--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Pushkar, India | Wimup" description: "The 10 best things to do in Pushkar, ranked: the Brahma Temple, the lake aarti, the Savitri Temple ropeway, the camel fair, Pap Mochani and Ajmer." url: https://wimup.com/city/pushkar type: City guide updated: 2026-10-13 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Pushkar Pushkar, India · Asia · By Wimup Editorial, 12 min read Pushkar sits at about 510 metres in the Aravalli hills, around a lake Hindus count among their holiest. Fifty-two ghats and hundreds of temples crowd its shore, among them one of the few Brahma temples anywhere. Come for the aarti, the bazaar and, in Kartik, the camel fair. ## Quick answer Pushkar is a small holy town in Rajasthan built around a sacred lake, and two days covers it. Spend one on the Brahma Temple, the ghats and Sadar Bazaar, ending with the evening aarti. Start the second with sunrise at Pap Mochani and the Savitri Temple. Add a day for Ajmer's dargah, or come for the fair in Kartik. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** Oct · Nov · Feb - **Ideal length:** 2 to 3 days - **Budget per day:** $20–80 - **Language:** Hindi and Rajasthani - **Getting around:** On foot around the lake; autos and taxis for the ropeway, Pap Mochani trailhead and Ajmer - **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/rajasthan/ajmer?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Pushkar ### 1. Pay your respects at the Brahma Temple Temple · Jagatpita Brahma Mandir, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India One of very few temples in India dedicated to Brahma, the creator, its red spire rising above the lake. The present structure dates to around the 14th century. Shoes stay at the stands outside, and weekends bring long queues. - **Time:** 45 minutes - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Early morning, before the tour groups - **Tip:** Dress modestly, and keep small notes for the shoe stand and offerings. Links: [Website](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/rajasthan/ajmer/brahma-temple?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 2. Watch the evening aarti on Pushkar Lake Lake and ghats · Varaha Ghat, Pushkar Lake, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India Fifty-two ghats step down into the sacred lake, and at dusk the aarti brings fire, bells and drums to the water. The ghats are holy ground: take off your shoes and never photograph people bathing. - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Sunset - **Tip:** Men on the steps offer flower blessings that end in a request for money. A polite no is enough. ### 3. Ride the ropeway to the Savitri Temple Hilltop temple · Savitri Mata Temple, Ratnagiri Hill, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India The temple of Savitri, Brahma's consort, crowns Ratnagiri Hill with the lake and town spread below. A ropeway opened in 2016 saves the climb; the stepped path is the way to go at dawn. - **Time:** 2 hours - **Cost:** Ropeway ticketed; the path is free - **Best at:** Sunrise or sunset - **Tip:** Walk up in the cool of early morning and ride the ropeway down. Check the ropeway fare at the base. Links: [Website](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/rajasthan/ajmer/savitri-temple?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 4. Time your trip for the Pushkar Fair Festival · Mela Ground, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India For about a week in the Hindu month of Kartik, camels, horses and cattle are traded on the fairground outside town. Races, moustache contests and folk music follow, and it ends with the Kartik Purnima dip in the lake. - **Time:** 2 to 3 days - **Cost:** Free to enter - **Best at:** The first days for trading, the last for the holy dip - **Tip:** Rooms sell out and prices jump during the fair. Book months ahead, and confirm the year's dates first. ### 5. See the gopuram of the Old Rangji Temple Temple · Old Rangji Temple, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India Built in 1823 by Seth Puran Mal Ganeriwal of Hyderabad for Rangji, a form of Vishnu. A tall South Indian gopuram stands over Rajput and Mughal detail, the least Rajasthani sight in town. - **Time:** 30 minutes - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Fold it into a morning walk with the Brahma and Varaha temples. ### 6. Climb to Pap Mochani for sunrise Viewpoint · Pap Mochani (Gayatri) Temple, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India A small hilltop temple reached on a trail behind the Marwar bus stand, about half an hour up. At sunrise the lake, the ghats and the Savitri hill opposite light up together. - **Time:** 1.5 hours - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Sunrise - **Tip:** Search for "Gayatri Mata Pap Mochani" on the map; other pins can send you the wrong way. ### 7. Walk the length of Sadar Bazaar Market · Sadar Bazaar, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India About a kilometre of stalls between the temples, selling textiles, silver, puppets and rose products. Much of the cloth comes from Barmer and Gujarat. Walk the whole street before you buy, and haggle. - **Time:** 2 hours - **Cost:** Free to browse - **Best at:** Late afternoon, before the aarti - **Tip:** Agree the price before anything is cut, stitched or wrapped. ### 8. Find Vishnu's boar avatar at the Varaha Temple Temple · Varaha Temple, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India First built in the 12th century by Anaji Chauhan, destroyed under Aurangzeb and rebuilt in 1727 by Jai Singh II of Jaipur. Inside stands Vishnu as Varaha, the boar who lifted the earth from the waters. - **Time:** 30 minutes - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Look for the carved stone fragments of older temples left around the compound. ### 9. Visit the Ajmer Sharif Dargah Sufi shrine · Dargah Sharif, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India The tomb of Moinuddin Chishti, the Sufi saint who came to Ajmer in 1192 and died in 1236, about 15 km from Pushkar. Akbar walked here from Agra in 1570, and pilgrims of every faith still come. - **Time:** Half a day - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Morning, before the crowds build - **Tip:** Cover your head, dress modestly and leave shoes at the stalls by the gate. Links: [Website](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/rajasthan/ajmer?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 10. Eat a rabri malpua in the bazaar Food · Sadar Bazaar, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India Pushkar's signature sweet: a batter of rabri, khoya and flour, deep-fried and soaked in cardamom syrup. Sweet shops across the bazaar fry them; eat one hot from the pan. - **Time:** 15 minutes - **Cost:** Inexpensive - **Best at:** Hot, straight from the pan - **Tip:** Pushkar is a vegetarian town, so sweet shops and cafes serve no meat or eggs. ## Best ghats in Pushkar Three of the 52 ghats, each with its own story. 1. **Varaha Ghat** (Aarti · Pushkar Lake): Named for Vishnu's boar avatar, and the stage for the evening aarti. 2. **Brahma Ghat** (Legend · Pushkar Lake): Where legend has Brahma bathe and perform his yajna. 3. **Gandhi Ghat** (History · Pushkar Lake): Once Gau Ghat. Some of Gandhi's ashes were immersed here in 1948. ## Best temples & shrines in Pushkar Three more places of worship, after the Brahma Temple. 1. **New Rangji Temple** (Temple · Pushkar): A Dravidian-style Vishnu temple from the 1920s. Ask at the gate about entry. 2. **Atmateshwar Mahadev Temple** (Temple · Pushkar): An old Shiva temple set below ground, reached down a flight of steps. 3. **Gurudwara Singh Sabha** (Gurdwara · Near the bus stand): Marks Guru Gobind Singh's stay in 1706. Cover your head; langar is served. ## Best rooftop cafes in Pushkar Lake views, coffee and sunset tables. All vegetarian. 1. **Coffee Temple** (Sunset · Lakeside): Sofas on the roof of the U-Turn hotel, with one of the best sunset views. 2. **Laughing Buddha Cafe** (Vegetarian · Pushkar): Up a flight of stairs, with a balcony over the town and a veggie menu. 3. **Cafe Lake View** (Lake view · Lakeside): A rooftop over the lake, with Indian and international vegetarian dishes. 4. **Laura's Café** (Lake view · Pushkar): A blue-and-white building in the centre with a rooftop facing the lake. ## Best shopping in Pushkar Silver, roses and sweets, after Sadar Bazaar. 1. **Sarafa Bazaar** (Silver · Pushkar): The silver lane, for hand-painted earrings and beaded jewellery. 2. **Kamal & Company** (Rose products · Gau Ghat): Rose water, gulkand and rose syrups, opposite Gau Ghat. 3. **Sarvadia Mishthan Bhandar** (Sweets · Pushkar): A popular sweet shop, for malpua by the box. ## Best of Ajmer, from Pushkar The city beyond Nag Pahar, after the dargah. Half an hour by road. 1. **Ana Sagar** (Lake · Ajmer): A 12th-century lake made by Arnoraja, with Mughal marble pavilions on its bank. 2. **Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra** (Monument · Ajmer): A mosque of 1199 built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak on the site of a Sanskrit college. 3. **Soniji Ki Nasiyan** (Jain temple · Ajmer): An 1865 Jain temple whose hall holds a gilded model of Ayodhya. 4. **Akbari Fort & Museum** (Museum · Ajmer): Akbar's 1570 fort in the city centre, a museum since 1908 with Rajput armour and sculpture. [Website](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/rajasthan/ajmer/ajmer-government-museum?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 5. **Taragarh Fort** (Fort · Ajmer): A hill fort above the city, first built by the Chauhan ruler Ajaypal before 1113. ## Beyond the lake in Pushkar Older sacred waters and a holy hill on the edge of town. 1. **Budha Pushkar** (Sacred lake · Outskirts): Old Pushkar, just outside town, with ghats and the Rudra Kund ringed by 108 lingams. 2. **Madhya Pushkar** (Stepwell · Outskirts): The middle of the three sacred waters, a stepwell with a round well at its heart. 3. **Nag Pahar** (Hill · Toward Ajmer): The Aravalli ridge between Pushkar and Ajmer, tied by local belief to the sage Agastya. ## Best day trips from Pushkar Painting, marble and Meera Bai, within two hours by road. 1. **Kishangarh Fort** (Art · Kishangarh): Home of the Bani Thani school of painting, with the Phool Mahal of 1870 inside. 2. **Kishangarh marble yard** (Landscape · Kishangarh): A white moonscape of marble slurry, loved by photographers. Skip it on windy days. 3. **Barefoot College** (Crafts · Tilonia): The solar-powered village NGO founded in 1972, with a showroom of rural crafts. [Website](https://www.barefootcollege.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 4. **Merta City** (Pilgrimage · Merta): Meera Bai's hometown, about 61 km away, with the mirror-tiled Charbhuja temple. ## Festivals & annual events in Pushkar (2026) - **Pushkar Fair** (Oct or Nov): About a week of camel and cattle trading, contests and folk music in Kartik. - **Kartik Purnima** (24 Nov 2026): The full-moon holy dip that closes the fair. The ghats fill before dawn. - **Diwali** (Oct or Nov): Lamps on the ghats and the temples, a few weeks before the fair. - **Urs of Moinuddin Chishti** (1 to 6 Rajab): The saint's death anniversary fills the Ajmer dargah, 15 km away. - **Holi** (Feb or Mar): Colour, drums and crowds in the bazaar. Wear clothes you can lose. - **Gangaur** (Mar or Apr): Women worship Gauri for 18 days after Holi, ending in processions. - **Teej** (Jul or Aug): Rajasthan's monsoon festival of swings, songs and green bangles. - **Summer heat** (Apr to Jun): Fierce desert heat. Most visitors wait for October. ## Must-try dishes in Pushkar, India - **Rabri malpua**: Fried rabri and khoya pancakes soaked in cardamom syrup. - **Dal baati churma**: Baked wheat balls with lentils and sweet crumbled churma. - **Gatte ki sabzi**: Gram-flour dumplings in a spiced yoghurt curry. - **Ker sangri**: Desert berries and beans cooked dry with spices. - **Bajre ki roti**: Millet flatbread, eaten with ghee and garlic chutney. - **Rose lassi**: Thick yoghurt drink flavoured with gulkand from local roses. - **Gulkand**: Rose petals preserved in sugar, sold all over the bazaar. - **Sohan halwa**: Ajmer's dense, nutty sweet, sold by the dargah. ## Pushkar transport & airports - **Kishangarh Airport** (KQH): The nearest airport, about 45 km away, with domestic flights. Jaipur (JAI), about 145 km away, has many more routes. - **Ajmer Junction** (Rail): The main railhead, about 15 km away. Taxis and buses cross the hills to Pushkar in about half an hour. [Website](https://www.irctc.co.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Pushkar Terminus** (Rail): The town's own station on the branch line from Ajmer, with only a few trains. Most travellers change at Ajmer. [Website](https://www.irctc.co.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Buses, autos and walking** (Local): Buses shuttle from Ajmer through the day. The lake and bazaar are best on foot; take an auto to the ropeway. ## Pushkar at a glance - **Country:** India - **State:** Rajasthan - **District:** Ajmer - **Elevation:** About 510 m, ringed by hills on three sides - **Population:** 21,626 (2011 census) - **Sacred lake:** Pushkar Lake, with 52 ghats - **Main temple:** Jagatpita Brahma Mandir, one of the few Brahma temples in India - **Language:** Hindi and Rajasthani - **Currency:** Indian rupee (INR) - **Time zone:** IST (UTC+5:30) - **Airports:** Kishangarh (KQH), about 45 km; Jaipur (JAI), about 145 km - **Best months:** October to March; the fair falls in Kartik (Oct or Nov) ## Interesting facts - Legend says the lake formed where a lotus dropped by Brahma touched the earth. - Some of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed at Gau Ghat in 1948, now called Gandhi Ghat. - Sikh records place Guru Nanak in Pushkar in 1509 and Guru Gobind Singh in 1706. - Nearly 698 hectares of rose fields supply Pushkar's gulkand, rose water and garlands. - The Varaha Temple was rebuilt in 1727 by Jai Singh II, founder of Jaipur. ## Pushkar travel FAQ ### How many days do you need in Pushkar? Two covers the town: one for the Brahma Temple, the ghats and Sadar Bazaar, ending with the aarti, and one for sunrise at Pap Mochani and the Savitri Temple. Add a third for the dargah in Ajmer, 15 km away. ### When is the best time to visit Pushkar? October to March, when days are warm and nights cool. The fair falls in Kartik, in October or November, and fills every room. April to June is very hot, and the monsoon follows from July. ### When is the Pushkar Camel Fair? It runs for about a week in the Hindu month of Kartik and ends on Kartik Purnima, the full moon, which falls on 24 November in 2026. Trading comes first; contests and the holy dip follow. Confirm the dates before booking. ### Can you eat meat or drink alcohol in Pushkar? Pushkar is a holy town and strictly vegetarian, so menus carry no meat or eggs. Drinking in public, above all near the ghats, causes real offence. Ajmer, 15 km away, has wider menus. ### How do you get to Pushkar? Fly to Kishangarh, about 45 km away, or Jaipur, about 145 km. Trains stop at Ajmer Junction, 15 km away, and buses and taxis run on to Pushkar in about half an hour. ## Nearby guides - [Jaipur](https://wimup.com/city/jaipur.md): India · 10 picks - [Udaipur](https://wimup.com/city/udaipur.md): India · 10 picks - [New Delhi](https://wimup.com/city/new-delhi.md): India · 10 picks - [All of Asia →](https://wimup.com/asia): 87 cities Part of the [India guide](https://wimup.com/country/india.md) · [Asia](https://wimup.com/asia.md) ## Sources - [Pushkar tourism board](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/rajasthan/ajmer?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Pay your respects at the Brahma Temple (official site)](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/rajasthan/ajmer/brahma-temple?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Ride the ropeway to the Savitri Temple (official site)](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/rajasthan/ajmer/savitri-temple?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Akbari Fort & Museum (official site)](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/rajasthan/ajmer/ajmer-government-museum?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Barefoot College (official site)](https://www.barefootcollege.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Ajmer Junction (official site)](https://www.irctc.co.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.