¤ 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.
