Pushkar is a town bordering the Thar Desert, in the northeastern Indian state of Rajasthan. It’s set on Pushkar Lake, a sacred Hindu site with 52 ghats (stone staircases) where pilgrims bathe. The town has hundreds of temples, including 14th-century Jagatpita Brahma Mandir, dedicated to the god of creation, which has a distinctive red spire and walls inlaid with pilgrims’ silver coins.
On the edge of Pushkar, the Savriti temple sits on a hilltop overlooking the lake and the desert, and Gayatri temple is renowned for its sunrise views. Camel safaris visit nearby desert villages. It’s possible to study yoga, and to explore the surrounding desert on hiking, hot-air ballooning, horse-riding or motorbike trips. Bazaars sell leather goods, traditional embroidered Rajasthani clothing and jewelry. The annual Pushkar Fair is a huge camel market that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors. It incorporates bathing on the ghats, races and folkloric performances.
