Page 380 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

378  WESTERN INDIA

0 Street-by-Street: Pushkar

A peaceful pilgrim town of lakes and 400 temples,
Pushkar derives its name from pushpa (flower) and
kar (hand) after a legend that claims its lakes were
created from the petals that fell from the divine hands
of Brahma the Creator. Today, life revolves around its
lakeside ghats, temples and vibrant, colourful bazaars,
and it is this harmonious mix of the spiritual and
commercial that draws people to Pushkar.
Villagers at the Fair
Hundreds of thousands of
people, camels and cattle attend
Dhanna Bhagat
Residential area the annual fair, said to be one
Temple
of the largest in Asia.

S A D A R B A Z A A R
Fairground

Savitri Temple S A D A R B A Z A A R

. Brahma Temple
This is one of the few temples in India
dedicated to Brahma. According to myth,
he was cursed by his wife Savitri, when in
her absence, he invited Gayatri, a tribal girl, Badi Ganeshji P A R I K R A M A M A R G
to take Savitri’s place in an important ritual. Temple
Parasurama Temple
VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Practical Information Key
Ajmer district. 144 km (89 miles)
SW of Jaipur. Suggested route
Tel (0145) 277 2040
* 14,800.
n RTDC Hotel Sarovar. ( daily. Pushkar Lake
_ Pushkar Fair (Nov). No eggs, On top of a hill, by
meat or alcohol are available or the sacred lake of
allowed in Pushkar. Pushkar, is the
temple of Savitri.
Transport Across the lake, on
@ another hill, is the
Gayatri Temple.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p699 and pp712–13

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