One of Islam's holiest shrines,
beside Hinduism's sacred lake
Ajmer and Pushkar sit just 15 km apart, yet represent two entirely different religious worlds. Ajmer is home to the Dargah Sharif, the shrine of the 12th-century Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti — one of the most important Islamic pilgrimage sites in South Asia, drawing devotees of all faiths.
Pushkar, by contrast, is built entirely around its sacred lake, said to have been created when Lord Brahma dropped a lotus petal to earth. The town's Brahma Temple is one of the very few temples in the world dedicated to the creator god, and its 52 ghats see a constant flow of pilgrims performing ritual bathing.
Together, the twin towns offer one of Rajasthan's most concentrated doses of living religious practice — and Pushkar's annual Camel Fair, held each November, has become one of the most photographed cultural events in India, transforming a quiet lakeside town into a temporary city of livestock traders, folk performers, and travellers.
