Pushkar is built around a lake Hindus hold to have formed where a lotus fell from Brahma's hand, ringed by fifty-two ghatsGhatA flight of steps leading down to a river or tank, used for bathing, worship and cremation.Read in the glossary and several hundred temples. It is one of very few places anywhere with a temple to Brahma himself, who is otherwise almost never worshipped directly.
The town is strictly observant in a way that surprises people: vegetarian throughout, no alcohol, no meat, and shoes off well before the water. That discipline is also what makes it restful — a small, walkable, low-rise town after the scale of Jaipur or Jodhpur.
Once a year the Pushkar Fair fills the dunes outside with tens of thousands of camels, horses and traders, and the town becomes something else entirely. It is extraordinary, and it needs booking a long way out.
Signature Experiences
- ◆Guided walk of the sacred lake and its fifty-two ghats
- ◆The Brahma Temple — among the very few dedicated to him anywhere
- ◆Sunset ceremony at the ghats
Optional, By Arrangement
- ◆Camel safari into the dunes outside town
- ◆The Pushkar Fair, if your dates align
- ◆Savitri Temple at dawn, up the hill above the lake
Where We Place Our Guests
- The Westin Pushkar Resort & SpaA resort and spa on the desert edge of the sacred town, a short drive from the ghats.
The Table
- Sattvic vegetarian thali by the lake
- Rooftop dinner over the ghats
- Malpua and street-sweet tasting
Curator's Advisory
Strictly vegetarian and alcohol-free within the town — plan dining accordingly, and remove shoes before approaching the ghats. The Pushkar Fair falls in October or November and needs booking six to nine months ahead; outside it, a night is enough.
In & Around Pushkar
Pushkar sits within our Rajasthan region guide.
Where to Stay
Journeys Through Pushkar
The Journal
Related Reading
The Week Either Side of Pushkar
Rajasthan had 746,000 camels in 1992 and 213,000 at the twentieth livestock census — a seventy-one per cent collapse. The fair everybody flies in for is the most visible symptom of that, and the days worth being there for are not the days in the brochure.
Jodhpur vs Udaipur: Which Rajasthan City Is for You?
Two of Rajasthan's most beautiful cities, side by side. A clear guide to choosing between Jodhpur's fort-and-desert drama and Udaipur's lakes and romance — or fitting both into one trip.
Udaipur vs Jaipur: Which Rajasthan City Is Right for You?
Two of Rajasthan's great cities, two very different moods. A curator's clear-eyed guide to choosing between the pink city and the city of lakes — or fitting in both.