Pushkar

Pushkar is a holy city in Rajasthan, India famous for its Brahma temple, lake, ghats, and bazaar.

Understand
Pushkar is a small holy town in the state of Rajasthan famous for the Pushkar Lake, various ghats and temples spread all around the lake.

Since being discovered by tourists the areas around the lake have filled with souvenir shops, cafes selling bhang lassis and hotels - you will find an interesting mix of pilgrims, Indian tourists and backpackers.

The word 'Pushkar' means lotus flower, which is said to be the seat of Brahma, one of the Hindu holy trinity, who is worshipped as the creator of this world. The legend has it that when the demon Vajra Nabha killed Brahma's children, Brahma in turn struck him with his weapon, a lotus flower. Vajra Nabha died from the impact, and the petals of the lotus fell at three places. One of them is Pushkar, where it gave birth to a lake. Brahma is supposed to have performed a sacrifice at this lake on Kartik Purnima (the full moon day of the Kartik month [which generally falls in November]), hallowing the place.

Though Brahma is considered to be the creator of the world in Hinduism, there are comparatively few temples dedicated to him, of which the one here in Pushkar is the most important. This is also considered as Adi Teerth or Teertharaj, meaning an ancient holy place or the most important of holy places, respectively.

By plane
The nearest airport is in Jaipur, 3 hours away.

By bus
There are direct buses between Pushkar and Ajmer (30 minutes, ₹20), Jaipur (3 hours, ₹220-410), Udaipur (6 hours, ₹450), and night buses to Delhi (10 hours, ₹400-850).

By train
Due to its mountainous location, trains to Pushkar are very infrequent and slow. However, the train station in nearby Ajmer provides great connections to most major cities in India. From the Ajmer train station, you can either take a taxi to Pushkar (30 minutes, ₹400-600 asked price), order a car via OlaCabs or Uber app (flat ₹500 by the taxi union, regardless of what the app says - December 2023), or you take a rickshaw or tuk-tuk to the Ajmer Bus Station and take a bus from there to Pushkar (₹20).

By foot
Pushkar is not so big and can easily be navigated on foot. Several companies offer spiritual walking tours, which can be an excellent way to see the many temples efficiently.

By cycle or motorbike
It is easy to rent cycles or motorbikes to explore the areas surrounding the town.

By camel
Camel safaris are a very popular activity in Pushkar. See listings below.

Temples
While there are many temples in Pushkar, the majority do not allow foreigners/non-Hindus to enter. If you are allowed in, you will have to take off your shoes to enter the temples. If you only have the desire/time to visit 2 temples, the one-of-a-kind Brahma Temple and the Savitri Temple, with a beautiful view of Pushkar Lake, are must-sees.



Do

 * Bathe in Pushkar Lake  as it is much cleaner than the Ganges, though it does not meet water quality standards.
 * Parikarma is the circumnavigation of a religious object - in this case Lake Pushkar. Join other pilgrims.
 * Watch the evening prayers at Varah Ghat, a mesmerizing ceremony involving bells and lamps.
 * Watch the aarti ceremonies at the Brahma Temple. The Hare Krishna chanting will likely wake you up anyhow, so go watch! See listing above regarding the Brahma Temple.

Festivals

 * Pushkar Camel Fair (November, during the full moon) - A 14-day fair visited by 400,000 people per year. Features over 11,000 camels, horses, and cattle. Many companies offer packages that include luxury tented accommodation. It is held during a holy time in the Hindu calendar and pilgrims will come not just for the fair, but to bathe in Pushkar Lake.

Buy
Pushkar is known to be the best place to shop in Northern India. The prices are great, although the quality is subpar. You will find shops selling jewelry, clothes, cushion covers, showpieces, books, bags, handicrafts, shoes, etc.

Eat
All restaurants within the city limits may serve only vegetarian food.



If you are looking for something cheap, there are several stalls between ganesh temple and the lake selling local Dahl curry and samosa, vendors with carts sell fruit you can peel, and there are at least two thali places for ₹60.

Alcohol
Alcohol is forbidden within the city limits... but times are changing and many restaurants and hotels catering to tourists have alcohol on request.

You may consider abstaining out of respect to the holy city, but drinking alcohol in public is certainly not acceptable.

Sleep
Many hotels/guesthouses around Pushkar Lake have rooftop restaurants with views of the lake.

Respect

 * The whole of town is considered to be sacred, so whatever rules generally apply to place of worship in India, apply to the whole of town.
 * Smoking in public is prohibited by law though the rule is never enforced enthusiastically.
 * Consumption of liquor or meat is not allowed in the city, therefore it is advised to respect the rule and not carry any liquor/ meat with you while travelling to Pushkar.
 * It is advised that the men wear full length pants and t-shirt/ shirt and women wear full length clothes. Do not wear off-shoulder tops or shorts while roaming within the city.
 * Take off your shoes at stairs if you are going near the lake.
 * Be polite, but do not be pressured into making any offering at the ghats. It is not mandatory.

Stay safe

 * See also Stay_safe

The city is small and quiet safe, but as a tourist destination it attracts the usual nuisances.


 * Use common sense, don't take risks you wouldn't be comfortable taking at home. Don't accept drinks or drugs from unknown men.
 * Beggars can pester tourists. Common tactics involve giving flowers, then demanding payment or demanding payment for prayers. Be firm as these people are not respecting the sacred city.
 * Children begging should be ignored entirely; giving to beggars sets a bad example for other children in school or working.
 * Ignore the many touts in the main street who approach you "just wanting to talk", "which country are you from", "hello friend".

Go next

 * Ajmer &mdash; city that is popular as a gateway to Pushkar and is connected by road with Jaipur and Delhi; also has an important Islamic pilgrimage site
 * Delhi &mdash; India's capital and the home of the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches of government; site of the famous Red Fort and other important landmarks
 * Jaipur &mdash; capital of Indian state of Rajasthan, home to many forts, temples, palaces, monuments and gardens
 * Udaipur &mdash; famous for its lakes, palaces, forts, temples, gardens and other cultural attractions
 * Ranthambore &mdash; a national park and tiger reserve in the Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan