Pushkar Lake and Brahma Temple – A Revered Holy Site for Hindus
Pushkar Lake is a semi-circular shaped water body and one of the most revered holy sites for Hindus located in Pushkar, Rajasthan. The lake is most well-known for its ghats and temples, most importantly the Brahma temple. Also called Pushkar Sarovar, it is located 14 kms northwest of Ajmer city. Pushkar Lake is described in Hindu scriptures as “Tirtha-Guru” as it is related to the creator-God Brahma. The massive artificial lake spread across 54 acres, originally dates back over 2500 years, is surrounded by over 500 Hindu temples in the lake precincts.
The World Famous Pushkar Camel Fair
Pushkar Lake and its precincts are world famous for the annual Pushkar Fair or Pushkar mela. The fair, which is both a religious and economic event in Rajasthan is a huge tourist attraction. It coincides with a very large gathering of pilgrims during Kartik Purnima, when huge number of pilgrims throng to Pushkar lake to take a holy dip in the lake. The Pushkar Fair; also, Asia’s largest camel fair, starts on Prabodhini Ekadashi, it is the 11th lunar day in the bright fortnight and ends 7 days later. The original intention of the British for organizing the Pushkar Camel Fair was to attract animal tradesmen and collect taxes from commercial activities.
