In the 1st week of April 2019, I got one long weekend, so I decided to go somewhere in Rajasthan. I decided late Friday night to go to Pushkar because it was almost the season-ending time. My plan was to leave from Gurgaon on Saturday morning and to get back on Monday evening.
Below is the itinerary of the trip:
Clothes - Summer clothes
First Aid - Anti-allergic, Vicks, Dettol, cotton
For Bike - Tie rope (2) keep one or two extra, Chain cleaner, Chain Lubrication, Bag cover to prevent from dust, Tool kit
On Saturday morning I left for Pushkar from Gurgaon at 9:30 in the morning on my Royal Enfield (ABS Signals Stormrider Sand). I kept two sets of clothes as it was a two-day trip only. If you are riding on your bike then keep chain cleaner and lubrication.
I reached Pushkar at 4:00 in the evening. I took two stops to have breakfast and lunch. The road is so good, you won’t feel tired.
Day 1: Jaipur Ghat
Being a traveler and photographer, I decided to stay where I can see the sunset with the lake. I roamed around the city and asked local guys, they recommended me to go to Jaipur Ghat and stay at Sunset hotel. I went there and it was a really beautiful point to see the sunset with the lake. You can also take Zostel but it is a little far from the lake. Since it was the off-season so booked the room for INR 1500/- per day. I stayed there for two nights.
Below is the image of the Jaipur Ghat in front of the Hotel Sunset View. Pushkar is actually surrounded by 52 Ghats. People and Tourists gather here in the evening to see the beautiful sunset and aarti.
Please note bathing is not allowed in the Lake.
Luckily I reached on the day of Amavasya (No Moon Day). On the eve of Amavasya, Pandits do the aarti at every Ghat. I saw that as well. It was very beautiful.
Along with the Aarti, you can click pictures of the sunset with Pushkar Lake. I’ll recommend you to sit there for 1-2 hours for Aarti and Sunset view.
After 8:00 PM I went to roam around the city. I reached the market. The city is full of foreigners. There are many hand-made things you can buy in Pushkar. You will find here notebooks made from Camel leather, it’s really cool. You can find every size of notebooks here. I covered the market in an hour.
On the way, I went to Nirvana’s Cafe. The cafes at Pushkar are very good. You can find here Italian, Mexican foods. Please note Pushkar is the holy city so you won’t be able to find alcohol and non-vegetarian in any cafe. But If you want to drink there is a small alcohol shop 2 KM from the market if you are able to find the right guy in the market or streets you can score weed and wash. Pushkar’s hash is very famous, you must try.
Day 2: Pushkar Sightseeing
I woke up in the morning at 8:00. I had some breakfast in the hotel in front of the Pushkar lake. Then I planned my day to visit these sites.
a.Brahma Temple
b.Pushkar Desert
c.Savitri Mata Temple
d.Sunset view at Savitri Mata temple
2.1. Brahma Temple
You can find Brahma temple only in Pushkar. I have heard about this temple from many people so I decided to visit the temple. The temple is built of marble and stone slabs. On the eve of Kartik Poornima, a religious festival is held in the honor of Brahma. Many pilgrims come here and take bath in the holy Pushkar Lake on this day. Savitri is the wife of Brahma. Savitri temple is located on the top of Ratnagiri hill just behind the Brahma temple. Please note married men are not allowed to enter the temple.
You can enter the ghat from the backside of the Brahma temple.
2.2. Pushkar Desert
After the Brahma temple, I went to the Pushkar desert. You can experience a great desert safari in the Thar desert. Pushkar is surrounded by Aravali hills. The great Pushkar Mela is held in the Pushkar Desert only. Pushkar mela starts at the time of Kartik Poornima.
There I took a camel ride. On the ride, you can explore the culture. There are some shops on the way where you can try the traditional Rajasthani dress and click your pictures by taking a dress on rent or you can buy if you want it.
It will take 30 to 40 mins for a Camel ride. The shooting of the famous Bollywood movie Karan Arjun was done here only. You can also see the Haveli here that has been turned into the hotel now.
After the Camel ride, I met a guy who has a playing instrument. I asked him to play any song and he played a song about me “Chasmo Walo re Nawab”. It was very nice. I offered him a tip for the song.
2.3. Savitri Mata Temple
Savitri Mata temple is situated on the top of the Ratnagiri hill. There is a ropeway to reach there. The ticket of the rope is INR 140/- for the round trip. You can also go through the stairs. There are about more than 1000 stairs.
image 2.3.1. Savitri Mata Temple on the hill
You can see the view of the whole Pushkar city from the temple. The view is amazing. If you are a photographer you can get really awesome photos. Be here before 2 hours of the sunset time. Do check the sunset time from the internet. There is also a small shop, for snacks and beverages near the temple.
Now for the beautiful sunset, you have to go to the backside of the temple. You will find many trees and rocks behind the temple. There you can sit and watch the beautiful sunset. Also, you can click some amazing pictures at the time of sunset.
After this beautiful sunset, I took stairs to go down instead of the ropeway. There is a guy who sells Lassi below there. It was really amazing so I would suggest trying once. Then I headed to find some nice cafe for dinner.
I found the Funky Monkey Cafe. It has a nice ambiance. I ordered Mexican food there. It was good.
I woke at 7 AM in the morning. My trip has come to an end. I have covered most of the things. I packed my bags and had breakfast in front of Pushkar Lake and then I left for home.
The Champ who made it possible.
So guys, if you are planning to visit off-season, then go before April. After that, the temperature goes up. So pack your bags and start your journey.
For the breathtaking photos, please visit my website www.thefocalab.com or you can also see the pics on my Instagram - thefocalab
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