Pushkar is a city in the Ajmer district of the
Indian state Rajasthan. It borders the famous
Thar desert and is engulfed by the Aravalli
ranges. Pushkar is a pilgrimage site for the
Hindus and the Sikhs. It is believed to be a
holy city. You can visit Pushkar at any time of
the year. I visited Pushkar in the last week of
October in the year 2018.
Most of the tourists plan their vacations in Pushkar during that
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time because of the auspicious Pushkar Camel
Fair. The fair starts on 23rd October and it
continues till 4th November. The Pushkar fair
is said to mark the commencement of the
Kartik month of the Hindus. During the
Pushkar is a small city
that is mostly skipped by many tourists when
they come to Rajasthan. But I did not want to
miss the golden opportunity of exploring the
city. It is a very peaceful and serene town. The
Pushkar Sarovar or the Pushkar Lake forms
the centerpiece of the calm city. I would always
suggest you book a hotel which will be near
the ghats of the lake. The hotel fairs are pocket
friendly. I stayed in the Hotel U-Turn. It was a
good hotel and the most important part was
that the hotel overlooked the lake from its
restaurant area. I started exploring the city
right from the day I reached there.
The Pushkar lake is a sacred
lake of the Hindus. It was mentioned in history
as early as the 4th century. The tranquility of
the lake did not fail to mesmerize me. The lake
has 52 ghats in total each representing one of
the Maharajas of Rajasthan. Several rituals
take place in the ghats throughout the day.
People are also seen to wash themselves in thelake. You can also take a dip in the sacred
lake. The Pushkar lake is believed to be made
from the tears of Lord Shiva when his wife,
Sati, died.
The Pushkar Sarovar is no doubt a
magical place. You sit there on the steps and
you do not realize the hours passing. You
should keep your footwear aside while you are
walking near the lake or on the bridges that
cross the water. I did not know about that in
the beginning but the locals there told me to do
so as a sign of respect. My absolute favorite
hobby in Pushkar was sitting in the hotel’s
restaurant area and enjoying the scenic beauty
of the lake and the city at night.
Around the lake, there are about more than 500 temples
built in blue and white marble. It has one of
the world’s few Brahma temples. The Brahma
temple and the Varaha temple are the two most
popular temple visit in Pushkar. The Brahma
temple is considered to be more than 2000
years old. The Varaha Temple was built in the
12th century but was destroyed by the Mughal
emperor Aurangzeb. It was rebuilt in the 18th
century by Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. This
temple is considered to be the most ancient
temple in the city.
The Savitri temple in Pushkar
gives a panoramic view of the whole city and
the other surrounding valleys. The temple is
only fifteen to twenty minutes away from the
lake. If you love hiking and trekking then you
can walk upright from the base. But if you are
like me, then do not feel shy to book a ropeway
that will take you up the mountain on a cable.
The imperial view of the city from the ropeway
also delighted me. You can also book a tuk-tuk
from the town center.
The temple is dedicated
to Goddess Savitri, the wife of Lord Brahma.
The Savitri Temple also enables the tourists to
relish the beautiful sunsets. The Temple is
home to a number of monkeys. They are quite
mischievous.
I bought a packet of orange
candies before going up the mountain. The
moment I entered the temple, one of the
monkeys came and snatched away the packet
from the pocket of my kurti. So be aware of
them. Also, take some bananas or other foods
with you so that you can feed them because
they depend mainly on the foods that we give
to them or that we offer to the Goddess.
A hot air balloon ride is a must
when you are in Pushkar. I bet you will
remember the ride lifetime and the scenic
setting of the landscapes and mountains of
Pushkar will definitely be worth cherishing.
The ride gave me the opportunity to avoid the
crowd and since the fair was going on at that
time I could easily experience the fair.
The hot
air balloon made me feel the magic of floating
over the motley humanity. The balloon ride
usually starts towards the end of the fair. The
best time to ride the balloons early in the
morning when the sun rises and it’s rays touch
the temples, ghats and the ancient buildings
gently.
The Ajaypal Ji temple is another
beautiful place to visit in Pushkar. This temple
is surrounded by marbles on all sides. The
road to Ajaypal Ji passes a forest of 3kms
which is afterwards replaced by sand dunes
and later the valley with the hills as it’s
backdrop.
The typical homes there comprises
mainly of a mud house, a veranda, kids, ladies
in their vibrant attire’s busy with their chores
and cattles. The men folks are seen with
colorful turbans, sitting on a platform having
hookah and chatting.
Merta is an hour drive from
Pushkar. It is an ancient city with well
preserved architecture. The temples and the
palaces of the Merta city gives an insight into
the city’s rich culture and glorious past.
The Meera Bai temple attracts most of the visitors. It
is dedicated to Meera Bai, a famous poetess and
a devotee of Lord Krishna. The Mangla aarti at
the Charbhuja temple from 5:30am-6:30am is
a must watch.
Pushkar is famous for rose
cultivation. There are vast stretches of land
that features an exquisite variety of roses of
different colors and sizes.
After so much of
traveling when I came to the rose garden, the
calm and the fragrant atmosphere relaxed me.
All the nature lovers out there should never
miss this spot. It is a very refreshing and
sensational place to stroll.
Riding through a desert atop a
camel is the best experience one can have.
The dunes made it bumpy but the rhythmic ride
and the swish of the camel feet on the sand
made the journey more fun. I chatted with the
cheerful camel men who told me about their
lives and other stories while we were sailing
through the desert.
The view of the golden ball
of fire going down making the red sky violet
and then gradually the darkness engulfing the
long stretches was worth watching.
The alluring street foods of
Pushkar filled me with immense satisfaction.
Some of the not-to-miss foods of Pushkar are
malpua, kachori, Gulkand lassi near the
Brahma temple, lafa and falafel at Ganga
restaurant near Rangji temple and pizza at La
Pizzeria.
Pushkar is well known for its
musical richness. Many musicians are seen to
be playing various kinds of instruments near
the ghats. I was always interested in playing a
Nagada which is a famous instrument in
Pushkar. I am a Shahid Kapoor fan and from
the time I saw him playing the Nagada in his
film Jab-we-Met, I also had the desire of
playing a nagada. Pushkar made my dream
come true. Nathu Lal Solanki, a well known
name in the region taught me how to play the
instrument.
The collector’s Paradise is the only
gallery and museum in the town of Pushkar. It
has some of the best collections of old gems and
artworks. The name of the collector is Ashok
Tak. He has received numerous awards. He is
also a skilled camel decorator.
The evening aarti at the Varah
Ghat is an unforgettable experience. The
temples situated near the ghats starts chanting
the mantras as the bell starts ringing. The lake
glitter with the floating lamps. The aarti on the
Varah ghat enticed me completely and all these
mantras, the bell, the lamps, the incense smells
together create a phenomenal environment.
The Kalbelia dance is a sensuous
dance form of Rajasthan. It is named after the
tribe who performs the dance. It represents a
flexible serpentine shimmering. This amazing
dance performance is a bliss if watched in the
evening.
The rich culture of the small city has
certainly moved me. The rare combination of
sand dunes, hills, lake and forest make
Pushkar a treasure trove of tourist worthy
attractions. The oasis town will surely take you
on a romantic rendezvous along the enigma of
the lanes, bazaars and the ghats. So if you are
confused about where to go next then you can
certainly give Pushkar a shot. The city will
cast a magic spell on your eyes and it will one
of your best travel experiences .
Hope you have a lovely and safe journey
ahead!
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