India 2016 (part III): Pushkar 1

Pushkar, Rajasthan:

the holy lake of Pushkar

Following the outing to the step well of Abhaneri, another day trip brought me to Pushkar, 145 km southwest of Jaipur.

Pushkar is a small town surrounding a holy lake which is believed to have formed at the spot where Brahma dropped a lotus flower. It is indeed one of the holiest places in India and every Hindu is supposed to travel here at least once in his life. Many pilgrims come to take a ritual bath and visit the adjacent temple – one of the very few in India devoted to Brahma. Due to its serene atmosphere and religious importance, also a number of tourists flock here and consequently the narrow alleys are lined by colourful souvenir shops. The present Brahma Temple has been constructed in the 14th century and is a surprisingly small place. Photography inside is not allowed, but the scenes at the lake are more picturesque anyways. Maybe I come back in November, when the annual Pushkar Camel Fair draws thousands of villagers to trade their livestock…

colourful shopping

the way to the bathing ghats

Pushkar Lake

panoramic view

Pushkar Lake

Hanuman Langur

entrance to the Brahma Temple

Saraswati Temple

sunset in Pushkar

Following more work in Jaipur, I left the city again in the second week of February to continue my research in Kachchh. On the way I was able to visit the Gir National Park – the last refuge for the Asiatic Lion – surely you will understand that this place deserves its own post!

9 responses to “India 2016 (part III): Pushkar 1”

I really enjoyed visiting Pushkar with you, Matthias. You do a great job of bringing us there with your words and variety of excellent photos. The markets look delightful.