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Explore
Pushkar |
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According to the Padma (Lotus) Purana, Pushkar, 15km
northwest of ajmer, came into existence when Lord Brahma, the Creator, dropped
his lotus flower (pushpa) to earth from his hand (kar) to kill a
demon. At the three spots where the petals landed, water magically appeared in
the midst of the desert to form three small blue lakes, and it was on the banks
of the largest of these that Brahma subsequently convened a gathering of some
900,000 celestial beings - the entire Hindu pantheon. surrounded by whitewashed
temples and bathing ghats, the lake is today revered as one of India's most
sacred sites : Pushkaraj Maharaj, literally "Pushkar King of Kings".
During the auspicious full-moon phase of October/ November (the anniversary of
the gods' mass meeting, or yagya), its waters are believed to cleanse
the soul of all impurities, drawing pilgrims from all over the country.
Alongside this annual religious festival, Rajasthani villagers also buy and sell
livestock at what has become the largest camel market (unt mela)
in the world, when more than 200,000 dealers, tourists and traders fill the
dunes to the west of the lake. The legendary colour of the camel mela, combined with the beautiful desert scenery and heady religious atmosphere of the temples and ghats have inevitably made Pushkar a prime tourist destination. |
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Facts and Figures |
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History |
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| Pushkar the sister city of Ajmer, is only 11 kms away from the city. Accounts of this city can be founded in the 4th century writing of the Chinese traveler Fa-Hien and also in the scripts writing during the era of Muslims invasions. Pushkar is famous for its fairs and festivals and for Brahma Temple. It is said that in a battle Lord Brahma killed the demon Vajra Nabh with a lotus flower whose petals floated down to earth and landed in three places in and Pushkar where Lakes sprang up. the bath at Pushkar is thought to be more important than at any other place. The holy dip in this lake on Kartika Purnima is thought to be salvation giving. Pushkar is very dear to Lord Brahma. The place is famous in His name. So it is blessed by Him in every way. In olden times the people who took a holy dip at Pushkar were relieved from all the sins and went to heaven after their death by the grace of Lord Brahma. According to another legend back in a legendary time Lord Brahma was flying over the Rajasthan desert on his swan when some petals fell from his hand and drifted down. Miraculously, blue lakes sprang up where the flowers had touched the soft sands. Just then, Lord Brahma realized that this was the auspicious moment to perform a fire sacrifice. | ||||||||||
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How to Reach Pushkar |
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Air : The nearest airport is Jaipur from where one can take flights
for Delhi and Mumbai. Road : Pushkar is connected to Ajmer by road which is around 14 km away. Jeeps and taxis are also available. Rail : Ajmer is the nearest railway station from where one can take trains for the major destination of India. |
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The best time to visit Pushkar is between October and May. |
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