Pushkar - The Sanctity of Holy Town
Though it is only 11 km from Ajmer, the little pilgrim town of Pushkar transports you to another world. The road from Ajmer crosses a pass in the Aravalli Hills called Nag Parbat (Snake Mountain), and brings into view the tranquil lake and the peaceful temple town set by its side.

According to legend the holy Pushkar Lake sprang up when a lotus petal fell from the hand of Lord Brahma, the Creator. It has the same sanctity for the Hindus as the Mansarovar Lake in Tibet, and devout Hindus aspire to come here at least once in their lifetime.

The lake is girdled with 52 ‘ghats’ (wide stone steps leading down to the water), built by different kings and nobles. Expect to see pilgrims taking a ritual dip in the lake whenever you are by the lakeside. With hills on three sides, Pushkar is swarming with temples, said to number over 400. The most famous of these is the Brahma Temple, the only one in India where Lord Brahma, the Creator, is worshipped. The temple is at one end of the Sadar Bazaar is marked by a red spire and the beautiful statue of a ‘hans’ (swan), Lord Brahma’s ‘vahana’ (celestial carrier) over the entrance.

The towering ‘gopuram’ of the Rangaji Temple decorated with over 360 carved ../north-india-images dominates the area. The temple is noteworthy for its south Indian style of architecture.The Savitri Temple, dedicated to Lord Brahma’s consort, stands on a hill behind the Brahma Temple. The view of Pushkar Lake and surrounding landscape is simply magical. The other important temples are those dedicated to Mahadev, Badri Narayan, Gayatri and Varaha.