Pushkar is also known as the “The Lotus flower” and is one of the oldest cities in India. Pushkar is one of the five sacred pilgrimage sites of Hindu devotees and remains active with some amazing wonders which will make your hair stand on end.
Pushkar is a 2000 year old city and is world famous for “The Pushkar Camel Fair” which is held annually in November and “The Brahma temple” which is dedicated to Lord Brahma (Creator of the universe). In the month of November the population of the city rises from 15,000 to 500,000 all thanks to the Pushkar Camel Fair and thus November is the perfect month to visit Pushkar.
Below I have shared some facts which will reveal how Pushkar is a unique destination in comparison to other cities in the world.
1. The Biggest Camel Fair in the world
Globalization came to India in 1991 but the globe reached Pushkar as early as 1909 (Source – The Imperial Gazetteer of India). Pushkar Camel Fair has the presence of 50,000 camels with thousands of camel farmers, gypsies and musicians from deeper regions of Rajasthan and more than 200,000 global travellers.
The Pushkar Camel Fair starts with buying and selling of camels & horses and by day 5 the mood starts to change towards celebration. Though the last day of the carnival is religious as it is the day of kartik purnima (Full Moon), day 5, 6, 7 & 8 are really interesting. In these 4 days one can enjoy the Camel Race, tribal dance to gypsy music, mustache competition and my favourite, the tug of war competition.
The last day of the fair is pretty calm as all the local farmers and performers gather on the Pushkar Lake for a holy bath which is an ancient ritual which has been continued for around 2000 years. Every local and many travellers take the blessing of Brahma in the famous Brahma temple before heading back to their homes.
2. 2000 year old Temple of Brahma
There is a story behind the name of Pushkar. It is believed that Brahma dropped a lotus flower in a lake (Pushkar Lake) and the city of Pushkar came to existence. Since then Pushkar has become one of many homes of Brahma.
As compared to other Hindu Gods Brahma has only 5 historic temples in the world and the most important one is in Pushkar. Though there isn’t any written history on Brahma temple it is considered to be 2000 years old and was even destroyed in 14th century by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb as he wanted to turn whole India into an Islamic state. Though soon after Aurangzeb’s death the local rulers and their disciples rebuilt the temple and brought it back to its glory.
3. Desert Safari & Rural Weddings
The reason I added rural weddings along with desert safaris is because they have a strong connection. In Rajasthan 3 cities are famous for their Desert Safaris; Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Pushkar. A vast region of Rajasthan is covered in desert and this part is known as Thar Desert. Thar is the 18th largest desert region in the world and Pushkar is the first desert city of Thar.
A Desert Safari in Pushkar is 24-36 hours long and the attraction of a Pushkar Safari is the local villages where most travellers loves to attend rural weddings. Rajasthan is a famous wedding destination and rural weddings attract many married couples to rejoice their youth days of marriage and this time in Pushkar style.
So along with a trip to the sand dunes, a lot of married couples come along with their kids and sometimes even grandkids, to experience or rejuvenate their blessing days.
4. The Ajmer Sharif
Pushkar comes under the district of Ajmer and the Ajmer city (40 Kms from Pushkar) is a famous for the shrine of Sufi saint name Moinuddin Chishti. Moinuddin Chishti (1138-1236 AD) wandered around the city of Ajmer & Rajasthan to spread a simple message that there is on god.
” One call him Allah another call him God, but their one and only one”
His simple and sweet tone still shuffles the mind of many Islamic and Hindu pilgrims who seeks his blessings at Ajmer Sharif and under one roof which is simply amazing in this multi religious society of India.
5. Last but not least
So if you are interested in visiting Pushkar than you should also know about some other important destinations (apart from the above 4) and transport options for Pushkar:
Transportation
- Nearest Airport– Kishangarh Airport, Ajmer (45 Kms) and Jaipur Airport (151 Kms)
- Nearest railway station– Pushkar Terminus Railway Station (In Pushkar)
Note- Best time to visit Pushkar (October to February)
Other Important Temples
- Savatri temple
- Varah temple
- Rama Vaikunth temple
- Mahadev temple
Some Local Attractions
- Pushkar Yoga Garden
- Bahar Cooking Classes
