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SPECIAL DESERT ROSE A serene , rustic charm, ancient temples. Neeharika Satyavada has the low-down on this king of all holy places

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SPECIAL DESERT ROSE A serene lake, rustic charm, ancient temples. Neeharika Satyavada has the low-down on this king of all holy places

56 | FEBRUARY 2018 || www.GoAir.in www.GoAir.in || FEBRUARY 2018 | 57

pushkar.indd 56-57 1/27/18 8:47 PM GO TRAVEL | PUSHKAR

irth Raj. The king of all holy in town and also doubles up as the places. Though is in bazaar that tourists fock to all day in itself among the most popular between visits to the various temples Tdestinations in the country and . The ghats are yet another for both international and domestic hub of activity. They are the heart tourists, Pushkar stands alone in the and soul of Pushkar, and you can kind of charm that it exudes. Unlike see the town rising up in arches and most destinations in Rajasthan that domes, of temples both ancient and are famed for their forts and palaces, new. Head to any of the ghats in the the only palace in Pushkar is the Man evening and you can lose yourself in Mahal. Simple yet elegant, it once the tranquillity of the aarti. During the served as a guest house for Raja Man day, the ghats alternate between the Singh I. It is today the government-run languid and the commercial, with the Hotel Sarovar. Separated from pilgrims relaxing in the shade after by the Nag Pahad or Snake Mountain a dip, while urchins and guides look and surrounded by the Aravallis, around with a keen eye for a likely Pushkar is secluded from the rest of customer that might be interested in a Rajasthan even geographically. local anecdote. One of the oldest cities in India While there are numerous temples and home to the only temple in Pushkar both abutting the ghats in the country, this pilgrim town is and elsewhere, here are the most built around the ffty-two ghats of prominent ones. the Pushkar Lake. The lake that lends its name to the holy town is believed Brahma Temple to have come into existence from Made of marble and studded with the petal of Lord Brahma’s lotus that silver coins, this temple, dedicated to TOP AND ABOVE: Pushkar Lake, and fell to Earth. There is but one main the creator of the universe, is Pushkar’s Brahma temple street which leads to all the places biggest draw. Cursed by the god’s wife,

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sings through vistas of lush green, the hilltop itself ofers a bird’s-eye view of the lake and the town encircling it, complete with the fair grounds and the makeshift tent city that comes up during the Pushkar Mela. One can also take the steep fight of steps to get here, but it is a difcult climb and takes anywhere upwards of an hour. Savitri Devi, for taking another wife, a local tribal girl, Gayatri, Pushkar is Gayatri Temple the only place in the country where Atop the opposite hill is the Paap Brahma is worshipped along with his Mochani Temple or the Gayatri consorts, the two goddesses, who each Temple, dedicated to Lord Brahma’s have a temple of their own atop hills second wife, the Goddess Gayatri. A on opposite sides. A marble statue of darshan of this powerful goddess, the sun god, Surya, in warrior boots, manifested here as the Ekadashi Mata, stands sentinel here. is said to absolve one of all sins, hence the name Paap Mochani. The thirty- Savitri Temple minute trek that brings you here is well Located at the summit of the Ratnagiri worth the efort for another reason, Hill, this temple, dedicated to Goddess too. For here is the town’s best sunrise Savitri, Lord Brahma’s frst wife, can point, ofering beautiful views of the CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Gayatri Temple; be reached by a short cable car ride. sun rising up on the golden sand dunes Temple and Sri Venkateshwara Temple While the ropeway up the valley surrounding the town.

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Pushkar Camel Fair is held in November and it is a riot of colour and sound

Indian Gopuram. The main deity of the temple, Lord , is known as Venugopal in South India and is manifest as Ranganatha Swamy in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu, and it is he who gives this temple its name. Beautiful paintings depicting scenes from religious and Dharmic stories, the Ramayan, Sagar Manthan, Krishna Leela and even the Dasavatram, crowd the faded walls that are now undergoing restoration. A fascinating city even otherwise, come November, this mythical town turns into a rowdy riot of colours full of hustle and bustle. For it is the time of the annual Camel Fair, serious business for the local tribals Purana Rangji Mandir and a major event on the tourist’s South meets north at this 175-year- festival calendar. A week-long afair old temple on the of the that culminates with the full moon Pushkar Lake, and not just through its on Kartika Purnima, it is more than architecture, but also in its people and just one of the largest, and the most customs. The Purana Rangji Mandir famous, livestock markets in the Pushkar is about 150 km leads you in through a series of small country. It is a social and cultural from airport. GoAir shops lining the street and a facade gathering. From the camel races and operates direct fights to that is typically Rajasthani. It is only the folk music and dance to the matka Jaipur Mumbai, when you enter the main complex, the phod competition where tourists Ahmedabad, Kolkata and convenient connections outer Marg as it is called, compete with the local ladies to race from Kochi, Bengaluru, that you are transported to a South with an earthen pot of water, only Chennai and Goa. Indian Vaishnava temple, complete to break it at the fnishing line, this For more information, with the Shanku — Chakram, Dwaja earnest pilgrimage centre dons an air log on to www.GoAir.in Stambham and the intricate South of festivity and fun.

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