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| Pushkar Fair - 2011 |
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| Pushkar Temples |
A few miles north of Aimer is the sacred town of Pushkar (Lotus), situated on the shores of a jewel - like glacial lake. Dun - colored temple – topped hills and sandy fields surround the town. Normally quiet, Pushkar sees a small but steady stream of visitors to its temples and wide bathing steps leading down to the lake. In the month of Kartik each year, Pushkar in Rajasthan becomes a colorful spectacle of one of the largest cattle festival in Asia. You will find a number of camels, horses, cows, mules, goats and sheep accompanying their masters to participate in the Pushkar Festival. Pushkar becomes bright with various hues of colors. Thousands of men in large bright turbans, women in pleated ghagaras wearing armful of colorful bangles and bejeweled and children complete the setting of the fair.
The town is considered to be sacred by the Hindus because of the presence of some 500 temples, which encircle the holy Pushkar lake. Along with it, this place is also known for the only Brahma temple of the country. Infact it is believed that the city of Pushkar was created by Lord Brahma.
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| Brahma temple: |
The only temple of its type, the Brahma temple is an important pilgrim centre for the Hindus. The Brahma temple is nestled in the Pushkar valley, which lies beyond Nagaparvat and the Anasagar Lake. This place is considered sacred, as it is believed that Lord Brahma, together with all the gods and goddesses performed a Yagna here. Legends also have it that the ancient lake had appeared miraculously, when a lotus fell from the hands of Lord Brahma and dropped into the valley. After that a lake emerged here, named Pushkar (meaning lotus flower).
The Brahma temple, built with marble, is decorated with silver coins and there is a silver turtle on the floor of the temple.
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| Warah Temple Pushkar |
The Warah temple is another famous temple of Pushkar. The Varah Temple is devoted to the Lord Vishnu, the preserver in the Hindu Trinity of Gods. It houses an image of lord Vishnu in the incarnation of the wild boar.
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.
The temples of Brahma and Warah are considered equally important. It is believed that king Anaji Chauhan built the Warah temple. As the legendary story goes, the Lord Vishnu came to earth in order to kill the demon Hirnayaksh accused of stealing the Vedas. Lord Vishnu took the shape of Varah (wild boar) and killed the demon thus bestowing liberation to the world from his atrocities.
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| Savitri Temple |
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Savitri Temple, as the name itself suggests, is dedicated to the Goddess Savitri. As the Goddess Savitri is one of Brahma's wives, the worth of the temple increases as the Goddess is revered in Hindu religion. The other fascinating part of this temple is that it is located on the highest hill above the Pushkar town. So, for reaching the temple, you need to climb a long series of steps to offer prayers. A panoramic view of the Pushkar Lake along with majestic sand dunes makes it look beautiful and noteworthy. |
| Pap Mochini Temple |
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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. |
| Mahadeva Temple |
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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. If you are on a lookout for that immaculate temple with elegance of its structure and exquisite architecture, Mahadeva Temple fits the bill in an apt manner. One of the most beautiful temples, built in the 19th century, it is recognized for its sheer magnificence and beauty. The noteworthy white marble Mahadeva image also makes it further graceful and much sought after. |
| Ramavaikunth Temple |
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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. its significance enhances with the passage of time. Right from the entrance, the beauty of this temple speaks in volumes. |
| Gayatri Temple |
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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 |
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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. |
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