Pushkar
A small town in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan, Pushkar is located at an approximate elevation of 1673 feet. It is among the 5 sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites or dhams and is often referred as “Tirth Raj” meaning the ‘king of pilgrimage sites’. Pushkar in recent times has become very popular even among the foreigners especially because the foreigners are interested in knowing the tradition and culture of ancient India. What a better place to explore this, then Pushkar! Lying on the shores of Lake Pushkar, Pushkar is among the oldest town in India.
Nestled within a beautiful valley surrounded with hills on the 3 sides and sand dunes on the other sides, Pushkar is about 14km away from Ajmer. A fascinating destination with a befitting religious backdrop, Pushkar draws numerous visitors very year from all corners of the globe. The place is held in great esteem by the Hindus as a pious center.
It is believed that in a battle, demon Vajra Nabh was killed by lord Brahma with the help of a lotus flower, the petals of which floated down to the Earth and fall in 3 places near Pushkar. Lakes were believed to spring up from where the lotus petals landed. As per the legends, Pushkar Lake was once surrounded with 52 palaces and 500 temples. Out of these many temples, the Brahma temple is a major temple here and it is also the sole Brahma temple in India.
Reference of the town of Pushkar finds place in the writings of Fa-Hien, the 4th century Chinese traveler. Mentions of the places are also there in the Epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana and several scripts during the period of Muslim invasion. Pushkar is very popular for its diverse festivals and fairs that form an integral part of the life of people there. It is especially famous for being the venue of the only Brahma Temple in India. With more than 52 ghats for bathing and 400 temples, not many places in India can match the spiritual and religious passion connected with this small town in Rajasthan. In the Kartik month, the place is a must see when the arid and charming town becomes lively with frenzied burst of emotions and activity. With the merrily dressed up local folks, the rich Rajasthani folklores of bravery, music and the holy and divine chants from the scriptures echoing in the air, the people of Pushkar prepares for the world famous Pushkar Fair. It’s the time to trade live stocks like camel and cattle from all parts of India. It’s the time for the numerous devotes to take a dip at the sacred lake of Pushkar.
The Pushkar Fair or the Pushkar Camel Fair takes place every year in the month of November, during Kartik Purnima i.e. full moon day. A travel to the fair is regarded as a highly rated experience in India. A huge fair, Pushkar fair draws more than 300,000 people, 20,000 camels, horses and cattle. For the visitors the Pushkar Camel Fair is an experience of a lifetime. It’s an amazing opportunity to witness the joy amongst people, the color of unity, carnival, traditional melas, livestock, traders and villagers of Rajasthan and much more.
Commencing on the month of October- November, on the occasion of Kartik Shukla Ekadashi, the Pushkar Fair continues for a period of 5 days until Kartik Purnima. It won’t be wrong to call the fair, cattle fair since the fair is the site for trading of large number of camels, cattle, horses, cows, sheep, goats etc. After the process of purchasing and selling, the parade of the popular breed and cattle is held. Although different animals are sold and purchased here, camels however, rule. The camels decked up with clothes and interesting patterns are formed. Stalls selling fine materials and jewelry for the camels are also set up. When the camels walk past the sand dunes, the bangles and silver bells in their hoofs produces amazing sounds. One important ritual at the fair is camel’s nose piercing. With more than 25,000 camels traded, the Pushkar Camle Fair is definitely the biggest camel fair in the world.
One interesting feature of the Pushkar Camel Fair happens to be the camel competition, where beautifully decked up camels parade and compete in a beauty contest. The best looking camel is also awarded a prize. In another competition, many people seat together on the camel back where the camel tries to throw away its riders off the back amidst numerous spectators. The camel that manages to accommodate on its back, maximum people is declared the winner. Competitions like “moustache”, “Matka Phod” and “bridal competition” are among the major attractions of the Pushkar fair.
The fair also acts as a platform for showcasing and upholding of varied artworks from Rajasthan such as jewelry items, saddle-straps, beads, saddles, strings and cowries, Silver ornaments, household items, brassware woolen blankets bead necklaces, patchwork, printed textiles, tie ‘n’ dye fabrics and many more. A lot of people are seen engaged in having tattoos on their bodies. The fair is also known for the varied body tattoos it offers. Food stalls with different varieties of food are also set up. Exhibitions and cultural shows are also held in to liven up the event.
The most amazing part of the Pushkar Camel festival is the fact that although people take pleasure in the religious, cultural, social fervor and festivity, the animal at the fair are probably those who enjoy the maximum. They seem to love and enjoy the attention that they get at this 5 day long festival. So for a change, the animals are also taken care of and made part of our enjoyment and merry making. Happiness and fun is thus not restricted to human beings only but also the animals have a reason to smile, here at the Pushkar Mela.
If you have an interest for the culture and tradition of Rajasthan and therefore India, surely visit Pushkar once, during the time of Pushkar Fair. The fair is the amalgamation of people for merry making and business, leaving behind the barriers of caste and creed.
Visit the Brahma Temple or take a dip in the holy Pushkar Lake. Take part in the cultural activities or engage in shopping of ethnic and traditional items. Interact with the different tribal folks or experience the culture of the region. Most importantly, “explore the Rich Tradition of India at Pushkar Camel Fair”! The Pushkar Camel Fair is definitely an experience of a magical sojourn to the state of Rajasthan.
How to Reach Pushkar
Pushkar experiences extreme climate. In summers the maximum temperature goes up to 40-45oC and in winters, the temperature can go down to 10oC. There is not much rain during the monsoon. If you are thinking about the ideal time to visit Pushkar, then the winter months from October to March is perfect for your visit.
The nearest airport that connects Pushkar to other parts of India is the Sanganer Airport, in Jaipur. The airport is 146km away from Pushkar and is well linked to important cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Jodhpur Indore, and Udaipur.
The closest rail head serving Pushkar is Ajmer railway station, which is only about 11 km from Pushkar. Being a major location itself, Ajmer is very well connected to different corners of India and is well served by numerous trains.
The roadways and national highways of India and Rajasthan make traveling through roads to Pushkar easy. An important bus stand, i.e. the Marwar bus stand in the northern part of Pushkar, links the region to places such as Jodhpur, Delhi, and Bikaner. Another important bus stand is the Ajmer bus stand located in the east of Pushkar. There are regular bus services from Pushkar to destinations like Jaipur, Indore, Ajmer, and Nagda etc.
Routes Leading to Pushkar
From North
- Major Rail Stations: Srinagar, Kullu Manali, Delhi, Jaipur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Agra, Jammu, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Shimla, Pant Nagar, Kanpur, Dehradun, Jodhpur
- Domestic Airports: Srinagar, Kullu Manali, Delhi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Varanasi, Agra, Jammu, Amritsar, Shimla, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Kanpur, Jodhpur, Pant Nagar,
- International Airports: Amritsar, Delhi and Jaipur.
From South
- Major Rail Stations: Madurai, Periyar, Chennai, Cochin, Bangalore, Trivandrum, Mysore
- Domestic Airports: Cochin, Rajahmundry, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Hubli, Tirupati, Belgaum, Mangalore, Pondicherry, Calicut, salem, Agatti, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Port Blair, Madurai, Tuticorin.
- International Airports: Chennai, Trivandrum, Hyderabad, Cochin and Bangalore.
From East
- Major Rail Stations: Sealdah and Howrah in Kolkata, Guwahati
- Domestic Airports: Kolkata, Gaya, Guwahati,
- International Airports: Gaya, Kolkata,
From West
- Major Rail Stations: Mumbai, Ratlam, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Vadodara
- Domestic Airports: Ahmedabad, Goa, Mumbai, Bhuj, Rajkot, Porbandar, Kandla, Jamnagar Keshod, Vadodara, Aurangabad, Bhavnagar, Pune
- International Airports: Ahemdabad, Mumbai, Goa
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