Pushkar, the famed Hindu pilgrimage centre, is located just 11kms from Ajmer. The pious believe that Lord Brahma himself created the central holy lake when he dropped a lotus flower on the earth and the lake emerged at that precise point.
Considered an important religious site, every devout Hindu endeavours to visit Pushkar and dip in the holy lake at least once in his lifetime, and the beautiful desert-ringed town ripples with colourful offerings and the bright fabrics of those come to bathe.
400 milky-coloured temples and 52 ghats surround the mystically enchanting lake, with the most significant sight being the only temple in the country that is dedicated to Brahama.
Pushkar is also the venue of the largest camel market in the world held at the October or November full moon, with up to 200 000 people and 50 000 camels, and vibrant and rambunctious surrounding festivities.
Even outside the festivals, Pushkar’s main bazaar is a maze of narrow lanes lined with a variety of stalls pedaling silver jewellery, embroidery, puppets and books.
Highlights
The lakeshore with its many temples and ghats and bathing pilgrims | Attending the largest camel market in the world | Trekking to the Rangji Temple in the early in the morning for great views
Interesting facts
− The town was destroyed by Mahumud of Ghazni on a foray from Afghanistan, before being rebuilt and becoming a favourite residence of the great Moghuls
− In 1818 it was handed over to the British, becoming one of the few directly controlled places in Rajasthan (rather than being part of a princely state)
