THE SACRED WATER
- Aparna Goyal
- Dec 5, 2015
- 1 min read
Pushkar Lake is situated in Rajasthan, 11 kms. to the North-West of Ajmer and is associated with many legendary, religious and historical events. It is said to be an artificial lake which was created when the dam was constructed across the headwaters of the Luni River in 12th century. The entire town Pushkar grew around this lake and over 500 Hindu temples are situated around the lake precincts. Moreover, the lake is surrounded by 52 bathing ghats, 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.
But in the present scenario, tourism and deforestation in the surroundings have taken a heavy toll on the lake, adversely affecting its water quality, reducing the water levels and destroying the fish population.
Author: Aparna Goyal ; Masters of Landscape Architecture (2009-2011) - Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad.
All images courtesy the Author
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