Pushkar - A Scared town in Rajasthan with a popular Sikh Gurudwara, a Hindu temple dedicated to Bramha and famous for it's International Camel Fair

Pushkar is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Rajasthan state of India and we realised that we haven't done a comprehensive post on Pushkar. There are multiple posts about the famous Camel Fair of Pushkar, but this town of Rajasthan has a lot to offer and there are some very interesting things to do around Pushkar town. In this blogpost, we are attempting to compile all relevant details like how to reach Pushkar, different kinds of options to stay, things to do/visit within Pushkar town and other places of interest around Pushkar town along with ideas around unique experiences which are hard to find outside Pushkar. So check out these details before planning your visit and share your feedback/questions through comments section below.

Pushkar is a beautiful Rajasthani town, which is just 11 km away from from Ajmer (a district of Rajasthan state) and 2 hours from Jaipur (Capital of Rajasthan). Pushkar is a pilgrimage spot for many for it's holy lake, the Brahma Temple and some of the other popular temples. This is the town where the annual International Pushkar Camel Fair takes place in October/November. Like many other places in Rajasthan, it's also a tourist friendly place with some exceptions which we have listed for your awareness in this blogpost.

What is best time to visit Pushkar in an year:

The best time to visit Pushkar is winters - from October till March. Over the years, march has also started becoming hot so feb is your best bet if you don't like heat. Camel Fair usually takes place in November and that can be a great time to visit, but keep in the mind that it's the peak of tourist season and hence expensive hotels, services and lot of crowd. Hotel availability becomes a challenge so ensure that you have booking in time with reliable hotel.

Where to stay in Pushkar : In terms of area, it's better to stay outside the centre of the Pushkar town, if you don't like hustle bustle late in the evening or early in the morning. I personally prefer to be around action and my sleep doesn't care about surroundings much :). First time when I visited Pushkar, I stayed close to the lake in a budget hotel. Over the years, Pushkar town has seen growth in homestays and can be good options. Even in terms of budget, there is a pretty big range. Home stay is also a good option to get an exposure to how locals live. Usually hospitality is genuine but expectations should be different than a hotel.

How to reach Pushkar from Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur etc :

Pushkar doesn’t have its own train station but the nearest one is in Ajmer which is just 11 km away. One can reach Ajmer and get a taxi from here or a local bus. Shared taxis also run between Ajmer and Pushkar. Best way to book rail ticket is through IRCTC website, but make sure you do it in advance. Train tickets are usually is very high demand. If you are an Indian, you know what I am saying. Someone who is not living in India may want to get this done through a reliable agent.

There are also overnight buses from Delhi to Pushkar. If you are someone who can sleep on bus seat and want to save day time for local explorations, you may want to opt for Rajasthan Transportation buses which start from ISBT Kashmiri Gate and Bikaner Bhawan in Delhi.

Nearest airport is in Jaipur and as mentioned above it's 2 hrs drive from Jaipur to Pushkar. You can also take bus from Jaipur to Ajmer and then a local bus or Uber to Pushkar.

Where to stay in Pushkar :

In terms of area, it's better to stay outside the centre of the Pushkar town, if you don't like hustle bustle late in the evening or early in the morning. I personally prefer to be around action and my sleep doesn't care about surroundings much :). First time when I visited Pushkar, I stayed close to the lake in a budget hotel.

Over the years, Pushkar town has seen growth in homestays and can be good options. Even in terms of budget, there is a pretty big range. Home stay is also a good option to get an exposure to how locals live. Usually hospitality is genuine but expectations should be different than a hotel.

We are not recommending specific hotels, home stays or resorts here. We have shared a detailed review of Pushkar Heritage Resort here.

Depending upon your budget, hotel rooms are available from 700rs in Pushkar and it goes as high as you can think. Then there are some super luxury resorts. Some of the good resorts are little away from the lake area, so it depends upon your preference, kind of facilities you want and money you want to spend. In future we will update this blogpost with specific options to opt or not opt.

Walk around the ghats of Pushkar Lake :

By now you must have realised that Travellingcamera team loves walking and we love sharing about walks you can do at a place. Around the Pushkar lake, there are 52 bathing ghats. We will talk about precautions around this later but these ghats are beautiful places around the lake to get a vibe of the place and how seriously some of the religious activities take place around the lake. This is also a place where we meet scammers, so be alert and don't miss our section in the bottom of the post to know about things you need to be aware about and avoid, when in Pushkar. Some of the ghats are more significant than others, like other religious places in India. Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were scattered on Gandhi Ghat it seems and Brahma Ghat marks the spot where Brahma is said to have worshipped. There is a also a belief that taking a dip in Pushkar Lake leads to salvation. Pushkar is one of the top holiest centres of pilgrimage for Hindus.

One needs to remove shoes to walk around the lake as most of the structures surrounding the water are temples and ghats. We usually carry a backpack with us and that's the best bet to keep you shoes. You may not want to put it in a shop as that will be a forcing factor for you to come back to same location while you can explore something else after your walk is over around the Pushkar lake. Lake is the most sensitive area and hence be very careful about how you behave there. No smoking and photograph especially if people are bathing there.

Scam Tips for anyone visiting Pushkar: The Pushkar lake has huge tout lobby and very annoying especially if you are there to enjoy the place on your own. Touts attempt to sell tourists flowers or prayers. That's first attempt to start conversation with you and then try to sell other religious/spiritual services. When you don’t show interest in what they are selling you, they sort of threaten to curse you & at times say upsetting things. Over the time, travellers have figured out how to deal with them and your hotel can help as well in terms of preparing yourself. I have heard of some sort of band you can tag along and then no one bothers you. I have just heard and not sure if that works. Best thing to do is not entertain anyone around the ghats at all. If you sense anything doubtful in any conversation, just stick to your schedule and just move on.

Evening Aarti around the ghats of Pushkar Lake is an interesting event to witness :

While we are talking about the Pushkar lake, it's ghats and religious importance, how can we miss about Aarti which takes place in the evening. If you stroll around the ghats during evening, you will hear chanting, drumming and ringing bells. That means it's Aarti time and you would want to witness it. Like Benaras, Aarti of some of these places is becoming an activity of interest and locals are getting more serious about it. Brahma Ghat is one of the most popular spot for evening Aarti.

Due to Aarti, Pushkar lake is well lit during Aarti time and lot of people come here & light candles/diyas. Like what you see in front of Parmarth Ashram in Rishikesh.

Can you guess the subject in this photograph? Share your response through comments below. This photograph was clicked during Camel Fair in Pushkar.

Shopping Experience in Pushkar, Rajasthan can be very tempting :) -

There are different kinds of shops in Pushkar and various clusters of shop, which have their own names. For example, Sadar Bazaar is one of the popular market in Pushkar. This is located around the Pushkar lake. Sadar Bazar is approx a kilometre long and has diverse kinds of Rajasthani stuff along with shops to try some local sweets/snacks. You can buy beautiful diaries, pens, post-cards etc from the market and may be some souvenirs for your friends & family.

There are other markets around Sadar Bazar of Pushkar. Like Sadar Sarafa Bazaar, Baja Bazaar etc which all sell fairly similar items. One can pick up Rajasthani turbans, saris, Rajasthani puppets, colourful lamps, meditation cushions, wall hangings etc.

Good amount of negotiation is needed to do shopping in these markets of Pushkar. Getting to 50% of the offered price should be the goal :). Although many things are not very expensive but if you enjoy haggling, why not save some money and spend that on trying something in Pushkar :).

This lake in Pushkar is huge and has religious importance. You can observe lots of religious activities happening around the ghats. Several pandits may approach you for different types of poojas, so beware of all that. Don't indulge in any discussions with these guys, because I have seen these folks shouting at innocent folks and making them do different poojas against their wishes. They use different means to pressurize people and, at times, tourists feel helpless. It's sad to see such activities happening at such a beautiful place, because many times foreigners too take back the memories of these bad experiences with them.

Pushkar Lake is surrounded by various temples and Bramha temple is one of the most popular temples in the town. One can come to the ghats during early mornings and late evening to have some interesting shots. Lot of us don't encounter many of the events that happen in towns like Pushkar, and hence diverse set of photography opportunities.

Hike to Savitri Temple during Sunset or Sunrise :

Savitri temple of Pushkar is popular because of the location where it is. It's located at a height which is a great location for sunrises or sunsets so you can do this hike and enjoy great views. Walk takes approx 1 hour to reach the top of the hill which offers great views of the Pushkar lake, town and the sand dunes on other side. It seems, now there is also a ropeway which takes you to the top, if you don't want to walk.

Every street of Pushkar has a temple, so how to prioritise and what to keep in mind when walking around the streets of Pushkar :

If you visit temples of Pushkar but not more than one, you should visit Brahma Temple. Brahma is the creator of the universe, and there are just a handful of temples dedicated to Bramha. The Brahma Temple in Pushkar is very special and one of the holiest places on earth.

Pushkar also has a Gurdwara Singh Sabha, which is an impressive Sikh temple. Gurudwaras are always special because the way they are maintained. All Sikh Gurudwaras require everyone to wear a head scarf and to clean your hands and feet before entering the campus.

While walking in the streets of Pushkar, you will come across various temples and you can take a pause to explore those. Be aware of those ones where people invite you inside and try to tell you importance. There are chances that some small temple kind of setups are done to get money from you. Its unfortunate but many religious places in India has got these set of people who are running their spiritual business without much faith into the core of the religion.

Rajasthan is also known as Colorful State of India and Pushkar makes you understand the reasons for that. If you are someone who love bright colors in your photographs, it's a great place to be during the fair. Lot of folks come from different parts of Rajasthan in their traditional attires for multiple reasons.

Vibrant street life of Pushkar and delicious food at roof-top cafes around lake makes the experience unmatchable at one of the world’s largest Camel and Cattle Fair. Camel ground situated around golden sand dunes around Pushkar will leave you surprised and inspired for using your photography skills in best way.

Related Blogpost - The Golden City Jaisalmer in Rajasthan State of India || A Photo Journey by Rakesh Ranjan

Pushkar Camel Fair is one of the most popular fairs(Melas) of Rajasthan state in India. It happens every year in the month of October. Lot of folks from different parts of the globe come to Pushkar to experience a very different kind of festival where different kinds of trades happen, along with various cultural activities. This festival has been quite popular amongst the Photography community. Lot of Photography enthusiasts move towards Pushkar during this festival.

Pushkar Camel Fair is a great opportunity for Photography enthusiasts to shoot different kinds of subjects/experiences and learn through challenging situations this Fair offers. Camel Trading, Horse dance, races, Foreigner's Bridal competition, Dance competitions and lot of interesting events happen throughout the week.

The Pushkar Camel Fair is held every year in Oct-November which attracts over 4 lac tourists and over 10 thousand camels and horses. Traders bring their best to either show or sell to interested buyers. Camels can be seen with accessories and some perform tricks. Rare horses and winning breed from royal families and prestigious horse camps can be found as well.

Related Blogpost - Siliserh Lake on the way to Sariska National Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan State of India

Pushkar in Night :

Pushkar town is very well lit till late night and you will see people walking around & indulged in shopping, eating etc. There is very different vibe of the space, specially the area around the lake and main markets of Pushkar. This also means that hotels around this area must be getting noise till late in the evening, which can be an issue for some.

Tips for Travellers who plan to visit Pushkar in Rajasthan state of India :

1. Make sure you have enough time in hand to explore Pushkar. There is so much to soak in and you should keep good amount of time in hand when visiting Pushkar town of Rajasthan. At least 3 days.

2. If you are interested in shopping at Pushkar, learn how to negotiate and aim to reduce the price by 50% at least.

3. If you don't have enough time at Pushkar, do join morning walking tours which take you to the key places of the town.

4. Beware of local scams : Majority of these scams take place on the shores of the lake, so be extra vigilant while in that area. Be wary of anybody offering you flowers, blessings, and red bracelets, even if they insist it’s a gift. They will ask for a donation afterwards and threaten to curse if you refuse. If you want to donate, use the official boxes at the temple and leave if anyone makes you feel uncomfortable.

5. Follow temple rules: There are temples dedicated to many of the major religions in Pushkar, so make sure you read up on the rules of visiting before you get there. When visiting the Brahma temple, you will need to remove your shoes and leave all of your belongings in the lockers outside — including cameras and phones. Photography is strictly forbidden inside the temple. At any Sikh temples, you’ll be required to wear a headscarf, regardless of your gender and to wash your hands and feet before entering.

6. From 8-9pm, shops begin to close and that’s a good time to make it back to your hotel as streets progressively get darker and less populated. Try your best to stay in lit areas.

7. During Camel Fair celebrations, the camel and horse grounds are crowded with livestock camps, camels/horses, camel herders and traders, etc. During festivities, there will be a high level of tout/scam activity.

If you liked this post and found it helpful, I would request you to follow these things when traveling -

1. Manage your waste well and don’t litter Use dustbins.

2. Tell us if you went to a place and found it hard to locate a dustbin.

3. Avoid bottle waters in hills. Usually you get clean water in hills and water bottles create lot of mess in our ecosystem.

4. Say big no to plastic and avoid those unhealthy snacks packed in plastic bags. Rather buy fruits.

5. Don't play loud blaring music in forests of jungle camps. You are a guest in that ecosystem and disturbing the locals (humans and animals) is not polite.

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