History of Pushkar

Pushkar's origins are told through Hindu mythology rather than a single recorded founding date. According to legend, the god Brahma, the creator in the Hindu trinity, dropped a lotus flower to earth to slay a demon, and where its petals fell, three lakes formed – the primary one becoming Pushkar Lake. Brahma is said to have performed a yajna (fire sacrifice) on the lake's shores, and it is this act that makes Pushkar one of the very few places in India with a temple dedicated to Brahma, since despite being part of the central Hindu trinity, Brahma temples are exceptionally rare compared to those for Vishnu or Shiva.

Historically, Pushkar developed as a pilgrimage centre under the patronage of nearby Ajmer, which for centuries was a major regional capital, first under Chauhan Rajput rulers and later as an important Mughal-era city. The temples that stand around Pushkar Lake today are largely from the 14th century onward, since the original ancient temples were destroyed during periods of invasion and iconoclasm in medieval India and subsequently rebuilt; the current Brahma Temple dates mainly to the 14th century, with later additions and renovations funded by Maratha and Rajput patrons in the 18th and 19th centuries, including the marble ghats commissioned by various royal houses that still line the lake.

Pushkar's other defining historical thread is trade: for centuries, the plains around the town have hosted a massive seasonal cattle and camel fair timed to the Kartik Purnima full moon, when pilgrims and traders converged for both religious bathing rituals and livestock commerce. That fair, now known worldwide as the Pushkar Camel Fair, has grown from a purely local agricultural and religious gathering into an internationally known event, though it retains its dual identity as both a serious livestock market for local herders and a major cultural spectacle for visitors.

Top Places to Visit in Pushkar

Pushkar Lake and the Ghats

The spiritual heart of the town, Pushkar Lake is ringed by 52 ghats (stepped bathing platforms), each associated with different legends, deities or patron dynasties. Pilgrims come to bathe here believing it cleanses sins, and the lake is especially busy at sunrise and during Kartik Purnima. Visitors are welcome to walk along the ghats and observe rituals, but should remove shoes before stepping onto the ghat platforms, dress modestly, and always ask before photographing pilgrims performing prayers or rituals.

Brahma Temple

One of the very few temples in the world dedicated to Brahma, the creator god, this red-spired temple sits a short walk from the main ghats and is Pushkar's most important pilgrimage site. The temple's marble floor is embedded with hundreds of silver coins donated by devotees over generations, and the sanctum houses an image of Brahma with his consort Gayatri. Modest dress is expected, and non-Hindus are generally permitted entry, though visitors should be respectful of ongoing worship.

Pushkar Bazaar

The narrow lanes running from the ghats through the town centre make up Pushkar's famous bazaar, lined with shops selling silver jewellery, semi-precious stones, block-printed textiles, leather goods and colourful bohemian clothing that has made Pushkar a long-time favourite on the backpacker trail. The bazaar is also full of small cafes and rooftop restaurants serving vegetarian food, since the entire town observes a strict vegetarian, alcohol-free policy out of respect for its sacred status.

Savitri Temple

Perched on a hilltop overlooking the lake and dedicated to Brahma's wife Savitri, this temple is reachable either by a steep uphill hike or, more comfortably, by a ropeway (cable car). The climb is rewarded with sweeping views over Pushkar Lake, the town's temple spires and the surrounding Aravalli hills and desert, making it one of the best sunrise or sunset spots in town.

Pap Mochani (Gayatri) Temple

On a hill on the opposite side of town from Savitri Temple, this temple dedicated to Gayatri offers another excellent viewpoint over Pushkar and the lake, and is generally quieter and less visited than Savitri, making it a good option for travellers who want a similar view with fewer crowds.

Pushkar Camel Fair Grounds

Just outside the town centre, the open grounds used for the annual Pushkar Camel Fair are worth a visit even outside fair season, when they're simply peaceful desert-edge open space, but come alive dramatically during the Kartik Purnima fair with thousands of camels, cattle and horses, alongside carnival rides, folk performances and a famous camel decoration and race competition.

Rangji Temple

An unusual sight in Pushkar's overwhelmingly traditional temple landscape, Rangji Temple was built in the 19th century in a South Indian Dravidian architectural style, complete with a tall, multi-tiered gopuram (gateway tower) more typical of Tamil Nadu than Rajasthan. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, it stands out sharply against the town's usual Rajasthani temple architecture and is worth a short detour for the contrast alone.

Old Rangji and Varah Temples

Pushkar has dozens of smaller shrines and temples scattered through its lanes beyond the major sites, including the Varah Temple, dedicated to Vishnu's boar incarnation and one of the town's older surviving structures. Wandering the backstreets away from the main ghats and bazaar to find these smaller temples is a rewarding way to spend an unhurried hour, and you'll often have them largely to yourself outside of festival periods.

Best Time to Visit Pushkar

The best months are October to March, when the desert climate is mild and comfortable for walking around the ghats, temple and bazaar. If your travel dates allow it, timing a visit around the Pushkar Camel Fair (Kartik Purnima, usually falling in October or November on the Gregorian calendar) is a genuinely unique experience – but book accommodation many months in advance, as the town's limited rooms sell out and prices rise sharply during the fair. Outside the fair, winter (December-January) is the most pleasant season, with cool mornings ideal for sunrise walks along the ghats. Summers (April-June) are hot and best avoided, and the monsoon (July-September) brings light, irregular rain typical of this arid region.

How to Reach Pushkar

By Air: The nearest airport is Kishangarh Airport (Ajmer), about 40 km away, with limited flight connections; Jaipur's Sanganer Airport, roughly 3-4 hours away by road, offers far more frequent domestic and international flights and is the more commonly used gateway.

By Rail: Ajmer Junction, about 11-14 km from Pushkar, is the nearest major railway station with excellent connections across Rajasthan and to Delhi, Mumbai and other major cities. From Ajmer, Pushkar is a short taxi or bus ride over the hills.

By Road: Pushkar is about 3-4 hours from Jaipur and roughly 30-40 minutes from Ajmer by well-maintained road, making it an easy and popular day trip or short stay when combined with a Jaipur-based itinerary.

Culture, Food and Festivals

Because Pushkar is sacred to Hindus and strictly forbids meat, eggs and alcohol within town limits, its food culture has developed a distinctly wholesome, vegetarian character, and the town is well known for its cafe scene – a legacy of decades of backpacker and spiritual-seeker tourism. Expect thalis, fresh juices, Israeli and continental-influenced cafe fare alongside Rajasthani classics like malpua (a sweet pancake) and kachori, often enjoyed on rooftop terraces overlooking the lake.

The undisputed highlight of Pushkar's calendar is the Pushkar Camel Fair (Pushkar Mela), held around the Kartik Purnima full moon. What began as a practical livestock trading event has become a major cultural festival, with camel races, camel decoration competitions, folk music and dance performances, a Ferris wheel and carnival games, and thousands of pilgrims taking a ritual dip in the lake on the full moon night itself, believed to be especially auspicious. Even travellers with no interest in livestock trading find the fair's atmosphere – equal parts spiritual gathering, rural fair and cultural spectacle – unforgettable.

Travel Tips for Pushkar

Remember that Pushkar is a sacred pilgrimage town, not just a tourist stop: dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered), remove shoes before stepping onto ghat platforms, and always ask permission before photographing people performing rituals at the lake. Alcohol, meat and eggs are prohibited within the town itself, so plan meals accordingly – this is easy given the excellent vegetarian cafe scene, but worth knowing in advance.

Local "priests" sometimes approach tourists near the ghats offering a lake blessing ceremony (puja) in exchange for a donation, and while this can be a genuine and worthwhile experience, be clear in advance about what donation is expected to avoid pressure for a larger sum afterward – a polite, firm decline is entirely acceptable if you'd rather not participate. If visiting during the Camel Fair, book accommodation as far ahead as possible, since prices multiply and availability is extremely limited during the festival dates.

Photography is generally welcomed around Pushkar, especially during the Camel Fair when colourfully dressed herders and decorated camels make for striking images, but it's good practice to ask before taking close-up portraits of people, particularly at the ghats where pilgrims are engaged in private religious rituals. Carrying small change is useful for temple donations, and note that shoes must be left at designated points before entering the ghats or temples, so slip-on footwear is more convenient than laced shoes.

Where to Stay

Pushkar has a good spread of guesthouses, boutique heritage hotels and desert camps just outside town. Staying near the ghats puts you close to the main sights and the bazaar, while a desert camp on the outskirts offers a quieter, more scenic stay with views over the surrounding hills – a good option outside the peak Camel Fair period when town accommodation is scarce. Rooftop cafes attached to many guesthouses are a pleasant way to end the day, often with unobstructed views over the lake and surrounding temple spires.

Suggested Pushkar Itinerary and Excursions

Pushkar's compact size means a day and a half is enough to see everything comfortably, though many travellers enjoy simply relaxing here for two or three days given its calm, low-key atmosphere.

Day 1: Start early with a sunrise walk along the ghats and a visit to the Brahma Temple before the day's heat and crowds build up. Spend the late morning and afternoon exploring the bazaar's shops and cafes, then take the ropeway or hike up to Savitri Temple in the late afternoon for sweeping views and sunset over the lake and desert hills.

Day 2 (optional): Visit the quieter Pap Mochani (Gayatri) Temple viewpoint in the morning, then spend a relaxed day exploring lanes of the bazaar you missed, or simply enjoying Pushkar's cafe culture. If travelling during the Kartik Purnima period, dedicate this day to the Camel Fair grounds.

Pushkar combines naturally with Ajmer (just 11 km away, home to the important Ajmer Sharif Dargah, the revered Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti that draws pilgrims of all faiths year-round) as a half-day add-on, and fits easily into a broader Jaipur-Pushkar-Udaipur or Jaipur-Pushkar-Jodhpur circuit. Many travellers combine a morning at the Dargah in Ajmer with an afternoon in Pushkar, since the two towns are so close together and offer such a different pilgrimage experience side by side – one Hindu, one Sufi Muslim, both deeply significant.

See our car rental services for comfortable transfers between cities, or browse our Rajasthan tour packages for multi-city itineraries that include Pushkar.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pushkar