The town of Pushkar sits beside a lake, said to be formed of the petals of a lotus dropped by Lord Brahma. The lake is surrounded by more than 500 whitewashed temples, the main one of which is one of the few in India dedicated to Brahma. Pushkar is famous for its colourful annual camel fair and religious festival in October or November (the anniversary of the lotus-dropping), which is attended by 150,000 visitors, including pilgrims and saddhus who come to cleanse away their sins in the holy lake. The festival runs for a week, the first part of which is largely for the trading of goods and livestock - notably camels. The 'second part' is much more religious, with many pilgrims and saddhus attending to cleanse their sins in the holy lake. The atmosphere is a riot of colour, extraordinary noise and activity: occasional events are staged in a central arena; a fun fair wheel tempts the daring; street upon street of stalls sell bright clothes, textiles, or camel bells and street food. Thousands of people, both locals and foreigners, merge from far and wide to absorb the incredible atmosphere or partake in holy rituals. As a result, Pushkar is far from unspoilt, but with the temples and 52 ghats to visit, it doesn't matter. Priests may ask you to make a "Pushkar puja" - an offering of rose petals strewn upon the lake, for a fee, of course - and tie a red thread around your wrist. The one-hour walk to the nearby summit of Savitri Mandir, ends in wonderful views.