The Blessing of Brahma
Area : 5 kms.
Season : July-march
Languages : English, Hindi, Rajasthani
11 kms. From Ajmer lies the tiny tranquil town of pushkar along the
bank of the picturesque Pushkar Lake. This town is right on the edge
of the desert and is only 11 kms from Ajmer but separated from it by
Nag Pahar, the Snake Mountain. The once peaceful lakeside village is
an important piligrimage spot for the Hindus. According to the
myths, Lord Brahma was on his way for a suitable place to perform a
‘Yagna’ (a fire sacrifice). While contemplating, a lotus fell from
his hand on the earth and water sprouted from three places. One of
them was Pushkar Lake.
Pushkar abounds in temples. The Savitri Temple and Brahma Temple is
the most famous. Since it is the only temple dedicated to Lord
Brahma in the country. Every year, thousands of devotees throng the
lake around the full moon day of Kartik Purnima in October-November
to take a holy dip in the lake. A huge and colourful cattle fair,
the Pushkar Fair, is also held during this time.
Local Festivals
Pushkar is perhaps best known for its Camel Fair, which is one of
India’s grand epics. It takes place on the full moon of Kartik
Purnima. This massive congregation of camels, cattle, livestock
traders, pilgrims, tourists and filmmakers is a most incredible
event. Pilgrims bathe in the lake, the night of the full moon being
the most auspicious time, and float ‘boats’ of marigold and rose
petals in the moonlight.
Places to eat
Moon Dance, run by Nepalese, just by turning to Pushkar Palace. Om
Shiva at VK tourist Palace, good breakfasts, fresh buffets.Sunset
Café, by Pushkar Palace, overlooking lake, rec.for breakfast and
excellent cakes. Venus, famous for good sizzlers. Sun-n-Moon, not
far from the Brahma temple, it offers a variety of Western and
Indian food.
Shopping
Shops selling clothes and handcrafted items cater for young
foreigners. There are a number of bookshops in the main bazaar
selling a tremendous range of second-hand novels in various
languages. Essar, shop no.6 Sadar Bazaar, opp. Narad Kunj, excellent
tailoring.
Merta
Merta was founded by Rao Duda, son of Rao Jodha of Jodhpur in the
15th century. Rao Maldeo erected the fortress, known as Matkot. In
the centre of this fortified town is the famous temple of Charbhuja,
the tutelary deity of the Mertias, a clan of the Rathores. The
medieval mystic poetess, Princes Meera Bai, born in the Kurki
village was associated with this shrine.
The famous mosque, erected by Aurangzeb on the ruins of a Shiva
temple is an imposing edifice and is surrounded by many Hindu
shrines. Dudasagar, the ‘Lake of Duda’, and many other small ponds
surround the town. Near Vishnusagar is the Ashram of Mauni Baba (the
Silent Sage), a focal point for his many devotees. The nearby plains
are dotted with cenotaphs or built in memory of the heroes who died
on the battlefield. |
