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Despite
having a distinct touristy
flavour these days, Pushkar is
still a bewitching little town.
It is right on the edge of the
desert and is only 11 kms from
Ajmer but separated from it by
Nag Pahar, the Snake mountain.
This traveller-friendly town
clings to the side of the small
Pushkar Lake with its many
bathing ghats and temples. For
Hindus, Pushkar is a very
important pilgrimage centre and
you'll see plenty of sadhus.
Surrounded by hills on three
sides, pushkar abounds in
temples. Of these the most
famous is the Brahma temple- the
only temple dedicated to Lord
Brahma in the country. |
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Main Attractions of
Pushkar |
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Pushkar Cattle Fair |
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A
massive cattle fair
occurs in October and
November around the lake
which is also famous for
its crocodiles – which,
simply put, means that
if you get in you might
not get out! The Pushkar
Fair, as the cattle fair
is commonly known,
attracts thousands of
people from all over the
country who come to
trade and watch cart and
camel races. A full moon
means its time to take a
holy dip in the lake in
places where the crocs
aren’t around. The
`loading of the camel’
is a very popular event
in which a camel is made
to sit down while as
many riders as is
possible – plus a few
more – happily climb
onto the poor animal and
go for a ride. Camel
polo is another hit with
the people, although its
technique and expertise
would embarass any
decent horse polo buff.
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Brahma Temple |
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The
Brahma temple is an
important pilgrim centre
for the Hindus. It is
nestled in the Pushkar
valley which lies beyond
Nagaparvat and the
Anasagar lake. This
place, full of natural
beauty, holds a special
place in the hearts of
Indian for it is
believed that Lord
Brahma, together with
all the gods and
goddesses, performed a
Yagya here. Legends also
has it that the ancient
lake Sarovar had
appeared miraculously,
when a lotus fell from
the hands of Lord Brahma
and dropped into this
valley.Brahma Temple The
most famous temple in
Pushkar, this is the
only temple dedicated to
Lord Brahma (the creator
of the universe
according to Hindu
mythology) in the entire
country. You can
identify it by its red
spire and by the image
of a hans(the goose
considered sacred to
Lord Brahma).This temple
built with marble is
decorated with silver
coins and there is a
silver turtle on the
floor of the temple.
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Pushkar Lake |
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According
to the Hindu mythology,
the holy Pushkar Lake
was created by the lotus
petals, which fell from
the hands of Lord
Brahma. The lake is
considered as one of the
most sacred spots. It is
called the Tirtharaj,
the king of all Tirthas.
It is believed that no
pilgrimage is complete
without a holy dip in
the sacred lake at
Pushkar. People say that
one dip in the Lake on
Kartik Purnima
corresponds to
performing yagnas for
several hundred years.
The tranquil and
beautiful lake amidst
the hills has fifty-two
bathing Ghats, built
around the lake. The
Lake is semi-circular in
shape. The water around
each Ghat is supposed to
have special powers.
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Savitri Temple |
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Savitri
Temple in one of the
most renowned one out of
400 temples in Pushkar.
According to the Hindu
mythology Savitri is the
first wife of Lord
Brahma. When He was all
set to start a Yagna on
earth in the place of
Pushkar (determined by
drooping a lotus
flower), Savitri's
presence was the
prerequisite. But She
had kept Him waiting.
Lord Brahma, irritated
at this, married Gayatri
the milkmaid to start
the yagna on the most
auspicious moment.
Infuriated Savitri
cursed that Lord Brahma
would not be worshipped
anywhere else but
Pushkar. Hence you find
the only temple
dedicated to Lord Brahma
only inn Pushkar. |
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A Stay To Remember |
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There are number of hotels in
Pushkar which provide comfortable
stay to its visitors. The hotel
category may vary from deluxe to
budget. All the hotels are
present with requisite
facilities. |
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