Pushkar
Pushkar is an ancient temple town located on the shore of Pushkar Lake near Ajmer City and headquarters of Pushkar tehsil in the Ajmer district in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
It is situated about 10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Ajmer and about 150 km southwest of Jaipur. The town lies at an elevation of about 510 metres and is surrounded by hills on three sides, with Nag Pahar forming a natural boundary between Ajmer and Pushkar.
Getting to Pushkar
The nearest airport is in Jaipur, 3 hours away. There are direct buses between Pushkar and Ajmer (30 minutes, ₹20), Jaipur (3 hours, ₹220-410), Udaipur (6 hours, ₹450), and night buses to Delhi (10 hours, ₹400-850). Due to its mountainous location, trains to Pushkar are very infrequent and slow. However, the train station in nearby Ajmer provides great connections to most major cities in India.
Worth seeing
- 01Pushkar Lake
Pushkar Lake is a beautiful, sanctified spot in the centre of Pushkar.
- 02Aptaeshwar Temple
A temple dedicated to Shiva with an underground component.
- 03Atmeshwar Temple
A beautiful Shiva temple.
- 04Brahma Temple
One of the very few temples in the world dedicated to Brahma.
- 05Rangji Temple
A Vishnu temple built in South Indian style that is very different from other temples in North India.
- 06Varaha Temple
Not well maintained, but impressive due to its age and spiritual importance.
Things to do
Bathe in Pushkar Lake as it is much cleaner than the Ganges, though it does not meet water quality standards. Parikarma is the circumnavigation of a religious object - in this case Lake Pushkar. Join other pilgrims. Watch the evening prayers at Varah Ghat, a mesmerizing ceremony involving bells and lamps. Watch the aarti ceremonies at the Brahma Temple.
Where to eat
All restaurants within the city limits may serve only vegetarian food. A Blue Star, Jamni Kund Road (in the Southwest of the city). This restaurant has a nice garden with a hammock. Aroma Royal Pushkar (Near Brahma Temple),. Outdoor eating in a garden. Good food, although the service can be slow. Cafe Nature's Blessing, Panch Kund Road (in the Southwest of the city). Half of the menu is vegan. Very clean.
Getting around Pushkar the local way
- Get inFrom the Ajmer train station, you can either take a taxi to Pushkar (30 minutes, ₹400-600 asked price), order a car via OlaCabs or Uber app (flat ₹500 by the taxi union, regardless of what the app says - December 2023), or you take a rickshaw or tuk-tuk to the Ajmer Bus Station and take a bus from there to Pushkar (₹20).
- Get aroundCamel safaris are a very popular activity in Pushkar.
From Wikivoyage: Pushkar, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-07.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons.
