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| || The Past || Don't Miss || Festivals || When to Go || Getting There || |
A quiet little town of eastern Rajasthan, with the only temple
of the Hindu God of creation, Brahma, Pushkar
offers absolute tranquility for all who seek it. Situated in
a valley with hills on three sides and sand dunes on the other,
Pushkar is the venue of the country’s most colorful cattle
fair—the Pushkar Fair. A city of 400 temples and 52 bathing
ghats, through this town, the five legendary rivers, Suprabha,
Kanaka, Prachi, Nanda and Saraswati flow. |
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Every November, Pushkar comes alive with the vibrancy and colour
of the famous Pushkar Fair. One of the largest cattle fairs
in the world, parading and racing camels, vendors selling attractive
wares and people getting themselves tattooed are a common sight.
The hundreds of oil lamps that are lighted on the Pushkar Lake present
a picturesque sight. |
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There are many legends associated with the birth of Pushkar and Pushkar Fair, most of them associated with Lord Brahma. It is said that in a battle, Lord Brahma killed the demon Vajra Nabh with a lotus flower, whose petals floated down to earth and landed in three places in and around Pushkar where lakes sprang up. According to another legend, back in a legendary time, Lord Brahma was flying over the Rajasthan desert on his swan, when some petals fell from his hand and drifted down. Miraculously, blue lakes sprang up where the flowers had touched the soft sands. Just then, Lord Brahma realized that this was the auspicious moment to perform a fire sacrifice or yagna. His wife Savitri was not with him at that time and the yagna would be incomplete without her. So Brahma married a local girl and sat down for the yagna with her. Meanwhile Savitri landed on earth and upon finding this new bride sitting next to Brahma, she was raged with fury and cursed him that he would never be worshipped anywhere else on earth. Ever since then, when the full moon shines on Purnima during the autumn period of Kartik, the desert tribes meet to commemorate this epic event. It is also believed that Lord Vishnu descended on earth here in Pushkar incarnated as Warah (wild boar) to kill the demon Hirnayaksh and liberate the land from his atrocities. Historically, Pushkar has been the target of
Afghani rulers who have ravaged it because of its strategic
location. In time, it became a centre for Mughals before coming
in direct control of the British. |
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The Brahma Temple here is the
only temple in the world where Lord Brahma is worshipped. It is
nestled in the Pushkar valley, which lies beyond Nagaparvat and
the Anasagar Lake. This place, full of natural beauty, holds a special
place in the hearts of Indians for it is believed that Lord Brahma,
together with all the gods and goddesses, performed a Yagya here.
Legend also has it that the ancient lake Sarovar had appeared miraculously,
when a lotus fell from the hands of Lord Brahma and dropped into
this valley. The temple can be identified by its red spire and the
image of the Hans (the goose considered sacred to Lord Brahma).
Within the temple is a life-size four-armed idol of Lord Brahma
- the creator in the hall. The temple is built in marble and decorated
with silver coins with a silver turtle on the floor of the temple.
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Pushkar Lake is another important attraction of Pushkar and holds immense significance for the followers of Hinduism. According to the legends, the lake was dedicated to Lord Brahma after a lotus fell from his hands and dropped into this picturesque valley. A lake sprang up on the same spot later, which is considered holy. The entire lake is supposed to be surrounded by 400 temples, 52 palaces, and 52 ghats. During the month of November, the Lake turns into the venue of a colourful festivity known world over as the Pushkar Fair. Dedicated to Savitri, wife of Lord Brahma, the Savitri Temple is located atop the Ratnagiri Hill. Popular legend has it that when Lord Brahma performed a Yagna with Gayatri, a local milkmaid, enraged Gayatri laid a curse upon her husband that he would never be worshipped anywhere else but Pushkar and that too only once a year. She then departed to the Ratnagiri Hill where she immolated herself. This temple contains a beautiful statue of Goddess Savitri. Among other important temples in the town are the Mahadeva Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Rangaji Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu and the Temple of Varaha, a manifestation of Lord Vishnu. The Pushkar Bazaar is an attractive feature
of this town Rajasthan, India. The local market offers a wide range of souvenirs
including Rajasthani costumes, jewellary, embroidered fabrics,
decorative artifacts and accessories. The bazaar assumes special
attraction during the annual Pushkar Fair. |
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One
of the most spectacular festivals to watch out for in Pushkar
is the Pushkar Fair or the Camel Festival,
which is celebrated with great gusto for a week on the banks
of the sacred Lake of Pushkar. This Fair witnesses the change
from the dull desert landscape to the riot of colours- the large
gaudy turbans of the native males and the variegated hues of
the pleated skirts of bejeweled women. The Festival witnesses
long-drawn negotiations or sometimes a quick transaction among
the men folk in the sale of camels, horses, cows, goats and
sheep. This Fair is the season that transforms Pushkar into
Rajasthan under one roof.
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Pushkar
has extreme climate variations, with the temperatures soaring
up in the summers. The best time to visit this towm of Rajasthan, India is in the
winters, October to mid-March. Accommodation is not a problem here as there is a wide range of hotels in Pushkar, India. For more information on our tour packages & hotels in Pushkar. Please contact Makemytrip.com 
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The
nearest airport to Pushkar is Jaipur (145 km), from where you can take
flights for Delhi and Mumbai and other destination of India. |
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Ajmer
is the nearest railway station from Pushkar where trains are available
for all major destinations in Rajasthan and other parts of India. |
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Pushkar
is connected to Ajmer by road, which is around 14 km away. |
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| Weather you are looking for luxury hotels or budget accommodation, Makemytrip.com offers all kinds of hotels reservation services in Pushkar, India. | ||
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