Pushkar
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Pushkar is a temple town, near
Pushkar is famous for its annual fair (
Etymology
In Sanskrit, pushkara (पुष्कर) means "blue lotus flower."[3][7]
Location
Pushkar is in centre-east part of Rajasthan, on the western side of Aravalli mountains. The nearest airport from Pushkar is Kishangarh Airport in Kishangarh, about 45 km (28 mi) northeast. Pushkar is about 10 km (6.2 mi) from Ajmer, connected via Pushkar road (Highway 58) which goes over the Aravalli Range mountains. Ajmer is also the nearest major railway station.[8]
Legend
Pushkar is believed to be the place where
History
Pushkar is near some of the oldest geological structures in India.
Pushkar is mentioned in the
The region finds mention in
In contemporary times, it has been the venue of the famed annual
Demographics
In 1901, the town was part of the Rajputana Agency had a population of 3,831.[16]
According to 2011 India census,[15] Pushkar had a population of 21,626. The town had 11,335 resident males and 10,291 females. Children in the 0-6 age group constituted 13.95% of the population. About 80% of the population including all age groups was literate (90% male literacy rate, 70% female). The town had over 4,250 houses, or about 5 residents on average per house.[15]
Festivals and landmarks
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 busiest time for them, as this is one of the largest cattle fairs in the country. Animals, including over 50,000 camels,[citation needed] are brought from distant places around to be traded and sold. All the camels are washed and adorned, some are shorn to form artistic patterns. Some camels, horses, and cows are colorfully decorated.[18]
In addition to the animal trading market, Pushkar in parallel holds a festival of folk music and dances, ferris wheels, magic shows, horse and camel races and various other traditional sports and team entertainment competitions. While the Pushkar fair is held around the Kartik Purnima that typically overlaps between late October and early November, other seasons feature other sports and festivals for pilgrims who visit the
Sikh Gurdwaras
Pushkar is a sacred pilgrimage site for Sikhs as well, according to Gurmukh Singh, with Gurdwaras dedicated to Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh. These have historic roots, with the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in the eastern part of the town called Guru Nanak Dharamsala, a name common for Sikh shrines before the 20th-century. The Sikh Dharamshala is a two-storeyed building consisting of a central room, surrounded by a verandah.[5]
The second Sikh temple is dedicated to Guru Gobind Singh marking his visit after he left Anandpur Sahib. Pandit Parmanand took an oath on the holy cow on behalf of Hindu kings and Muslim priest, Qazi Syyed Wali Hassan took an oath on the Quran which was handwritten by Aurangzeb. They promised that if Guru ji leaves Anandpur Sahib then he will not attack Guru ji and everyone can move out of Anandpur Sahib peacefully.[5] The place he stayed in and the lakefront next to it is now called the Gobind Ghat. It has a memorial inscription and this shrine was built with the sponsorship of the Maratha Empire, after the widespread Hindu-Muslim wars in the final decades of Aurangzeb rule and the collapse of the Mughal Empire.[5] The shrine has an old hand written copy of the Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib and a hukumnama believed by Sikhs to have been written by Guru Gobind Singh. Both these have been preserved by a Pushkar Brahmin priest, a descendant of the priest whom the Guru met. The hukumnama is on a bhoj patra, a method of recording letters in the 18th century.[5]
Pushkar Holi
Holi takes place in March and it is one of the most important festivals in the Hindu calendar. It represents the triumph of good over evil and the coming of springtime. Holi celebrations happen all over India and involve huge jubilant street parties. During Holi, Bhang (ancient Indian cannabis edible) is served in Pushkar, which is known to have some of the best Bhang in India.[21]
Other landmarks
- Brahma Temple(Jagatpita Brahma Mandir) – The most important temple in Pushkar is the temple of Brahma, one of the holy trinity of Hinduism. The temple enshrines a life-size idol of Brahma.
Fairs
- Nagaur Fair
- TejajiFair
Ajmer is the nearest tourist attraction that lies outside the city boundaries of Pushkar. Located 27 kilometres away from Ajmer, there is Kishangarh, famous for its miniature paintings, more popularly known as Bani Thani.[citation needed]
Pushkar Lake – The prime attraction of Pushkar is the Pushkar Lake which is considered sacred like the Mansarovar Lake in Tibet. Pushkar has become a place of Hindu pilgrimage because of this holy lake. Legend has it that this lake was consecrated to Brahma, the creator of the universe when a lotus dropped from his hand into the vale and a lake emerged in that place.
Sunset Point – Located at the southern end of the Pushkar lake, Sunset Point is one of the famous attractions in Pushkar. It is also a place where many artists show their talent in front of the visitors.
Old Pushkar – Old Pushkar lake is rebuilt and is located around 5 km from Pushkar Lake. According to the ancient texts, Old Pushkar has equal cultural and religious significance for the pilgrims.
See also
- List of lakes in India
- Suresh Singh Rawat member of the 14th House Representing Pushkar Constituency.
- Savitri Mata Mandir
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Pushkar, Encyclopaedia Britannica
- ^ "Al-Hind: The Slavic Kings and the Islamic conquest, 11th-13th centuries", Page. 326
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8239-3180-4.
- ISBN 9781843530893.
- ^ a b c d e f Gurmukh Singh (2009), Pushkar, Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Editor in Chief: Harbans Singh, Punjab University
- ISBN 978-1-136-07874-3.
- ^ A. Kalyanaraman. Aryatarangini, the saga of the Indo-Aryans, Volume 2. Asia Pub. House, 1970. p. 551.
- ^ ISBN 9788129108456.
- ^ "Padma Purana, Srishti Khanda, Chapter 15 - Importance of Dwelling at a sacred place (tīrtha)".
- ^ a b c d e f g Ajmer district, Rajasthan, Census of India, Government of India, pages 9-12
- ISBN 978-0-19-564573-6.
- ISBN 978-1-136-07874-3.
- ISBN 90-04-10109-8.
- ^ The Rajputana gazetteer, Volume 2, pg.69
- ^ a b c Pushkar census 2011
- ^ "Pushkar". The Imperial Gazetteer of India. 1909. p. v. 21, 1.
- ^ Pushkar Fair The Wall Street Journal (14 November 2013)
- ISBN 9788129108456.
- ^ RAJASTHAN: IT'S FAIR TIME IN PUSHKAR, Outlook Traveller (26 October 2016)
- ^ Pushkar Camel Fair Lights Up the Indian Thar Desert, Bloomberg
- ^ "The intoxicating drug of an Indian god".
External links
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- Pushkar travel guide from Wikivoyage