Pushkar – land of camels n temples

Pushkar is a town in the Ajmer district in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is situated at 14 km North West from Ajmer at an average elevation of 510 metres (1673 feet), and is one of the five sacred dhams (pilgrimage sites for devout Hindus). It is often called "Tirth Raj" - the king of pilgrimage sites - and has in recent years become a popular destination for foreign tourists.

Pushkar is one of the oldest cities of India. Pushkar lies on the shore of Pushkar Lake. The date of its actual origin is not known, but legend associates Lord Brahma with its creation. It is mentioned that Brahma performed penance here for 60,000 years to have a glimpse of Vishnu.

 

Pushkar Fair

Pushkar fair continues for five days and these five days are a period of relaxation and merry-making for the villagers. This fair time is the most busy time for them, as this is one of the largest cattle fairs in the country. Animals, including over 50,000 camels, are brought from miles around to be traded and sold. Trading is brisk as several thousand heads of cattle exchange hands. All the camels are cleaned, washed, adorned, some are interestingly shorn to form patterns, and special stalls are set up selling finery and jewelery for the camels. Camels at the Pushkar fair are decorated with great care. They wear jewelery of silver and beads. There are silver bells and bangles around their ankles that jangle when they walk. An interesting ritual is the piercing of a camel's nose. It has more than 400 temples including the only one temple in India dedicated to the Hindu God Lord Brahma, the Creator of the Universe.

According to Indian Mythology, after visiting all the Hindu pilgrim towns and temples (Four Dhams), if Pushkar is not visited for Pooja, then salvation is not achieved. According to the Hindu calendar Pushkar Fair commences in Nawami (Ninth Moon) and ends in Purnima (Full Moon) in the month of Kartika, which can be in October or November depending on the Moon calendar In Pushkar, one of the biggest Cattle Fair is also held for trading purposes and the best cattle in all categories are awarded. Countless people in their colourful attire gather to take a dip in the Holy Lake and pray to the deities. The whole town comes alive with vibrant folk music and dances, magic shows, horse and camel races and various other traditional entertainment competitions.Pushkar, with more than 12 local fairs and festivals of 10 –15 days duration is a year round destination. It is a mellow town by the great lake of Pushkar amidst the perfume of jasmine and rose flowers. More than 4,000 to 6,000 visitors from all over the world come to Pushkar everyday

 

Pushkar is a town which many may have heard of due to it being one of the Hindu pilgrimage sites or as the destination where every year where over 5,00,000 camels are traded. Pushkar is also famous for its holy lake believed to have been created and blessed by Lord Brahma which is said to provide salvation for all those who take a dip here. Thus the multitudes of camels are replaced by multitudes of Hindus as the camel fair ends with a religious festival. Though the town is rumoured to have over 400 temples and palaces, the temple of note is the one dedicated to Lord Brahma, which is the only one of its kind in the world.

The town is quaint in all its aspects – a lake, surrounded on all sides by temples & palaces, small lanes dotted with silver, antique and temple-ware shops, cafes catering to tourists and pilgrims crowded with people from all walks of life. The evenings start with a magical sunset and as the last rays of the sun touch the water of the lake, the temples come alive with the evening arti ceremony. The sounds of the temple bells are accompanied by chanting, smell of incense and the showering of flower petals.

 

Located just a ten minute drive from the center of town is the luxury resort Orchard. The resort was so named because it was built on an actual Amla (Indian Gooseberry) orchard. The resort is spread over 33 acres with the accommodation available over 12 acres. In keeping with the ethos of Pushkar, where all pilgrims and traders live in tents and carts, Orchard too provides its guests with tents for accommodation. Unlike those used by the locals, the tents at Orchard are a statement in luxury. Each tent is almost 700 sq. ft. with an attached permanent bathroom. All tents have a bedroom, a living area and a dressing area. Interiors are kept contemporary with traditional touches brought in by the famous Jaipur blue pottery and marble lamps from the neighboring marble mines of Kishangarh. Each evening the resort does its very unique Orchard Aromatherapy Turndown Service with incense and rose petals providing a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere.

 
 

En-suite bathrooms are equipped with hot & cold water, herbal accessories and fine linen which include beautiful Orchard signature bathrobes. All rooms have a hair dryer, telephone, hardwood furniture and a private veranda with chairs. 

 
 

Meals served are a mélange of Indian and international cuisine, though being a holy town no meat or alcohol is served at the resort.

 
 

The resort offers a huge number of entertainment options from Hot Air Ballooning, to yoga, its very own dance troupe that performs in the evenings and camels and camel carts to take people to Pushkar or surrounding areas. Apart from these the resort offers a huge array of outbound training and exercises.

 
 

What is also commendable is that the staff of the resort comprises of locals who own the land on which the resort is built, thus the service that you get there is that much more personalized and warm. There is always someone who is available 24 hours to look after any needs a guest may have. The resort also offers people an opportunity to give back to society as it arranges special lunches for a neighborhood school which has approximately 300 children.