The Padma Purana's Pushkar Mahatmya describes how this lake came to be one of India's most ancient tirthas. The Mahabharata also mentions Pushkar as a place of great merit. Around the sacred lake, fifty-two ghats have been built over the centuries, each with its own name, patron, and tradition.
What makes Pushkar particularly special is the presence of one of India's very rare main temples dedicated to Brahma — the creator deity. Such temples are exceptionally uncommon across the subcontinent. The temple's distinctive red spire and marble floor make it a landmark you can spot from across the lake.
Brahma temples are extremely rare in India — Pushkar is traditionally regarded as home to one of the only ones where Brahma is the principal deity.
The lake is ringed by low ochre hills that give Pushkar its quiet, enclosed feeling. Pilgrims traditionally bathe in the lake before proceeding to the Brahma temple — each of the fifty-two ghats is considered auspicious in its own right.
Kartik Purnima is the most sacred day here, when thousands of pilgrims take a ritual dip in the lake at dawn. The famous Pushkar Camel Fair happens around the same time, drawing visitors from across the country.
- Open year-round; tradition is to bathe in the lake first, then proceed to the Brahma temple.
- Each of the fifty-two ghats has its own name and tradition.
- Kartik Purnima is especially auspicious — a large number of pilgrims gather for the dawn bath.
- The Pushkar Camel Fair coincides with Kartik Purnima.