Pushkar

Pushkar is a small desert town in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district at 510 metres, centred around the sacred Pushkar lake, believed to have formed when Lord Brahma dropped a lotus on this stretch of Pushkar desert. It is home to the rare and revered Pushkar Brahma temple, one of the very few active shrines dedicated to Brahma in the world, making the Pushkar temple complex one of the five most sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites. Around the half kilometre wide lake, 52 ghats frame the old town’s narrow lanes filled with sadhus, pilgrims, rose sellers and silver shops. For two weeks each November, the town hosts the legendary camel and livestock fair that defines what is famous in Pushkar, drawing traders, performers and travellers from across the globe. Outside fair season, Pushkar remains deeply spiritual, strictly vegetarian and alcohol free near the lake, with ritual bathing and evening aarti among the essential things to do in Pushkar.