The holy city of Pushkar is situated on the banks of the Pushkar Lake. Pushkar is about 11-kms away from Ajmer (and approximately 132 kms from Jaipur, Rajasthan). Pushkar is one of the most sacred places for the Hindus. The Pushkar city has the only temple of lord Brahma, not only in India but also the world. No pilgrimage is considered complete without a holy dip in the sacred Pushkar Lake. The Pushkar city has more than 400 temples and 52 Ghats (bathing places).
The Pushkar Lake also has a mythological significance associated with it. According to the Hindu mythology, Lord Brahma, the creator of the world, was on his way to search an abode on the earth to perform a "Yagna' (fire sacrifice). As he was mulling over, few lotus petals fell from his hand on the earth (in and around Pushkar) and water sprouted from those places. One of these places was Pushkar where Lord Brahma performed the Yagna. Considered a heaven for the religiously inclined, Pushkar is also the venue of one of the country's most colorful cattle fairs - the Pushkar Camel Fair.
Surrounded by hills on three sides and sand dunes on the other, Pushkar is a city of temples. The most famous of them is the Brahma temple. The 'Nag Pahar' or the Snake Mountain forms a natural boundary between Ajmer and Pushkar. The holy Pushkar Lake is another sacred spot in the city, where thousands of pilgrims take the holy dip. The Pushkar Lake has around 52 Ghats. The place is one of the most important tourist attractions during the Pushkar Camel Fair.
Pushkar has had a great strategic importance since historical times and was at the receiving end during the Ghaznavid invasions. During the Mughal period Pushkar became one of the favorite residential places of the Mughal emperors. It was at Pushkar that the British ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe met with Jehangir in the year 1616. In the year 1818, Pushkar came under the British, becoming one of the few places in Rajasthan controlled directly by British. Because of its old heritage, Pushkar begets a legacy of timeless architectural heritage.
The Pushkar Lake also has a mythological significance associated with it. According to the Hindu mythology, Lord Brahma, the creator of the world, was on his way to search an abode on the earth to perform a "Yagna' (fire sacrifice). As he was mulling over, few lotus petals fell from his hand on the earth (in and around Pushkar) and water sprouted from those places. One of these places was Pushkar where Lord Brahma performed the Yagna. Considered a heaven for the religiously inclined, Pushkar is also the venue of one of the country's most colorful cattle fairs - the Pushkar Camel Fair.
Surrounded by hills on three sides and sand dunes on the other, Pushkar is a city of temples. The most famous of them is the Brahma temple. The 'Nag Pahar' or the Snake Mountain forms a natural boundary between Ajmer and Pushkar. The holy Pushkar Lake is another sacred spot in the city, where thousands of pilgrims take the holy dip. The Pushkar Lake has around 52 Ghats. The place is one of the most important tourist attractions during the Pushkar Camel Fair.
Pushkar has had a great strategic importance since historical times and was at the receiving end during the Ghaznavid invasions. During the Mughal period Pushkar became one of the favorite residential places of the Mughal emperors. It was at Pushkar that the British ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe met with Jehangir in the year 1616. In the year 1818, Pushkar came under the British, becoming one of the few places in Rajasthan controlled directly by British. Because of its old heritage, Pushkar begets a legacy of timeless architectural heritage.
