City-information
for Pushkar
Population 11,000
Pushkar is a small, mellow town with no vehicle traffic on the main street. There are over 400 temples in Pushkar. Some of the important temples are dedicated to Brahma, Raghunath, Varaha, Savitri, and Gayatri. It is famous for the Camel Fair, which takes place here in Oct/Nov. Alcohol and meat are supposed to be banned here. Pushkar is on the edge of the Rajasthan desert, ten km northwest
of Ajmer, 400 km southwest of Delhi, and 145 km southwest of Jaipur.
It is said that Lord Brahma's lotus flower fell in three separate places in the Pushkar area, and water came from the ground at each place. They are located within a radius of six miles. Senior Pushkar, where the hotels are located, is considered the most holy place, because the lotus fell here first. Middle Pushkar is 3 km down the road and has a small Hanuman temple and a 200-year-old banyan tree. New (Junior) Pushkar, 3 km further north, has a small Krishna temple. As Brahma threw the pushpa (flower) with his kar (hand), so the place received the name Pushkar.
In the Mahabharata, concerning Pushkar, it is said: "The holy place of Lord Vishnu, Pushkar-tirtha, renowned in the three worlds, is situated on this earth. Fortunate souls can enter that place. O son of the Kuru dynasty, at Pushkartirtha billions of tirthas gather at daybreak and sunset. Sins of both men and women, including the sin that caused their birth, are destroyed simply by taking a bath at Pushkar-tirtha. As Madhusudana is the original God, so Pushkar is the original tirtha."
It is believed that to bathe in Pushkar Lake on Kartika Purnima (the full moon day in Oct/Nov) gives one salvation. The full benefit of taking bath in Pushkar Lake is said to be during the last five days of Kartika month. Those who take bath at this time are said to be relieved of all sins and promoted to heaven when they leave their bodies. It is said to be especially auspicious to do parikrama (walk around) of the three Pushkars (16km) on the Kartika Purnima.
Gaya Kund, near Junior Pushkar, is where people do puja (worship) for the salvation of their ancestors.
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