Pushkar

November 24th, 2015 by Abhijit Chakraborty

 

Pushkar topview

Bird’s eye view of the town

The Pushkar Mela in Ajmer district in Rajasthan is the world’s largest camel fair, and a kaleidoscope of culture and local traditions.

Pushkar Mela
Camels and Traders,Pushkar Mela

 

About Pushkar

One of the five sacred Dhams (pilgrimage site) in Hinduism, the town gets its name from the Sanskrit word Pushkarni which means a lake. Legend also attributes the name to the Sanskrit words ‘Pushp’ and ‘Kar’ which refer to the lotus flower.

Pushkar
Ghat at Pushkar

 

Pushkar is a town with a low population which is visited by pilgrims throughout the year, but it really starts bustling with frenetic activity around the Pushkar Mela.

About Pushkar Mela

An annual five-day fair which sees over 50000 camels being traded, the Pushkar Mela is a tourist’s delight. Held from Kartik Ekadashi to Kartik Purnima, the fair typically takes place in the months of Oct-Nov.
 evening traders savitri mandir
The camels are decorated and dressed with great care with jewellery and bangles attached to their ankles. A number of competitions are held, the most interesting one probably being a ‘Camel Beauty Contest’ where the best-looking camel wins!
Mela ground at Pushkar
Mela ground at Pushkar
Apart from camels, many other animals, chiefly horses, are also traded at this fair. People travel from miles around to participate in the fair. This period also sees a heavy influx of tourists, drawn to the town to get a first-hand experience of the fair.
Horse at Pushkar
Horse at Pushkar
A trader with his horse at Pushkar
A trader with his horse at Pushkar
Other Attractions
The Pushkar Lake, with 52 ghats surrounding it, is considered to be holy and one of the most important spots visited by tourists. The town of Pushkar also boasts of the only Brahma temple in India. Another attraction for tourists are the camel safaris that ferry tourists around the adjoining areas, one of the few such safaris in the country.
Sadhu at Pushkar
Sadhu at Pushkar
Arti at Pushkar
Arti at Pushkar
As per estimates, close to 6000 visitors visit this town every day, making it one of the most important tourism destinations in Rajasthan.
Plan Your Trip
The town of Pushkar is situated about 14 km from Ajmer, another important tourist destination in the state of Rajasthan. Pushkar is located roughly 144 km from the nearest major airport in Jaipur. These two cities are the most important transit points for those planning to travel to Pushkar. Visitors can plan a trip via these cities and stay at OYO as a stopover in either Jaipur or Ajmer. At Pushkar, visitors can stay at OYO  to make the most of their trip.
(Images © Siddharth Jain – All content © OYO Rooms)