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| 9 image Panorama of Pushkar Lake, Ajmer, Rajasthan |
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Pushkar Lake or Pushkar Sarovar (Sanskrit: पुष्कर-सरोवर) is located in
the town of Pushkar in Ajmer district of the Rajasthan state of western
India. Pushkar Lake is a sacred lake of the Hindus. The Hindu scriptures
describe as it as "Tirtha-Raj" – the king of pilgrimage sites related
to a water-body and relate it to the mythology of the creator-god
Brahma, whose most prominent temple stands in Pushkar. The Pushkar Lake
finds mention on coins as early as the 4th century BC.
Pushkar Lake is surrounded by 52 bathing ghats (a series of steps
leading to the lake), where pilgrims throng in large numbers to take a
sacred bath, especially around Kartik Poornima (October–November) when
the Pushkar Fair is held. A dip in the sacred lake is believed to
cleanse sins and cure skin diseases. Over 500 Hindu temples are situated
around the lake precincts.
