Pushkar

Pushkar is an ancient temple town located on the shore of Pushkar Lake near Ajmer City and headquarters of Pushkar tehsil in the Ajmer district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated about 10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Ajmer and about 150 km (93 mi) southwest of Jaipur. The town lies at an elevation of about 510 metres (1,670 ft) and is surrounded by hills on three sides, with Nag Pahar ("Snake Mountain") forming a natural boundary between Ajmer and Pushkar. Pushkar is among the oldest existing cities in India. According to Hindu tradition, Lord Brahma, regarded as the creator of the universe, dropped a lotus flower on the ground, which led to the formation of a lake. The place where the lotus fell came to be known as Pushkar, after the Sanskrit word for lotus. The town is home to one of the few temples dedicated to Brahma, and a pilgrimage to Pushkar is considered highly meritorious within Hinduism. According to Hindu scriptures, Pushkar Lake is regarded as Tirtha Raj, or the "king of pilgrimage sites." It is believed that no pilgrimage is complete without bathing in its sacred waters. The lake is semi-circular in shape, with an estimated depth of 8–10 metres (26–33 ft), and is surrounded by 52 ghats. About 400 blue-colored temples surround the holy lake. It makes the atmosphere more spiritual and divine as one can listen to magical chants from temples along its perimeter. The area is sometimes called the rose garden of Rajasthan because of the cultivation of roses whose essence is exported internationally. The city is noted for its mythological associations, temples, and heritage architecture. Most of the temples and ghats in Pushkar are from the 18th century and later, because many temples were destroyed during Muslim conquests in...