One of the largest sacred reservoirs in India, Brahma Sarovar is associated with Brahma's act of creation and has drawn pilgrims since Vedic times. Temples line the ghats on all sides; the Sarveshwar Mahadev Temple sits on an island at the centre of the tank, reached by a long causeway. The tank's sheer scale — it stretches several hundred metres across — gives it a different quality from other pilgrimage tanks: the water and sky dominate, and the effect at dawn, when mist sits over the surface, is striking.
Ritual life along the ghats runs from before sunrise to after dark. Priests conduct pujas at the lakeside shrines; pilgrims offer flowers and float oil lamps on leaf dishes; groups of women sing devotional songs. The best time to visit is early morning, when activity is at its most concentrated and the light is low over the water. The ghats are clean and well maintained. Non-Hindus are welcome; shoes must be removed at the ghat steps.