhead. Ajmer an important destination on its own right, Ajmer is well connected with major places in Rajasthan.

Road :
Pushkar is home to two bus stands. The Marwar bus stand, in the north of town by the post office, has buses to some long distance places including Delhi, Jodhpur and Bikaner while the Ajmer bus stand is located east of the Pushkar town and offers bus services to Ajmer and Jaipur. Pushkar is well connected to Ajmer by bus.

Ranakpur Travel Guide

Renowned for some marvellously carved Jain temples in amber stone ranakpur is one of the five holy places of the jain community, 96km from Udaipur, these temples were created in the 15th century A.D. during the regin of Rana Kumbha and are enclosed within a wall. The central chaumukha or four faced temple is dedicated to the venerated trithankara Rishabhji. Open on all four sides it enshrines the four faced image of Adinath. Sprawling over 48,000 sq.feet the temple is an astounding creation with 29 halls and 1,444 pillars-all distinctly carved.

Images of 24 tirthnkars are carved on the 'mandaps' or porticoes in a corridor around the shrine with each mandap having a 'shikhar' or spripe adorned the shrine with each mandap on the top. The gentle breeze wafting through the corridor move the bell creating celestial music all around the complex. Rising in three storeys, the temple has four small shrines with 80 spries supported by 420 columns.

Two temples dedicated to the Jain saints-parvanath and Neminath, face the main temple. The temple have beautiful carvings simillar to that of Khajuraho.

Another temple worth visiting is the nearby sun temples an 8th century A.D. temple Didicated to the sun god. The temple has polygonal walls, richly embellised with carvings of worriors, horses and solar deities riding splendid chariots.

Places to See

Sadri (8km) :
Famous for some beautiful temples and an old Dargh of Khudabaksh Baba. The Varahavtar temple and the Chinitamani Parsvanath Jain temples are the most ancient of the temples situated here.

Desuri (16km) :
Three jain temples, dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord hanuman and Navi Mata are among some noteworthy temples at Desuri, an old mosque situated here is also worth a visit. A temple dedicated to Parsuram Mahadeo, nestled in the hills, is also close by. It is situated in the hills, is also close by. It is situated in the kumbhalgarh tehsil of Rajasthan.

Ghanerao :
Ghanerao a bounds in Jain and Hindu temples of Gajanand with a life-size statue of the goddesses Ridhi and Sidhi the statue is guarded by Hamnuman and Bhairon on either on side.

Narlai (6km) :
lying at the bas4 of a jillock on the top of the which is a classical statue of an elephant narlai has many Hindu and jain temples The temple of Adinath is an anicient one. The outer mandap of the temple has beautiful mural painting on its celling which still retain their original splendour.

Muchhal Mahaveer :
This jain temple is situated about 5km from Ghanero in the kumbhalgarh Sancyuary. Its distinctive features is the statue of Lord Mahavira with a moustache. The two statues of elephants guarding the gateway are splendid example of architecture in the vicinity are the garasia tribal villages famous for their colourful too.

Kumbhalgarh :
The imposing fort-a principal bastion of mewar after Chittaurgarh has some interesting jain temples.

Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary :
The 586sqkm sanctuary supports a rich variety of wildlife panther, sloth bear, wild boar, four horned antelop and are the major attraction.

How To Reach

Air :
Udaipur 80km is the nearest airport.

Rail :
Falna 35 km is the nearest railhead on the Delhi-Ahmedabad sector.

Road :
A network of bus services joins rankpur with many nearby places.