| Area : | 16.34 sq km. (approx). |
| Capital of Rajasthan : | Jaipur |
| Languages : | Rajasthani, Hindi and English.. |
| Altitude : | 486 mts. |
| Temperature : | Summer : Max 37.7° C Min 23.3° C. Winter : Max 15.5° C Min 3.7° C. |
Alluding to its mythical origins, Pushkar means a lake filled with lotus flowers. The earliest settlement at this place dates back to the 4th century. Over run by hippie burnouts, sadhus wearing threads and priests eager to dole out instant salvation, Puskars origin lie buried in antiquity. Brahma`s abode on earth is today a maze of whitewash ghats with temples, ashrams and Dharamshalas clinging to the lake.The town is divided into Badi Basti and Choti Basti earlier known as Varahapara.
Location
Pushkar is nestled in the Aravalli Valley, in central Rajasthan, at the foot of Nag Pahar or Snake Mountain, which forms a natural border between city and Ajmer. Pushkar is at a distance of 154 km southwest of Jaipur and 400 km from Delhi.
Climate at Pushkar India
Pushkar has an extreme climate. The maximum temperature during the summers can go up to 40 to 45°C, while in the winters it can be below 10°C. There is not much rain during the monsoon. The best season to visit this place is in the winters from October to March.
Major Attractions of Pushkar
» The Holy Lake - Pushkar Lake was surrounded by 500 temples and 52 palaces (several rajas and maharajas maintained palaces here for pilgrimage) at one point The holy lake, according to a legend, was created by Brahma, by combining the waters of the four places of pilgrimage- Badrinath, Jagannath, Rameshwaram and Dwarka. In the center of the lake is a floating chhatri built in 1791 by the Thakur of Khimsar to commemorate Brahma`s yagna spot. The lake is hugged by 52 ghats, teeming with sadhus, devotees and tourists. Offerings made at the Brahma, Gau and the Varaha ghats are considered to be most auspicious.
» Temples - Among the abodes of the Trinity, the temples of Brahma, Varaha, and Aptaeshvar are considered the most sacred. One of the most beautiful and important temples in Pushkar is the Brahma Temple .This temple is the only one dedicated to Brahma in the whole country. Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, is seen with four head facing in all four directions accompanied by his shy bride, Gayatri and the silver turtle in front of the shrine`s entrance. At the Aptaeshvar Temple, there is an underground shrine where a lingam has been installed. At Varaha temple, visitors should not forget to notice the different layers, which have been to great extent, destroyed by Aurangzeb.
» Nag Hill - Considered to be one of the oldest hills in the world ,its height is said to have been ten crores yojanas in Satya-yuga, ten lakhs yojanas in Treta-yuga, and ten thousand yojanas in Dwapura-yuga. In Kali-yuga, its height is decreasing day by day because it is sinking into the earth. Visiting this hill on your pilgrimage to Pushkar will resolve all your differences. Above the hill is Nag Kund. The story of this hill is that Rishi Chyavan cursed Vatu, the grandson of Brahma, to become a snake on the second day of the sacrifice performed by Brahma. Agastya Muni`s residence is said to be a cave on Nag Hill.
» Puskar Fair - One of the most popular and colorful fairs of the Thar desert is the Pushkar fair, which begins on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi and goes on for five days till Kartik Purnima. The time of the largest cattle fairs of the country coincides with the bright half of the moon during the months of October-November.These five days are a period of relaxation and merry-making for the villagers, despite being the busiest for them as well. Camels at the Pushkar fair are decorated with great care with jewelleries of silver and beads. There are silver bells and bangles around their ankles that create tinkling sound when they walk. An interesting ritual is the piercing of a camel`s nose.
Nearby Attractions of Pushkar
» Dargah Sharif - The Sharif possess the ability to grant the wishes and desires of all those who visit it. The Dargah Sharif in Ajmer is extremely, or perhaps even the most sacred Islamic shrine in India. The religious importance of the place can be ascertained by the fact that a pilgrimage to the place is considered second in importance after a visit to Mecca .The entrance is through the magnificent Nizam Gate and the Shajahani Gate. There is also an imposing Bulund Darwaza for entrance. Upon entry, the great Chishti`s tomb, topped by a marble dome and enclosed by marble lattice screens is seen In front of the tomb, the qawwali singers are seated every day repeating the same beautiful haunting melodies.
Accommodation at Pushkar Hotels
The tourist village is arranged on blocks of tents during festival time, each with its own identity and named after the famous dances of Rajasthan. The village also has huts with attached western style toilets and running water. Heritage hotels includes the Pushkar resort set over 15 sprawling acres of land with an exotic fruit orchard. It offers air-conditioned rooms with international level amenities. Every room has a mini bar, television with satellite and telephone facilities.Apart from that, Puskar Heritage Palace is also famous.
Shopping
Visitors throng the bazaars to shop for textiles, vivid embroidery, jewellery, miniature paintings, leather goods, brass utensils, puppets and pottery. Pushkar is one of the best places in Rajasthan to purchase costume jewellery and embroidered clothes. Sarweshwar Kala Mandir is known for miniature paintings on silk paper .
How to Reach
» By Air - The closest airport is 131 km away in Jaipur (The Sanganer Airport). Jaipur is easily connected to all the major metros of India by Indian Airlines and private airlines flight. The airport at Jaipur also serve the international flights.
» By Rail - The nearest railway station is in Ajmer at a distance of 10 kms. Ajmer is connected to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Abu Road and Jodhpur by regular trains. Two of the best trains of the Indian Railways, Pink City Express and Shatabdi Express connect Ajmer to Delhi and Jaipur. Ajmer is also connected to Mumbai by the Aravalli Express.
» By Road - There are two bus stands in Pushkar-the Marwar bus stand, in the north of the town which services some long distance places, and the Ajmer bus stand, east of the town, which has buses to Ajmer and Jaipur. Pushkar is 11 km from main Ajmer bus stand. Rajasthan Roadways run very comfortable deluxe buses from Jaipur.