Temples at Pushkar
¤ Jagat Shri Brahma Temple
The only standing Hindu temple in India dedicated to Lord Brahma, the
creator of the universe, the structure around the temple was built in
the 14th century and stands on a high platform near Pushkar lake.
Brahma is one of the Holy Trinity in Hinduism, sharing the honour with
Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer. Although a very large
number of temples can be found all over India dedicated to Shiva and
Vishnu, there are very few temples for Brahma, this being one of the
holiest one.
 Marble
steps lead up to the temple where a silver turtle lies embossed in the
floor facing the sanctorum. The marble floor around the turtle is
littered with hundreds of silver coins embedded in the floor, and so
are the walls of the temple. Images of the peacock, the vehicle of
Brahma’s consort Saraswati, adorn the temple walls. Brahma here
is shown in a life-size form with four hands and four faces, facing
four different directons. A hans (goose, the official carrier of
Brahma) spans the gateway to the temple which is crowned with a red
spire. A small statue of the milk goddess Gayatri (whom Brahma
married) near Brahma’s idol is called Chaumurti. Steps within the
silver-doored sanctuary lead down into a small cave which is a Hindu
temple of Lord Shiva.
¤ Other Temples & Ghats
Varah Temple
The Varah temple of Hindu was built in the 12th century and, and the
Mughal emperor Aurangzeb is said to have destroyed it. Aurangzeb was
understandably rather upset with the huge statue of Varah, the god
with the body of a man and the head of a boar. However, Raja Sawai Jai
Singh II of Jaipur thought differently, and in 1727 reconstructed the
temple which now has a highly decorated inner sanctum where an idol of
Varah is placed.
Mahadeva Temple
The 19th century Mahadeva temple with its five-faced statue of
Mahadeva is made entirely of white marble. This Hindua temple is
remarkable for its elegance of structure, and is perhaps the finest of
all temples in and around Ajmer and Pushkar.
Ramavaikunth Temple
The Ramavaikunth temple is an intricately carved Hindu temple dating
to the 1920 and has images of 361 deities. Its high stone spires atop
pagodas and the rest of the temple were built by masons especially
brought for this purpose from south India. The Savitri temple is
located on top of a hill overlooking the lake. The hike up the hill is
long and arduous via a stairway built in the 4th century, and if
panoramic views are a necessity for you, the trek will be worth it.
This temple is dedicated to Brahma’s wife Savitri and its origin
dates back to over 2,000 years.
Gayatri Temple
The Gayatri temple on the other side of Pushkar is in honour of the
wife who sat by Brahma’s side in Savitri’s absence during
Brahma’s ceremonial sacrifice. Legend says that Gayatri was an
untouchable and to purify her she was put into the mouth of a cow and
taken out from the other end. To reach the Gayatri Hindu temple the
best route to take is from behind the bus stand and walk up a hill.
Both the Savitri and Gayatri temples are closed – so to say –
during lunch hours and the best time to go is either before noon or in
the evening.
 Raghunath
Temples
Two Raghunath temples exist in Pushkar; one is the old one and the
other is relatively new. The Old Raghunath temple was built in 1823
and houses images of Venugopal, Narasimha (Vishnu’s fourth
incarnation) and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. But there’s a
bit of a problem for foreign tourists visiting these two temples
because of one little sign which says "Foreigners not allowed."
These are probably the only binary temples in India where such
segregation exists.
Pap Mochini Temple
Towards the northen section of Pushkar is the Pap Mochini temple, not
really popular for its architecture or deity but for the simple belief
that anyone who kills a Brahmin will be purified of this deed by
visiting the Hindu temple, of course, all that was applicable in olden
times, for today a murder is a murder and the law would hear nothing
else.
Bathing Ghats
Where there is a mass of holy water there will be bathing ghats, and
in Pushkar it is the same as all over India. Pushkar lake is
surrounded by hundreds of ghats where Hindu pilgrims assemble to
bathe, pray or just loiter around. Removing ones shoes would be a good
idea unless you want to be glared or shouted at! Photography is a
strict no-no, especially of bathing women. Pushkar is quite used to
tourists, but unlike Varanasi, is home for orthodox Hindus, and a
little care to observe Hindu traditions can help. |
