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Home » Rajasthan Travel Guide » Pushkar Travel Guide
Pushkar Travel GuideA town painted white, built around a lake of sparkling blue, surrounded by acres and acres of red roses, tucked in by hills on three sides and golden dunes of sand on the fourth. With a history as magical as its location, no wonder the tiny town of Pushkar is a significant destination within the province of Rajasthan. Considered Brahma's only abode on earth it is the sencond holiest city in India, ranked after Varanasi. But it's not just a temple town, there's much to explore here in this maze of whitewashed ghats, temples, ashrams and dharamshalas encircling the lake. Visit the ghats to offer prayers along with rose petals and coconuts to appease the deities, take a dip in the holy Pushkar Lake, for the more adventerous at heart try some bhang lassi, attend the Pushkar Cattle Fair, do yoga at sunrise or sunset, take an exotic Camel ride, treat yourself to a massage with rose-scented oils, listen to some live music as you nurse a steaming hot cuppa at one of its many cafes, stroll through the bazaar full of interesting bric-a-brac and what ever else you do, do not miss out on eating the local delicacies.Legend/Myths According to the epics, Pushkar was created when a lotus fell from the hands of Lord Brahma and landed on this site. Brahma resolved to perform a yagna here but since his wife Savitri was not with him he married a local damsel called Gayatri and commenced his prayers, when Savitri arrived on the scene and saw Gayatri she cursed Brahma that he would not be worshipped anywhere outside of Pushkar ever. Places to See in Pushkar : Temple Trail The Brahma Temple stands on the ghat of the same name, check out the four-faced icon of the Lord along with his shy bride Gayatri and the silver Turtle that stands in attendance at the temple entrance. The Varaha Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is interestingly built in many layers. The Aptaeshvar Temple is an underground shrine where a lingam has been installed. There are many more sacred shrines and temples each with their own unique significance in this land of Brahma. Pushkar Cattle Fair At Kartik-Purnima (the full moon, roughly around November) each year, hundreds of thousands of people converge here to take a holy dip in the sacred Pushkar Lake. The town mushrooms into a riot of colours and a hub of activity, the famous Pushkar Cattle festival is also organised at the same time. Cows, camels, sheep, goats and their traders flood the city. The fair is a week long fiesta and with many competitions and entertainment programs to liven up the scene. You will find storytellers, hypnotists, snake charmers, magicians and monkey trainers all vying for your attention. Eating Out With an array of Garden and rooftop restaurants, Pushkar is a town ideal for a leisurely meal and a place where everyone quickly finds their favourite eatry. The restaurants serve not only regular Indian dishes and Rajasthani fare but also all manner and variety of foreign cuisine, ranging from pastas and pizzas to vegetarian steaks, visitors are spoilt for choice. The Halwai-Ki-Gali, offers a wide variety of snacks, including spicy kachoris, hot samosas, crisp jalebis and mouthwatering malpuas. Being a holy place, alcohol, meat and even eggs are banned. Shopping Pushkar's bazaar is a narrow curvy street lined with an assortment of absorbing little shops. A myriad mix of goods are on sale here, one can find everything from 60's timewarp clothing to Rajasthani turbans, from statues of Brahma to the novels of Salman Rushdie. Particularly good buys include costume jewellery, glass lamps, embroidered fabrics such as wall hangings and shoulder bags, Rajasthani puppets and traditional music. Haggling is very much a custom, so come prepared to bargain. Weather Watch Pushkar has an extreme climate and high temperature variations between the seasons. Summers have hot days though the nights can be cold. Temperature remains in the range of 10ºC in the winters. Pushkar does not get much rainfall even during the monsoon. The best time to visit is in the winter months ( September to March). Getting Around Pushkar is a relatively small town and easy enough to get around on foot. There are no auto-rickshaws in the town center. If you are planning to stay for long and don't want to foot it all around town then a bicycle is your next best bet. How to Reach : Air : The airport nearest to Pushkar is in Jaipur. Jaipur is well connected to all the major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jodhpur, Udaipur. Bus : Pushkar is 11 km from the main Ajmer bus stand. Rajasthan Roadways also runs comfortable deluxe buses from Jaipur. There are buses from Jaipur to Ajmer every 15 minutes, some nonstop. The roads are very good, and it takes around 3 hrs from Jaipur to reach. You can also hire private cars. Train : The Railway Station nearest to Pushkar is in Ajmer, it is on the Broad Gauge and hence connected to all the metro cities of India. There are daily trains from Delhi in the mornings (Shatabdhi Exp).
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