Ajmer Tour Information
Pushkar (912km)
This picturesque pilgrim centre nestling amidst rugged Aravali hills is considered to be one of the most sacred pilgrimage for Hindus and is referred as ‘Tirth Raj’ or the ‘king of pilgrim centres’. It is believed that a pilgrimage to the sacred ‘Char Dhams’ (Badrinath at Uttaranchal, jagannath at Orissa, Rameshwaram at Tamil Nadu and Dwarka at Gujarat) is incomplete without a holy dip in the sacred waters of Pushkar. According to ‘Padam Puran’, Lord Brahma was in search of a suitable place for a Vedic yagna. While contemplating, a lotus petal fell down from his hand on the earth and water spurted form three places, one of them was Pushkar and Brahma decided to perform his yagna over here. The sleepy town comes to life during the annual Pushkar fair held on Kartik Purima. It has emerged as a major tourist attraction of the region, as tourists from all parts of the world gather here for this colourful fair.
Jagat Pita Shri Brahma Mandir
There are over 400 sacred shrines in and around Pushkar, but the most important is the temple of Lord Brahma, which is only one of its kinds in the country. The 14th century shrine set on a high plinth enshrines a four faced image of Lord Brahma, known as ‘Chaumurti’. Nearby is a small image of milkmaid Gayatri. Steps in the corner lead to a small cave dedicated to lord Shiva. The temple walls are also adored with graceful peacocks, the celestial vehicle of Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and consort of Lord Brahma.
Warah Temple
This second most important shrine of Pushkar is dedicated to Lord Vishnu in the form of Warah, th wild boar. It is said to be built by Chauhan King Anaji 91123 – 1150), but was destroyed by Muhammad ghauri after his victory over Ajmer. In 1806, Gokul Chand Parikh, a Scindia minister renovated the shrine.
Savitri Temple
The shrine of Lord Brahma’s first wife is set on the hill behind the Brahma temple. It can be reached by a long flight of steps and affords a bird’s eye view of the lake and surrounding areas.
Temple of Rangji or Shri Vaikunthnath ji
This magnificent shrine built in South Indian style is noted for its towering ‘Gopuram’ (gateway). Other important temples are Apteshwar mahadeo Temple, Baiji ka Mandir and Man Mandir etc.
Pushkar lake
The sacred reservoir is said to be created by the falling of lotus petal from the hand of Lord Brahma. The lake is considered to be as old as the creation and one of the sacred ‘PanchSarovar’ or Five lakes, the other four are Man Sarovar, Bindu Sarovar, narayan Sarovar and Pampa Sarovar. There are 52 bathing ghats around the lake, devotees believe that a dip in the waters of the lake washes away the sins, especially during kartik Poornima (October / November).
Man Mahal
It was built by Raja man Singh I of Amber, as a royal guest house. The guest house has been converted into a hotel and provides a fine view of the ghats.
Pushkar Palace
The 400 year old palace of Maharaja of Kishangarh has also been converted into a hotel.
Ajmer City Map