According to the Padma (Lotus) Purana, Pushkar, 15km northwest of Ajmer, came into existence when Lord Brahma, the Creator, dropped his lotus flower (pushpa) to earth from his hand (kar) to kill a demon. At the three spots where the petals landed, water magically appeared in the midst of the desert to form three small blue lakes, and it was on the banks of the largest of these that Brahma subsequently convened a gathering of some 900,000 celestial beings - the entire Hindu pantheon. Surrounded by whitewashed temples and bathing ghats, the lake is today revered as one of India's most sacred sites: Pushkaraj Maharaj, literally "Pushkar King of Kings". During the auspicious full-moon phase of October/ November (the anniversary of the gods' mass meeting, or yagya), its waters are believed to cleanse the soul of all impurities, drawing pilgrims from all over the country. Alongside this annual religious festival, Rajasthani villagers also buy and sell livestock at what has become the largest camel market (unt mela) in the world, when more than 200,000 dealers, tourists and traders fill the dunes to the west of the lake.
The legendary colour of the camel mela, combined with the beautiful desert scenery and heady religious atmosphere of the temples and ghats have inevitably made Pushkar a prime tourist destination.

History

Pushkar the sister city of Ajmer, is only 11 kms away from the city. Accounts of this city can be founded in the 4th century writing of the Chinese traveler Fa-Hien and also in the scripts writing during the era of Muslims invasions. Pushkar is famous for its fairs and festivals and for Brahma Temple. It is said that in a battle Lord Brahma killed the demon Vajra Nabh with a lotus flower whose petals floated down to earth and landed in three places in and Pushkar where Lakes sprang up. The bath at Pushkar is thought to be more important than at any other place. The holy dip in this lake on Kartika Purnima is thought to be salvation giving. Pushkar is very dear to Lord Brahma. The place is famous in His name. So it is blessed by Him in every way. In olden times the people who took a holy dip at Pushkar were relieved from all the sins and went to heaven after their death by the grace of Lord Brahma. According to another legend back in a legendary time Lord Brahma was flying over the Rajasthan desert on his swan when some petals fell from his hand and drifted down. Miraculously, blue lakes sprang up where the flowers had touched the soft sands. Just then, Lord Brahma realized that this was the auspicious moment to perform a fire sacrifice.

How to get there

Best time to visit

Dining Out

All the restaurants in town are strictly vegetarian, and do not serve even eggs. Many of the places intown offer all-you-can-eat buffet lunches and dinners. Basically they are thalis that you serve yourself. Many times the food is sitting all day, so it may be unhealthy. It is best to get food, especially in India, when it is freshly cooked.

OM Siva Restaurant
Upstairs in the main bazaar, across from the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, has an all-you-can-eat breakfast. This includes cereal, fruit, brown bread with your choice of butter, peanut butter, jelly, or cheese, and other items. This meal is a real bargain and is recommended. The lunch buffet includes several items including rice, vegetables, soup, chips and falafel.

There is another OM Shiva Buffet Restaurant on the rooftop of the VKTourist Palace Hotel. It is a good place.

Raju's Garden Restaurant-In the center of the town off the main road, is one of the better places. The spaghetti is good, and for western food this is one of the better places. It has pizza and baked potatoes.

RS Restaurant - By the Brahma Temple, is one of the better places in town. It has good cheap thalis.

Rainbow - Near the Brahma Temple, is a rooftop restaurant that serves Indian, Chinese, Mexican Italian, and good falafels. It has a really good view of the lake.

Krishna Restaurant - Temple Road has good Indian, hummus, falafel and dosas.

Hotel Pushkar Palace - Has a good buffet and a bakery. It is well located in a garden next to the lake.

Natraj - Near the bazaar post office, is a fairly good rooftop place.

Moondance - Has very good Indian, Italian, Mexican and Thai food. The sizzlers are excellent. It is a popular, laid-back, chill-out place. There is a section where you sit on the floor and eat. It is an easy place to meet people and hangout. It is a recommended nighttime place.

Venus Restaurant - On the rooftop of the Venus Hotel, serves Indian, Continental, Italian and Chinese food. The sizzlers are good. It is a good place to sit and watch what is happening in the bazaar below.

The rooftop restaurant at the Oasis Hotel is good. The Sunset Café, near the Pushkar Palace next to the lake, is a nice place to sit and watch the sunset. The food is fairly good.

Shopping

Tourist Offices