Pushkar is a town in the Ajmer district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated
14 km northwest of Ajmer at an average elevation of 510 m and is one of the five sacred dhams
for devout Hindus. According to Hindu theology, the pond at the Katas Raj temple Near Choa
Saidan Shah in Chakwal District of Pakistan has a theological association with Shiva;
it was formed by the tears of Lord Shiva which he is believed to have shed after the death
of his wife, Sati. The story goes that when Sati died, Shiva cried so much and for so
long, that his tears created two holy ponds – one at Pushkara in Ajmer in India and
the other at Ketaksha, which literally means raining eyes, in Sanskrit. It is from this
name that the word Katas is derived. It is often called "Tirth Raj" – the king of pilgrimage
sites – and has in recent years become a popular destination for foreign tourists.
Pushkar is one of the oldest existing cities of India. It lies on the shore of Pushkar
Lake. The date of its actual origin is not known, but legend associates Brahma with its
creation. Pushkar has many temples. Most of the temples
are not very old because many temples were destroyed during Muslim conquests in the area.
Subsequently, the destroyed temples were rebuilt. The most famous among all is the Brahma Temple
built during the 14th century CE. Very few temples to Lord Brahma exist anywhere in the
world. Other temples of Brahma include Bithoor in Uttar Pradesh, India; Khedbrahma in Gujarat,
India; village Asotra near Balotra city of Barmer district in Rajasthan; Uttamar Kovil
near Srirangam, Tamil Nadu; Mother Temple of Besakih in Bali, Indonesia; and Prambanan
in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The Pushkar lake has 52 ghats where pilgrims descend to the
lake to bathe in the sacred waters. Pushkar is also famous for its annual fair
held in November.
Etymology
Pushkar in Sanskrit means blue lotus flower. Hindus believe that the gods released a swan
with a lotus in its beak and let it fall on earth where Brahma would perform a grand yagna.
The place where the lotus fell was called Pushkar. Pushkar word may be derived from
word 'Pushkarni'means- lake. It may be derived from word Pushpa means flower and Kar means
hand. History
Pushkar is one of the oldest cities of India. The date of its actual founding is not known,
but legend associates Brahma with its creation. According to legend, Brahma was in search
of a place for Mahayagna and he found this place suitable. After a long time, Brahma
came to known that a demon, Vajranash, was killing people here so the Lord intoned a
mantra on a lotus flower and killed the demon. During this process the parts of flower fell
on three places which were later known as Jyaistha, Madhya and Kanistha Pushkar. After
this Brahma performed a yagna to protect this place from demons. The consort of Brahma,
Saraswati, were needed to offer Ahuti for the yagna but she was not there that time
so Gayatri, a Gurjar girl, was married to brahma and performned yagna. This act made
first wife of Brahma, Saraswati, angry and she cursed Brahma saying that he would be
worshiped in Pushkar only. The Mahabharata says that while laying down
a programme for Maharaja Yudhishthara’s travel, “Maharaja after entering the Jungles
of Sind and crossing the small rivers on the way should bathe in Pushkara". And, as per
Vaman Purana, Prahlada on his pilgrimage to holy places visited Pushkarayana.
A Gurjara Pratihara ruler of Mandore, Nahadarava, restored this tirtha in the seventh century.
He got the place cleared and the lake restored by making an embankment on the side of the
river Luni. He rebuilt old palaces and built twelve dharmashalas and ghats on three sides
of the lake. According to Rajputana Gazetteer Pushkar was
held by Chechi Gurjars until about 700 years ago.Later Some shrines were occupied by Kanphati
Jogis. There are still priests from the Gurjar community
in Pushkar temple, known as Bhopas. The sage Parasara is said to have been born
here. His descendants, called Parasara Brahamanas, are found in Pushkar and the surrounding area.
The famous temple of Jeenmata has been cared for by Parasara Brahmans for the last 1,000
years. It is also the venue of the annual Pushkar
Camel Fair. In 1901, the town was part of the Rajputana Agency had a population of 3,831.
Places to see
The Sri Sawai Bhoj Temple Jagat Pitta Shri Brahma temple
Varaha temple Apteshwar Mahadev temple
Savitri temple Baba the Cosmic Barber
Temple of Rangji or Shri Vaikunthnathji Man Mahal
Gurudwara Singh Sabha Varah Temple. This temple is to God Vishnu.
It is one of the most visited temples in Pushkar city. It is said that Lord Vishnu gave a visit
to this area to kill an atrocious demon Hirnayaksha. Fairs
Nagaur Fair Pushkar Fair
Tejaji fair Blue Lotus Festival
Pushkar Fair Pushkar fair continues for five days and these
five days are a period of relaxation and merry-making for the villagers. This fair time is the most
busy time for them, as this is one of the largest cattle fairs in the country. Animals,
including over 50,000 camels, are brought from miles around to be traded and sold. Trading
is brisk as several thousand heads of cattle exchange hands. All the camels are cleaned,
washed, adorned, some are interestingly shorn to form patterns, and special stalls are set
up selling finery and jewellery for the camels. Camels at the Pushkar fair are decorated with
great care. They wear jewellery of silver and beads. There are silver bells and bangles
around their ankles that jangle when they walk. An interesting ritual is the piercing
of a camel's nose. It has more than 400 temples including the only one temple in India dedicated
to the Hindu God Lord Brahma, the Creator of the Universe.
According to Indian mythology, after visiting all the Hindu pilgrim towns and temples, if
Pushkar is not visited for worship, then salvation is not achieved. According to the Hindu calendar
Pushkar Fair commences in Nawami and ends in Purnima in the month of Kartika. In Pushkar,
one of the biggest Cattle Fair is also held for trading purposes and the best cattle in
all categories are awarded. Countless people in their colourful attire gather to take a
dip in the Holy Lake and pray to the deities. The whole town comes alive with vibrant folk
music and dances, magic shows, horse and camel races and various other traditional entertainment
competitions.Pushkar, with more than 12 local fairs and festivals of 10–15 days duration
is a year round destination. It is a mellow town by the great lake of Pushkar amidst the
perfume of jasmine and rose flowers. About 4,000 to 6,000 visitors from all over the
world come to Pushkar everyday. Camel Safari in Pushkar
Tourists can explore the rugged terrain of the Great Indian Desert of Thar using camels.
The Aravalli Range here is one of the world's oldest mountain ranges, and has sandy fields,
small dunes, beautiful hills and mesmerizing sunrises and sunsets.
The camel safaris in Pushkar will take tourists to destinations where they will witnesses
small villages along the way and during crop harvesting, the views are exceptionally enticing.
Other attractions
A visit to Bhandarej, Bhangarh and Fort Madhopur from Jaipur via Dausa Town by an Indica or
Ambassador taxi would cost about Rs 2,000. Expect rates to go up considerably in the
high season. Ajmer is the nearest tourist attraction that
lies outside the city boundaries of Pushkar. Located 27 kilometres away from Ajmer, there
is Kishangarh, famous for its miniature paintings, more popularly known as Bani Thani.
Pushkar Lake – The prime attraction of Pushkar is the Pushkar Lake which is considered sacred
like the Mansarovar Lake in Tibet. Pushkar has become a place of Hindu pilgrimage because
of this holy lake. Legend has it that this lake was consecrated to Lord Brahma, the creator
of the universe when a lotus dropped from his hand into the vale and a lake emerged
in that place. Brahma Temple – The most important temple
in Pushkar is the Temple of Lord Brahma, one of the holy trinity of Hinduism. The temple
enshrines a life-size idol of Lord Brahma. Savitri Temple- This temple that is located
at the top of the Ratnagiri Hill is dedicated to Savitri, the wife of Lord Brahma. The temple
houses a statue of Goddess Savitri. Old Pushkar- Old Pushkar lake is rebuilt and
is located around 5 km from Pushkar lake. According to the ancient texts, Old Pushkar
has equal cultural and religious significance for the pilgrims.
Demographics As of 2001 India census, Pushkar had a population
of 14,789. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Pushkar has an average literacy
rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 77%, and female
literacy is 60%. In Pushkar, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Transport
Air The nearest airport from Pushkar is Sanganer
Airport at Jaipur at distance of 146 km. Jaipur is well connected with all the major
cities in India. Road
The Pushkar is connected with Ajmer by Pushkar road which goes through aravalli range. The
mountain portion road which separate Pushkar from Ajmer City is locally known as Pushkar
Ghati. Pushkar is 11 km from Ajmer. The govt. transportation commonly controlled by Rajasthan
Roadways, however the significant share of the transportation is controlled by private
transportation services. Rail
Pushkar railway station started operations in January 2012 and connects to the nearest
large railway station, Ajmer. Ajmer railway junction is connected to almost all cities
of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Indore, Kanpur,
Lucknow, Patna, Bhopal, Trivandrum and Cochin. See also
List of lakes in India References
External links Chisholm, Hugh, ed.. "Pushkar". Encyclopædia
Britannica 22. Cambridge University Press. Pushkar travel guide from Wikivoyage
Pushkar map Important places in Pushkar