Things to Do in Pushkar, India
Pushkar hits you differently from every other town in Rajasthan. It is squeezed around a sacred lake, ringed by bare hills and ghats, and it carries a spiritual energy alongside one of India’s most laid back backpacker streets. I spent three days there and found a place that is equal parts pilgrimage town and holiday vibe. Here is what to do.
Walk the Holy Lake and Ghats
The lake at Pushkar is the reason the town exists, and the easiest thing to do is simply walk its edge at sunrise or sunset. The ghats are busy with worshippers doing rituals and bathing, and the light on the water with the hills behind is beautiful. Remove your shoes before approaching the water, and be ready for the requests from the priests who offer to do a prayer for a donation. A respectful, polite decline works fine if you prefer to just watch.
Brahma Temple
Pushkar is famous as one of the very few places on earth with a temple to Brahma, the creator god. It is an unmissable visit on that basis alone. The shrine sits on a hill above the lake with a distinctive red spire, and the courtyards are a swirl of pilgrims. It is an important, busy place, so go ready to move with the crowd and expect to leave your shoes at the entrance.
Climb to Savitri Temple
For the best view in town, hike or take the cable car up to Savitri Temple on the hilltop above Pushkar. I went up for sunset and watched the lake and the whole bowl of the town spread out below, with the desert hills fading to the horizon. It clears the mind and puts the whole place in perspective. Worth the effort every time.
Shop the Main Street
The main bazaar street is where Pushkar’s personality lives. It is lined with shops selling silver jewelry, embroidered textiles, leather sandals and the tie dye scarves that seem to come from nowhere else. There are great small book shops and tailors who can run you up a kurta in a day. The vendors are persistent, so a gentle sense of humor helps. I came home with far more than I planned.
Take a Camel Safari
No trip to Pushkar is complete without a camel ride into the dunes, even a short one. Operators in town offer sunset safaris that head out across the desert to sand dunes or over the hills to a quieter lake. It is touristy but genuinely fun, and the sunset from a camel’s back on the desert is a memory that lasts. Book through your guesthouse and settle the price in advance.
Eat the Cafe Food
Pushkar’s food scene is a big part of its appeal. The town is famous among travelers for its rooftop cafes serving everything from thali to pizza, pancakes, falafel and strong coffee, often with a view over the lake. I ate some of the best food of my Rajasthan trip here. Also try malpua, a sweet pancake that Pushkar claims as its own, fresh from a street stall. There is vegetarian food almost everywhere, which fits the town’s sacred character.
Catch a Festival If You Can
If your timing aligns, the Pushkar Camel Fair in November is one of the great spectacles of India, thousands of camels, folk music and a carnival atmosphere. If you miss it, the town still hums, especially around the full moon and during Kartik Purnika. Pushkar is small and its pleasures are simple.
Yoga, Meditation and Lakeside Evenings
Pushkar has long been a hub for yoga and meditation, and the town is dotted with studios and centers that run classes morning and evening, from gentle beginner flows to longer retreats. I joined a sunrise class on a rooftop above the ghats and it is hard to imagine a calmer start to a day. Even if you never attend a class, the daily rhythm of Pushkar encourages slowing down. Evenings gather at the ghats as the lamps are lit and prayers echo across the water, and quite a few travelers end up simply sitting there for an hour, doing nothing at all. That is free, and it is among the most memorable things the town offers.
Side Trips into the Countryside
If the lake and lanes leave you wanting more, the desert around Pushkar rewards a short excursion. Camel or jeep trips head out to quieter villages, granaries and a series of smaller lakes that fill with flamingos in the cooler months. These half day trips are a gentler alternative to the boisterous fairground safaris and give you a look at rural Rajasthan that the town does not show. Combine one with the hilltop sunset and you have a well rounded Pushkar day that touches both the sacred and the wild. It is the kind of outing that rounds out a visit rather than exhausting it.
The Quiet Closing
When the day winds down, find a rooftop, order a chai, and watch the town settle into dusk. The music drifts up from the cafes, the ghats glow, and you realize Pushkar has been gently coaching you to slow down the whole time. Let it. Walk, climb, ride a camel, eat well and let the lake set the rhythm.
