Places to Visit in Pushkar is situated near the Ajmer City Pushkar boasts of temples. Few are as ancient as you might expect at such an Sarovar and city point of view, from such an important pilgrimage site. Many were destroyed by Aurangzeb, a Mogul ruler and were subsequently rebuilt. The town has hundreds of temples, including 14th-century Jagatpita Brahma Mandir, dedicated to the god of creation, which has a distinctive red spire and walls inlaid with pilgrims’ silver coins.
Brahma Temple Pushkar:
The most famous of all temples is the Brahma Temple. It is said to be the only temple in the world dedicated to this deity. It stands on a high plinth with the Marble steps leading up to it. A silver turtle is set on the floor facing the Sanctum-Sanctorum or Garbh-Grah. Around the turtle, the marble floor is decorated with are hundreds of silver coins, donated by people. Stones engraved with donors names and coins are also embedded in the walls. Paintings of peacocks adorn the temple walls as they are supposed to be the vehicle of lord Brahma’s consort Saraswati. A small image of the milkmaid Gayatri, flanks the four-faced image of lord Brahma and is called Chaumurti The sanctuary has silver doors inside a carved marble gateway.
SAVITRI TEMPLE :
The one-hour trek up to the hilltop Savitri Temple overlooking the lake is best made early in the morning; the view is magical.
VARAH TEMPLE :
Originally built in the 12th century, Varah Temple was destroyed by the Emperor Aurangzeb (who is said , was particularly upset by the huge idol here of Varah, the God with the body of a man and the head of the boar) Reconstructed BY Raja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur in 1727, the temple has an interesting and richly ornamented image house.
MAHADEVA TEMPLE :
A Beautiful temple built in the 19th century, it was described by a British traveler of the time as “by far the most remarkable, for the elegance of its structure and the nature of its ornaments, of all the temples Pushkar boasts of.” It is also noteworthy for its white marble Mahadeva image, with its five faces (and its traditional tufts of hair).
RAMAVAIKUNTH TEMPLE :
One of Pushkar’s largest and most intricate temples, the Ramavaikunth Temple was built in the 1920’s and has beautifully sculpted images of no less than 361 different deities. The ornate outer gopuram over the entrance is said to have been built by a team of masons specially brought here from south India.
Lake and its many Ghats :
Many Ghats run down to the Holy Lake where pilgrims are constantly bathing in the holy waters. Joining people at the ghats has to be with some respect for their culture and privacy. And for this reason, removing shoes before approaching the ghats, no smoking and restraining from photographing bathing people is well avoided. The Pilgrims here are sensitive about comments by non-Hindus. The famed waters of the Pushkar lake wash away the sins of a lifetime.
The mystical water is also believed to cure skin diseases, making Pushkar the Lourdes of the East.
