Pushkar – The Timeless Beauty Of Rajasthan

Pushkar, the tirtha – raj which means the king of sacred and pilgrim places is located in Ajmer district of Rajasthan. It is one of the ancient and beautiful pilgrim sites among the 5 dhams of Hindus. Pushkar literally means the flower lotus and is considered lord Brahma’s seat in Indian culture. This is why Pushkar is one of those rare and special places to have a temple dedicated to lord Brahma. 

Pushkar town is famous for its lake known as Pushkar Lake. The lake has 52 ghats. 400 blue-colored temples surround the holy lake. It makes the atmosphere more spiritual and divine as one can listen to magical chants from temples.

Pushkar has become a very famous destination not just for Indian devotees and tourists but also for international tourists. In other words, The calmness, spirituality, and heritage of the town are a crowd-puller. 

History of Pushkar

The story behind the origin of Pushkar is really interesting. It started from the time when the creator of the universe, lord Brahma wanted to do maha yagna for which he needed a sacred place. While he was searching, he came to know about VajraNabh, a demon who was killing innocent people. Lord Brahma sent a lotus flower blessed with powerful mantras to kill the demon. 

The three petals fell from the flower at that time. A petal landed on a place, and it got named Pushkar. This is why people consider Pushkar Lake a holy lake. After that, when Brahma ji was performing his yajna, his wife Savitri was absent. As a result, he had to marry another girl from the Gurjar community named Gayatri to complete the yajna.

When his wife Savitri got this information she got very angry. She cursed her husband, Brahma ji, to be worshipped only in Pushkar throughout the whole world. That is why Pushkar is popular to have the only temple to worship lord Brahma. The Gurjar community, known as Bhopas, supplies the priest present in the temple.

Pushkar lake 

• Significance of Pushkar Lake

Pushkar Lake is one of the sacred lakes in the history of  Hinduism. Every year, thousands of devotees visit Pushkar to dip in the lake’s blessed water ( especially on Kartik Poornima). legends say that the sacred lake washes away their bad karma. Furthermore, the temples of Lord Krishna and Lord Hanuman surround the lake, providing positive and hopeful energies.

• Ghats around lake 

There are around 52 ghats around the lake. But some of the most visited ghats are Gwalior ghat, yag ghat, Varaha ghat, gau ghat, Jaipur ghat, karni ghat, dadhich ghat, saptarishi ghat, and Kota ghat. Authorities consider all these ghats around the lake as “monuments of national importance.”

The royal families of Rajasthan restored the lake and ghats. The time to visit the lake is between 9 AM to 6 PM every day. 

• Activities to do 

One can enjoy the camel rides near Pushkar Lake to witness the beauty of Aravali hills. Visitors also love to hang out at the best spots of Pushkar like the Brahma temple, and Pushkar palace which represent the rich Rajasthani culture and glimpse of Rajput rulers in a very beautiful way.

• The best time to visit 

The months between November to March are perfect for a fun trip to Pushkar, Rajasthan. The weather is also just right. Moreover, one can also enjoy the famous camel fair during kartik poornima along with festivities.

Brahma temple

The Brahma Temple mainly worships Lord Brahma, Jagatpita. The temple stands on the sacred ground of Pushkar near the famous Pushkar Lake. It is believed that the pandits or sages take a bath in the Pushkar lake and then enter the temple as their ritual. The temple was originally built 2000 years ago. In the 14th century, it was reconstructed.

• History of Temple 

When Savitri, the wife of Lord Brahma, saw her husband performing yajna with another woman, she became angry and cursed Brahma ji that people would only worship him in Pushkar.

But then, Goddess Gayatri, whom Brahma ji married to complete the yajna, lifted the curse and blessed Pushkar to be the king of pilgrims.  This is why people popularly know Pushkar as Tirtharaj.

• Construction of Temple 

According to legends, Brahma Ji himself chose the place for the temple. It was first constructed by vishwamitra ji. Later, the philosopher Adi Shankaracharya renovated the temple. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb destroyed the Brahma temple along with other temples during his rule. 

Maharaja Jawat Raj of Ratlam later reconstructed the temple. After that, there are not any major changes in the temple.

• Timings to visit 

Visitors can come and take the blessings from the temple on all the days of the week. Timings are winter – 6 AM to 1:30 PM and 3 PM to 8:30 PM. summer – 5 AM to 1:30 PM and 3 PM to 9 PM.

Savitri temple

The Savitri temple, dedicated to the wife of Lord Brahma, stands on Ratnagiri hill in Pushkar.

It is one of the hardest hilltops to climb. It takes a lot of dedication to reach the top and visit the auspicious temple of the city. Even though the idols of both the wives of Brahma ji are present in the temple, the goddess Savitri is worshipped first and then the goddess Gayatri is worshipped. Devotees have followed this tradition for ages.

• History of Temple 

When Savitri Mata saw her husband performing yagya with another woman as his wife, she cursed everyone present there. Later, she went to Ratnagiri Hill to sacrifice herself for her actions. She changed into a river, which is still noticeable in the temple that was built for her after the incident.  

• Reaching the temple 

Visitors can reach the temple either by cable cars or by trekking 200 stairs. However, it is fun to watch the amazing view of the city from the ropeway. After reaching the top and taking blessings in the temple, visitors like to see the amazing sunrise or sunset. The view from the top is really mesmerizing and peaceful.

The temple is open from 5 am to 12 pm and then from 4 pm to 9 pm on all days of the week.

Varaha temple 

Varaha temple is one of the oldest tirtha places of Pushkar. The temple was built in the 12th century. Raja Sawai Man Singh rebuilt the temple in the 18th century after Mughal emperor Aurangzeb demolished it. The temple dedicates itself to Lord Varaha, the third avatar of Lord Vishnu.

legends say that Lord Vishnu himself came as the wild boar to kill a demon named Hiranyakashyap. The temple has a 2 feet white-colored idol of lord Varaha. The times to visit the temple are 6 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm

Man Mahal 

Raja Ram Singh constructed the grand mansion, which serves as the guest house and is one of the most visited spots in Pushkar. Man Mahal is famous for its Rajasthani architectural style which represents the royal period.

Built near Pushkar Lake, the palace’s beauty is heightened as it provides a breathtaking view of the temples too. However, the mahal is converted into a hotel known as RTDC Hotel Sarovar, but it still has its Rajasthani charm.

After that, The hotel provides multiple facilities like camel cart rides, camping, and a visit to the Pushkar fair, lake, and temples along with enjoyable services like a restaurant, spa, and bar. 

The Pushkar Mela 

The Pushkar Fair is one of the major attractions of Pushkar. They organize the mela every year for almost 5-7 days between October and November. The camel and livestock fair is one of the most enjoyable places for visitors in Pushkar. Many competitions like the “longest mustache”, “matka phod” challenge, “bridal competition”  and cricket matches between local players and foreign tourists are very fun to watch.

There are many fascinating experiences one can witness at Pushkar Mela. For example the beauty and rich culture of Rajasthan, camel trading, old-style camping, entertaining and unique competition, and many more.

The mela ends with the maha aarti or pooja on Pushkar Lake. Later on, the climax happens with fireworks on the high-level bridge.

The camel safari 

One of the most popular activities, the camel safari is the top tourist attraction. It is the largest camel fair in the world where more than 50,000 animals come together. But the most famous is the camel safari and horse rides. There are a lot of nomadic tribes living near that area. During the safari, one can walk through the Thar desert which gives a glance at the homely villages of Rajasthan.

There are two packages of camel safari adventure. One is for 1 hour and the second is the multi-day package. You can do a half-day or full-day camel safari. If a person chooses a multi-day package then they will have the experience of staying in a tent in the middle of the desert.

Folk music and folk dance will make the evenings even more beautiful. Moreover, A night under the twinkling stars and a morning with a pleasing sunrise will make any person fall in love with the town ten times more.

The best time to go for a camel safari is between September and March. As everyone knows about the summer of Rajasthan. It is extremely hot so winter is better for this experience. The camel safari starts between 5 am to 7 am.

Wind up 

Pushkar, known as “The Rose Garden of Rajasthan,” is one of the most beautiful towns with rich culture and heritage. The town might be a bit small in area but its calmness and charm are at peak. In addition, the place has a large variety of mouth-watering vegetarian food. Those who say veg food doesn’t have variety, should definitely come to Pushkar.

A few famous dishes of Rajasthan that a food lover must try are dal baati choorrma, Aalo puri and kachori, malai lassi, malpua, and falafel.

One can visit Pushkar by : 

1. By road – one can book a cab from Delhi to Pushkar to visit comfortably. The other way to reach Pushkar by road is to take a bus.
2. By air – the nearest airport to Pushkar is Jaipur Airport. The other airports are Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai. 
3. By train – the fastest way to reach Pushkar is by train. You can book a train ticket to Ajmer and then book a cab from Ajmer. Compared to other modes of transport, it is also inexpensive.

A great number of temples bless Pushkar. In a generation full of stress, places like Pushkar are nothing less than a favor from god. The town’s deep connection to the roots of our culture is evident. The fun at camel safari, Pushkar Lake is something everybody should enjoy. 

Moreover, the Holi in the town has got different recognition. The colorful festival is not just famous among the locals but also foreigners. During the festival, vibrant-coloured gulal floods the markets. Also, the men rip each other’s shirts and play with colors with full fun.

So, now when are you planning to have this lifetime experience of spirituality with a lot of enjoyment? I hope soon. 

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