Are you aware of the fact that Pushkar, which is one of the most ancient cities of India located in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district in midst of Aravali range, is often called tritha-raj, which means the king of pilgrim sites.
Your must be surprised to hear the fact but it is true that Pushkar has many interesting stories within its fold. Let’s discuss its five connections to the puranik stories and see how this place is emerging as one of the popular tourist destination in India.
Pushkar: Blue lotus flower
In Sanskrit, Pushkar means blue lotus flower. Brahma found Pushkar to be an ideal for his Mahayagna. Soon he found out about Vajranash, a demon, who was killing people of the town. Brahma killed the demon by chanting a mantra on a lotus flower. Few parts of the lotus fell on three sites in Pushkar and these places were later called Jyaistha, Madhya and Kanishtha Pushkar. To protect Pushkar from demons, a yagna was performed by Brahma.
Pushkar Lake
The Pushkar Lake is one of the most popular tourist attractions. The lake was created when Brahma dropped his lotus at this site. The sacred Pushkar Lake is
believed to be holy place for Hindus. The water of this lake is believed to wash away the sins. The lake’s water is believed to have curative and medicinal properties. More than 500 temples are present around the lake. The lake has 52 Ghats, which are stone steps to descend to the edge of the lake. The lake is also a heritage monument.
Brahma Temple
The Brahma temple is also called the Jagatpita Brahma Mandir. This famous Hindu pilgrim site is built of mainly stone slab and marble. The main idols of the temple are of Brahma and his consort Gayatri. There are more than 500 temples in Pushkar and among them the most popular and significant is the Brahma temple. Many of the old temples, including the Brahma temple, were demolished during the reign of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor. These temples were later rebuilt. Although the original Brahma temple is said to be 2000 years old, the present structure dates back to the 14th century.
Pushkar Camel Fair
Pushkar camel fair is most important and famous event in Pushkar. The fair is held from kartik ekadashi to kartik poornima in the Hindu calendar for five days. It falls between the month of October and November.
According to legends, god Brahma appeared at the Pushkar Lake on the poornima. Many visitors and local swims across the lake as it is considered auspicious. This fair is culture retreat and a carnival with many artists from across the world.
Savitri Temple
Located on top of a hill called Ratnagiri, Savitri temple is dedicated to Brahma’s wife Savitri. You can trek up the hill to catch the beautiful view of the Pushkar Lake. The temple is situated at an elevation of about 750ft and a flight of 650 steps take you to take Savitri temple, which is second most significant temple in the town. Goddess Savitri is the middle flanked by goddess Sharda on the right side and goddess Saraswati on the left.