Walk north from the bazaar and something appears above the rooftops that has no business being in Rajasthan: a gopuram, the tiered, sculpted gateway-tower of a South Indian temple, rising over the flat white desert town. This is the Old Rangji Temple, built in 1823 by the merchant Seth Puran Mal Ganeriwal and dedicated to Rangji — Vishnu in his Ranganatha form, worshipped in Tamil Nadu.
It is the most architecturally unusual building in Pushkar and probably the most photographed after the lake. Three traditions are stacked on top of one another: the Dravidian gopuram, Rajput carving and Mughal arches. A second, newer Rangji temple stands nearby; the old one is the one with the tower.
Top things to do at Old Rangji Temple
Photograph the gopuram
The best angles are from the lane to the south and from a rooftop café — the tower is far taller than everything around it and catches late light beautifully.
Look for the three styles
Dravidian tiers, Rajput brackets and Mughal arches sit within a few metres of each other — unusual anywhere, remarkable in a desert pilgrimage town.
Visit during evening prayers
The courtyard fills, the lamps are lit and South Indian devotional chanting carries out into the lane — a sound you will not hear anywhere else in Rajasthan.
Combine with the north lanes
The quarter around the temple is residential and calm, with painted doorways and almost no shops — a good half-hour away from the bazaar.
How to get to Old Rangji Temple
- On foot: five minutes north of the main bazaar; the tower is visible from most of the town, so you can simply walk towards it.
- From the Brahma Temple: about a ten-minute walk through the lanes, an easy pairing in one morning.
- On a walking tour: both the afternoon and private walking tours pass it and explain the unusual mix of styles.
- Non-Hindus are generally not permitted into the inner sanctum, though the outer courtyard and the tower are open — check on the day, as practice varies.
- Photography is usually fine outside and restricted inside. If in doubt, ask before raising a camera.
- Shoes off and shoulders covered, as at any working temple in town.
Best tours & tickets for Old Rangji Temple
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to enjoy Old Rangji Temple and its surroundings:
Guided walking tour from €5 Pushkar: Evening Walking Tour with Fire Rituals
The single best-reviewed thing you can do in Pushkar, and the one that turns a pretty lake into a place you understand. A local guide walks you through the old town at the hour it comes alive — past the bathing ghats, into working temples, and down to the water for the Mahaarti, the fire ritual in which lamps are floated and offered to the lake. Along the way you get the practical stuff nobody tells you: where to leave your shoes, which ghats welcome visitors, and how to sidestep the "flower blessing" scam. Rated 4.9 from well over a hundred reviews.
- Walk the ghats and lanes as the town lights its evening lamps
- Watch — and, if you wish, take part in — the Mahaarti fire ceremony
- Visit several of Pushkar’s living temples with a local guide
Private walking tour from €5 Pushkar: Afternoon Walking Tour of Temples & Bazaars
The daylight counterpart to the evening walk, and a private one — useful if you would rather ask a lot of questions than share a group. Your guide threads the lanes between the Brahma Temple, the smaller shrines most visitors walk straight past, and the ghats, explaining what is happening at each and why Pushkar matters to the millions who come here on pilgrimage. The second half is the bazaar, where a local eye is worth real money: you learn what Rajasthani block-print, camel leather and Pushkar rose oil should actually cost.
- Private guide, so the pace and the questions are yours
- The Brahma Temple, Varaha Temple and the lakeside ghats
- Sadar Bazaar: textiles, silver, leather and rose products
