The City of Temples "Pushar"

Pushkar

Pushkar is a town which lies in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan. It's pilgrimage site is one of the holiest in India. It is a mellow town by the great lake of Pushkar amidst the perfume of jasmine and rose flowers. The town of Pushkar is also called as "City of Temples". One of the most important Hindu temples in Pushkar is the Brahma Temple. The small quiet town springs to life and buzzing activity every year during the famous Camel Fair that is held usually in the month of October. 

The various temples which are located in Pushkar are:-

Brahma Temple

Brahma Temple: It is the temple in India that is devoted to the creator of the universe, Brahma. Lord Brahma had performed a religious ritual over here along with other Gods and hence is considered to be a very sacred place. It is said that the beautiful lake at Pushkar was created miraculously when a lotus fell down from the hands of Lord Brahma and fell at Pushkar. 

Savitri Temple: This temple is dedicated to Goddess Savitri, the wife of Lord Brahma. The temple is located at the top of a hillock and the views of the surrounding landscape from here are said to be splendid. The temple is reached by a long series of stairs. 

Waraha Temple: A famous temple in Pushkar this temple is dedicated to the third incarnation of Lord Vishnu which was in the form of a boar. It is said that Lord Vishnu killed the demon Hiranyaksha, recovered a stolen Veda and saved the earth from drowning in the ocean.

Rangji Temple

Rangji Temple: This temple is unique because of its architectural style. It was constructed in the Dravidian style with a typical "Gopuram" (main temple dome) rising at the top. One can also see some influences of Rajput style of architecture. 

A glimpse of Pushkar Mela

Pushkar Fair: It one of the world's largest livestock and camel fairs held every year. It continues for five days and these five days are a period of relaxation and merry-making for the villagers. Countless people in their colourful attire gather and the whole town comes alive with vibrant folk music, camel races and various traditional entertainment competitions.  Animals, including over 50,000 camels, are brought from miles around to be traded and sold. Special stalls are set up selling finery and jewellery for the camels. Camels wear jewellery of silver and beads. There are silver bells and bangles around their ankles that jangle when they walk.

One can reach Pushkar in following ways:-

By Air: The nearest airport from Pushkar is Sanganer Airport at Jaipur at distance of 146 km .

By Road: Pushkar is connected with Ajmer by Pushkar road which goes through aravalli range. The mountain portion road separates Pushkar from Ajmer City. 

By Rail: Pushkar railway station started operations in January 2012 and connects to the nearest railway station Ajmer. Ajmer railway junction is connected to almost all cities of India.

The "Haridwar" in Uttarakhand

Haridwar is one of the most important Hindu pilgrim places of India. It has very rich religious and cultural heritage. It is located at the foothills of the Himalayas and is the point where River Ganga reaches the plains. The landscape of Haridwar is filled with thousands of temples and ashrams. About 1 crore pilgrims from all over the world participate in the Kumbh Mela held at Haridwar.

Haridwar

There are numerous bathing Ghats at Haridwar. The most sacred bathing spots at Haridwar are Gangadwara, Kankhal, Nila Parvata, Bilwa Teertha and Kusavarta. The most fascinating sight at Haridwar is the Ganga Aarti which is held every evening at 7 pm. The Aarti is performed in all temples at the same time and thousands of devotees participate in it. The Aarti ceremony is followed by offerings of lamps and flowers to River Ganga.

Ganga Aarti

Various temples situated in Haridwar are as follows:-

Mansa Devi Temple: Situated at the top of Bilwa Parwat, it is the temple of Goddess Mansa Devi meaning the Goddess who fulfills desires. The main temple houses two idols of the Goddess, one with three mouths and five arms, while the other one has eight arms.

Maya Devi Temple

Maya Devi Temple: This ancient temple of Maya Devi is of 11th century. It is considered one of the Siddhapithas and is said to be the place where the heart and navel of Goddess Sati had fallen.

Pawan Dham Temple: This temple, a popular tourist spot is made entirely of glass pieces. It was constructed by Swami Vedantanand Maharaj. People from Punjab have put considerable efforts and money for this place.

Bharat Mata Mandir

Bharat Mata Mandir: It is a multi-storey temple dedicated to Bharat Mata and was inaugurated on 15 May 1983 by Indira Gandhi on the banks of the river Ganges. It is situated adjacent to the Samanvaya Ashram and stands eight stories tall to a height of 180 feet. Each floor depicts an era in the Indian history from the days of Ramayana til India's independence.

Shopping: Famous places for shopping is Bara Bazar, Moti Bazar, Ranipur Mor and Jwalapur. Tourists usually buy items of devotion and inexpensive ornaments. There are large number of shops throughout Haridwar where one can buy devotional items ranging from rudraksha ornaments, deity statues to music cassettes of devotional bhajans.

Haridwar can be reached in these ways:-

By Road: National Highway 58 between Delhi and Mana Pass passes through Haridwar connecting it with Ghaziabad, Meerut, Muzzafarnagar, Roorkee and Badrinath. Then the National Highway 74 originating from Haridwar connects it with Kashipur, Kichha, Nagina, Pilibhit and Bareilly.

By Rail: The Haridwar Railway Station links the major cities of India such as Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Patna, Gaya, Varanasi, Bhubaneswar and Puri.

By Air: The nearest domestic airport is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun which is a located 35 km from Haridwar. Indira Gandhi Airport in New Delhi is the nearest international airport.