Pushkar Lake is considered as the holiest lake in India. This water reservoir is enclosed by 52 ghats (personal ghats for 52 Maharajas of India) and 500 temples. According to a Hindu mythology, this lake was created by the fallen petals of Lord Brahma's lotus when he was destroying the demon Vajra Nabha. Lotus petals were struck at a particular place and water spurted from there giving it the shape of a pious. The charm of Pushkar Lake is also mentioned in some old books like Abhigyan Sakuntalam, Mahabharat and Ramayana. A dip in this holy water can purify one from all the sins, troubles and ailments. Sacred to the Hindus as well as the Sikhs, this lake has its mention in history since the 14th century.
Pushkar Fair
The Pushkar fair is one of the central attractions at the lake and during this time there is huge inflow of pilgrims and tourists from all the four directions. Each year the fair starts at Prabhodini Ekadashi and ends at Kartik Poornima. This time is not only favorable for the devotees to gain spiritual merit by taking the holy dip in to the sacred waters of the lake, but also a great business opportunity for the locals when tourists arrive from far and wide to participate in the colorful events. The Pushkar fair is also Asia’s largest camel fair.
The Ghats at Pushkar Lake
The Ghats or lakeside embankments incorporating the descending stone steps are one of the most important parts of pilgrimage at Pushkar. Originally there were twelve Ghats at the Pushkar, but now their number has been increased to 52. Each of the Ghat at Pushkar hold their own individual significance since it is believed that waters of each Ghat have different curative properties.
The ambience and spiritual atmosphere at the ghats is amazing and offers a close understanding of Hindu beliefs and practices. Out of these 52 ghats, two of them have special significance. The Gau Ghat-where ashes of towering personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shashtri were immersed while at Brahma Ghat, it is believed that Lord Brahma himself worshipped and performed a yagna inviting all celestial beings across the Hindu pantheon.
Attractions Near Pushkar Lake
Pushkar Lake is one of the most revered sites in Rajasthan and home to the only Brahma Temple of the World. Also the lake gets crowded during various festivals and the famous Pushkar Camel Fair.
Temples Near Pushkar Lake : There are about 500 temples located at the shore of the lake of which many were destroyed during the Mughal rule in India. The most important of these is the Brahma Temple which is believed to be about 2000 years old though the architecture is of 114th century.
Ghats at Pushkar Lake : There are about 52 ghats at the lake which is used by pilgrims to take bath. But 10 of these are most famous and are important historical architecture too. These are the Varaha Ghat, the Dadhich Ghat, Saptarishi Ghats, Gwalior Ghat, Kota Ghat, Gau ghat, Yag Ghat, Jaipur Ghat, Karni Ghat and Gangaur Ghat.
Pushkar Fair : Pushkar Camel Fair is Asia’s largest camel fair which commences on Prabodhini Ekadashi, the 11th lunar day in the bright fortnight and ends on Kartik Poornima – the full Moon day in the month of Kartik (October– November) . The lake becomes too crowded during this time as it is said that taking bath on Kartik Poornima is very blissful and wash away all you sins.