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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.
