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Comfortably ensconced
in the Aravali valley at the foot of Nag Pahar,
Pushkar is situated in the central Rajasthan 154 kms
from Jaipur. This little town that covers an area of
16.34 sq kms is cosidered a holy place, ‘ the abode of
Brahma’. According to a mythological story, the lotus
flower of Brahma fell from his hand at this place
while he was on a lookout for a place to perform a
yagna on earth. It was after thsi that the place is
called Pushkar or the ‘Flower child’. |
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Pushkar attracted the
attention of the Moghuls, the Scindias and later the
British who brought this place under their direct
contro (thereby making it the one of the places in
Rajasthan that was not a part of princely state). For
a tourist visitng Pushkar, there are many attractions
in store, the most prominent being the ghats (52),
temples (400 temples) and the pushkar fair. It is,
infact said that for a genuine Hindu, a visit to
Pushkar is must to complete his pilgrimage.
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The Brahma Temple
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Pushkar is the only place in entire India where Brahma is
worshipped as such the Brahma temple becomes the most
prominent attraction in the town. The marble temple, which
is situated on the Brahma Ghat, houses the four headed
idol of Lord Brahma with an image of his coy wife Gayatri.
There is also a silver turtle that enhances the beauty of
the temple. Devotees visiting the temple have since long
put coins in the temple black and white chequered floor
and temple walls as a mark of respect to those loved ones
who have died or those who have been recently born. The
walls also have images of peacocks as they are considered
to be the vehicle of Lord Brahma as well as his wife
Saraswati (firts wife).
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Savitri Temple
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This is the second most
important temple in Pushkar. It is said that when Brahma
couldn’t have his fwife Savitri to sit with him at the
yagna, he married a local maid, Gayatri and performed the
puja with her. When Savitri arrived, she was infuriated
with Lord Brahma and cursed him that people will not
worship him anywhereelse in India except Pushkar. With
this she left for the Ratnagiri hills and immolated
herself at the same place where her temple stands today.
There is a statue of goddess Sarswati inside the temple.
Reaching this temple requires a bit of effort as driving
is not possible here and tourists can see this temple
closely only after a 4 kms of steep climb. However, the
views from atop the hill (of lake Pushkar and sand dunes
nearby) is worth that extra effort..
Pushkar Lake
-The
Pushkar lake holds a special place in the lives of
Hindus who believe that the flower that fell from the
hands of Lord Brahma fell in Pushkar and created this
lake. Like the Ganges, a dip in the Pushkar lake is also
supposed to purify the human body from all the
wrongdoings especially during the occasion of Kartik
purnima (the pushkar fair is organised during this
period). The lake is surrounded by 52 ghats with the
Brahma Ghat being the oldest one. The other important
ghats include the Gau ghat, the Varha ghat and Narsimha
ghats. The Gau ghat is the place from where the last
remains of the important leaders of Indian history were
immersed. There are also 52 palaces around this sacred
lake.
Pushkar Fair
- Every year, on the occasion of Kartik Purnima (in the
month of October - November), Pushkar comes alive with the
liveliest and most popular fair in entire Rajasthan, the
Pushkar fair. Infact it is this fair that has earned Pushkar
its significant place in International map because it is the
only one of its kind of fair that is organised in entire
world.. Lakhs of people from around India come to take a dip
in the holy water of the Pushkar lake. However, the Pushkar
fair is most famous for the camel fair that attracts around
200,000 people with around 50,000 camels. Camels are not
only sold here, rather they also participate in races. There
are other animals like cows, sheep and goats that are bought
and sold during this festival.
The festival that is celebrated for a week
also witnesses Rajasthani music and dance programmes, skits,
magic shows, monkey and snake shows. Tourists can also pick
up various handicraft items from the stalls.
Reaching
There
By Air
- The nearest airport
is at Jaipur at a distance of 145 kms. Flights from Jaipur
fly to other major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur,
Jodhpur, Ahmedabad, and Aurangabad.
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By Rail
- Ajmer is the nearest
railway station for Pushkar at a distance of 14 kms. Trains
connect Ajmer to and from Jaipur, Delhi, Jodhpur, Udaipur,
Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and other major destinations in the
region
By Road
- Pushkar is connected
by buses to Ajmer. Buses from Jaipur start for Ajmer at a
gap of every fifteen minutes and reaches Ajmer after two
hours. Jeeps and taxis, though a bit costly, are also
available. |
Pushkar Travel Packages:
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