Pushkar: Lake, Temples and Camel Traditions

Pushkar brings together a semicircular lake, temples, an extensive main market and a long camel tradition. The city also has its own culinary highlights: Pushkar street food includes kachoris, samosas, malpua and gulkand lassi. This gives you a range of ways to plan your trip, from markets and food to temples, the fair and safaris.

Market, Lake and Temples

The main market stretches for about a kilometre. Shops and showrooms offer items including silver jewellery, embroidered clothing and leather goods. If you enjoy browsing a varied range of goods, the market is a good reason to include it in your travel plans. Individual shops and their stock may change. The street-food specialities add a culinary dimension to a visit to the city; the dishes mentioned range from savoury kachoris and samosas to malpua and gulkand lassi.

Pushkar Lake is semicircular and about 8 to 10 metres deep. Its surroundings include 52 bathing ghats. The temples each have their own character, too: Savitri Temple stands on a hill behind Brahma Temple, with steps leading up to it. Pap-Mochini Temple lies in the northern part of Pushkar and is considered one of Rajasthan’s most popular temples. Varaha Temple is dedicated to Vishnu’s third incarnation, in the form of a boar. Their locations and dedications offer practical guidance if you want to choose temples based on your interests.

Camel Traditions and Safari Experiences

The history of the Pushkar Camel Fair goes back more than a century. During the fair, camel owners adorn their animals with colourful cloths, bells and intricate decorations. The Pushkar Fair, also known as Pushkar Mela, is an annual five-day camel and livestock fair. This makes it a travel occasion in its own right; programme details may vary from year to year. If you want to travel specifically for the fair, check the dates for the relevant year.

In Pushkar, camel safaris are offered from sunrise to sunset as well as overnight. You can compare these two options based on how you want to fit a safari into your itinerary. Operators and the availability of individual tours may vary, so ask about current offerings before planning a specific safari. Both the time of day and the duration of each tour are therefore important when planning.

Plan Your Travel Interests and Holiday Apartment

When choosing a holiday apartment in Pushkar, it helps to decide on your main priority first: would you like to explore the market and street food, are you particularly interested in the lake and temples, or is the camel tradition your main focus? These priorities can also help structure your schedule, for example when considering the annual fair or a safari in one of the available time formats.

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