This lake is believed to have appeared all by itself when the lotus flower fell off from the hands of Brahma. A holy dip in the water of the lake, especially during Kartik Purnima (the full-moon phase of Oct. / Nov.), is considered extremely auspicious to purify human soul. The lake has 52 ghats and 400 temples, which connect the temples to the water. These ghats were constructed by the rulers of the different erstwhile princely states of Rajasthan and some of them are aptly named after the states.

Prominent among the ghats are Gau Ghat, Brahma Ghat and Varah Ghat. Also called Main Ghat, Gau Ghat is the place from which ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were sprinkled into the lake. Brahma Ghat is believed to be the spot where Brahma himself is said to have worshipped. The Varah Ghat is famed to be the place where Vishnu, the preserver of the Hindu Trinity, appeared in the form of Varaha (a boar), third in the line of his nine incarnations. It is advisable for the visitors, who travel to the Pushkar lake, not to take photos and to remove their shoes before going to the ghats.