Pushkar Lake (Pushkar)

India / Rajasthan / Pushkar / পুষ্কর
by hari makar
The picturesque lake of Pushkar is set in a valley just about 11 kilometres northwest of Ajmer. Pushkar Lake is surrounded by hills on three sides and desert on the other side. The cave of Saint Agastya is also located on the snake mountain in Pushkar. Pushkar has also held a major place in the Kalidasa's Sanskrit drama, Abhigyan Shakuntalam. Pushkar is one of the major sacred places for the Hindus. There are about 400 temples and 52 Ghaats in Pushkar which are located on the banks of the Pushkar Lake. On the Pushkar lake you can view various pilgrims bathing in the holy waters and worshipping at the Ghaats. It is believed that the famed

waters of the Pushkar wash away the sins of lifetime. So thousands of pilgrims come to Pushkar on Kartik Purnima (full moon day of the Kartik month) or on any of the four days preceding it and take a bath in the holy waters of the lake.


The mystical water is also believed to cure skin diseases, making Pushkar "the Lourdes of the East".


History of Pushkar Lake
There is a great story about the creation of the Pushkar Lake by the Creator God, Bramha. When the demon Vajra Nabha killed Brahma's children, he in turn struck him with his weapon, a lotus flower. Vajra Nabha died with the impact, and the petals of the lotus fell at three places. One of them is Pushkar, where a lake sprung into being. Brahma is supposed to have performed sacrifice at this lake on Kartik Purnima (the full moon day of the Kartik month). According to a legend, the lake was formed when Lord Brahma wanted to perform a yagna here.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pushkar_Lake
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   26°29'15"N   74°33'14"E

Comments

  • it is incredible
  • I stayed for one night at the Pushkar Bagh with my Girlfriend during the world famous Pushkar fair at the end of a week long “Golden Triangle” tour of India. In terms of character and charm it is the best hotel I have ever stayed in, and I have been traveling for over 20 years so I’ve stayed in quite a few hotels. Rooms: All the cottages are different shapes, sizes and have different décor. We stayed in cottage number 131 which was in the “original” part of the hotel. (Photos to be posted later when my boyfriend gets round to sending me copies of them). As our stay was part of a tour booked through Agent, we didn't get to choose our specific room. However, the room we were given by our tour guide (who checked the group in) was absolutely lovely and was really charming. It had a great big wooden-framed bed, with lots of pillows and was so comfortable, it was like being at home in your own bed. On one side of the room there were large windows with nice glass doors and you could look down into the courtyard below. The room was also furnished with good quality furniture such as settee, wardrobe, desk and also had a tea/coffee making facilities. The bathroom was breathtaking. It had a large bath with mosaic tiles and a monsoon style shower over it with a marble sink surround. Although we were only staying for one night, I managed to fit in two showers just so I could use the monsoon shower as much as possible. This room is located overlooking the open air courtyard. Outside the room is a large seating area where you can enjoy a cup of tea and the warm Indian sunshine. Pools: The hotel has the best pool in town and stunning infinity pool, with a wooden deck and very comfortable loungers. It has views of the countryside surrounding the hotel. There is also an outdoor Jacuzzi next to the infinity pool. Food: Because we were in a tour group and this was our final evening, we all ate together at the barbeque. The food was good, and I had no complaints about it. There was also entertainment provided (of the “ladies dancing whilst balancing pots on their head” variety). Take time to have a look around the hotel. We took the optional afternoon “camel buggy” tour, which takes you down through country side village, fair ground and upto pushkar lake. Our only complaint would be that we didn’t have longer in this hotel. If you have the opportunity and can afford it, spending a night at this hotel is well worth it. It is a wonderful and unforgettable experience.
  • pushkar_sandeep@ln.com
This article was last modified 12 years ago