The essence of Rajasthan is in its vivid colors and the people against a backdrop of decorated Camels, who are shaved with intricate patterns along with bedecked Cows in this ever changing and exotic desert. The people are dressed in ethnic outfits, bedecked in silver jewelry, and the Brahma Temple with the Pushkar Lake completes the picture.

You have entered the magical place known as Pushkar.

Ajmer is a gate way to Pushkar.

Ajmer is famous for Dargah Sharif the tomb of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti (1143-1235). In October on the death anniversary (Urs) of the saint millions of devotes cutting across religious divides come here to offer prayers and ask for the saints blessings.

Other notable things in Ajmer are Adhai-din-ka-jhopra, Nasiyan Temple, Anasagar Lake, Rajputana Museum and Mayo College.   

Ajmer was built in the 7th century A.D by King Ajay Pal Chauhan and was held by the Chauhans till it was lost to Mohammed Gaure by Prithviraj Chauhan  and subsequently it came under the direct rule of East India Company till Independence.

Pushkar

The name Pushkar is derived from flower (pushpa) and hand (kar) according to legend the lake of Pushkar was created after flower petals fell from the hand of Lord Brahma the creator.

Pushkar is located near the town of Ajmer and is a important religious place as well as the place with the biggest animal fair in Asia, in the month of Kartik which falls in end October to November after the festival of lights Diwali is celebrated the animal fair begins with gusto and the peaceful town comes alive with tent sites and camps coming up to accommodate all the tourists, pilgrims and the herdsmen who gather here to participate and add color to this peculiar yet magnificent fair.

This place has been the epicenter for trade of camels and local breed of cows and the pride of Kings the Horses.

There are especially built arenas where races are held, there are horse as well as camel races which are held amid a carnival atmosphere lasting at least two weeks, the carnival atmosphere is all around you from food stalls to ethnic shops which sell a fantastic array of products to the campfires, where you will be regaled by the Rajasthani ballads.

After the full moon arrives a lot of devotes take a holy dip in the morning and in the ensuing night thousands of beautiful clay lamps set on leaf boats are lit and set afloat.
This lake has powers and the Ghats are the entry points, there is a saying that a single dip in the lake on the eve of Kartik Pornima is equlivant to performing yags over a hundred years. There are 52 bathing places (ghats) and each and every one of them has special powers.

 Kapil Vyapi kund dip cures leprosy, Roop Tirth gives charm and beauty, Naga Kund is the fertility giver and the Mirakand Muni Kund has the gift of wisdom.

The wisdom of this spiritual and visually stunning place is evident because the great poet Kalidas chose this place to write his masterpiece Shakuntalam, even the great saint Agasthva is said to be on the local snake mountain, this lake has desert on one side and on the other three sides are mountains

The two important temples are:

VarahTemple

The Varah Temple is devoted to the Lord Vishnu, the preserver according to Hindu mythology. The temple has an image of Vishnu in his fifth materialization as a wild boar and was built by the King Anaji Chauhan (1123-1150). It is of equal importance as the, Brahma Temple. According to legend, the Lord Vishnu came to earth to kill the demon Hirnayaksh who had stolen the Vedas. Lord Vishnu took the shape of Varah (wild boar) and killed the demon thereby liberating the world from his mayhem.

BrahmaTemple

This is the most respected shrine in Pushkar and happens to be the only temple devoted to Lord Brahma who is worshipped as the Creator of the Universe according to the Hindu mythology. Brahma performed a Yagya here and the flowers which dropped from his hands created the lake.

The best time to visit Pushkar is October to December the rainy season is from July to September the maximum temperature in summers can go up to 45” Celsius and can drop to 8” Celsius in winters.

There is a wide variety of places to stay in pushkar


Resorts:

• Hotel Peacock Holiday Resort

Deluxe resorts:

• Pushkar Resorts
• Pushkar Villas Resort 

Tented accommodation:

• RTDC Tourist Village
• Royal Desert Camp
• The Royal Camp

Hotels:

• Hotel Pushkar Palace
• Hotel Jagat Palace
• The Sariska Palace

Budget hotels:

• Hotel New Park 
• Prafful Palace 
   

Heritage hotels:

• Hotel Pushkar Palace
• Hotel Sarovar
• Hotel Jagat Singh Palace  
• Hotel Samode palace
• Hotel New Park
• Pushkar Villas Resort
• Hotel Pushkar Inn
• Hotel Sajjan Bagh
• Hotel Gulab Niwas
• Hotel Teerth Palace
• Inn Seven Heaven
• Hotel Oasis
• Hotel Navratan Palace

The way to experience Pushkar first hand is to go on a safari Rajasthan style. The camels are the mode of transport and you will experience the desert in its full glory. The hills and the rolling sand dunes with the astounding sunsets and sunrises thrown in for the effect of a life time, here you will experience the life as led by the ethnic villager of this great and divers place known as Pushkar

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