Pushkar is a sacred town for the Hindus, situated 11
kms. to the North-West of Ajmer. The charm of this sleepy, lakeside
settlement so captivated the great Indian poet, Kalidas,
that it found a place in his classic, Abhigyan Sakuntalam.
The Great Hindu epics of Mahabharat and Ramayana
make references to this religious place regarded to be Adi
Tiratha. Evidence points to its having existed during the
fourth century B.C. lake in the inhospitable surroundings of
a desert is no less than a miracle. 
The legend about the Creator God, Bramha describes the
creation of this lake. When the demon Vajra Nabha killed
Brahma's children, he in turn struck him with his weapon, a
lotus flower. Vajra Nabha died with the impact, and the petals
of the lotus fell at three places. One of them is Pushkar, where
a lake sprung into being. Brahma is supposed to have performed
sacrifice at this lake on Kartik Purnima (the full
moon day of the Kartik month), hallowing the place. Sacred
to Brahma, Pushkar boasts of its temple dedicated to him, which
is the only one of its kind in the world. A dip in the waters
of Pushkar and worship at his temple ensure salvation. So thousands
flock to Pushkar to observe the ritual on kartik Purnima, or
on any of the four days preceding it.
JAGAT PITA SHRI BRAHMA MANDIR:
Pushkar boasts temples, though few are as ancient as you might
expect at such an important pilgrimage site, since many were
destroyed by Aurangzeb, a Mogul ruler and subsequently rebuilt.
The most famous is the Brahma Temple, said to be the only
temple in the world dedicated to this deity. It stands on
a high plinth with the Marble steps leading up to it. A silver
turtle is set on the floor facing the Sanctum-Sanctorum or Girbha-griha.
Around the turtle the Marble floor is inset with hundreds of
silver coins. Coins engraved with donors names are also embedded
in the walls. Peacocks adorn the temple walls as they are supposed
to be the vehicle of lord Brahma's consort Saraswati. A small
image of the milkmaid Gayatri, flanks the four-faced image of
lord Brahma and is called Chaumurti The sanctuary has silver
doors inside a carved marble gateway.
SAVITRI TEMPLE:
The one-hour trek up to the hilltop Savitri Temple overlooking
the lake is best made early in the morning; the view is magical.
VARAH TEMPLE:
Originally built in the 12th century, Varah Temple was, like
many others, destroyed by the bigoted Emperor Aurangzeb (who
, it is said , was particularly upset by the huge idol here
of Varah, the god with the body of a man and the head of the
boar.) Reconstructed BY Raja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur in
1727, the temple has an interesting and richly ornamented image
house.
MAHADEVA TEMPLE:
A Beautiful temple built in the 19th century, it was described
by a British traveler of the time as "by far the most remarkable,
for the elegance of its structure and the nature of its ornaments,
of all the temples Pushkar boasts of." It is also noteworthy
for its white marble Mahadeva image, with its five faces (and
its traditional tufts of hair).
RAMAVAIKUNTH TEMPLE:
One of Pushkar's largest and most intricate temples, the Ramavaikunth
Temple was built in the 1920's and has beautifully sculpted
images of no less than 361 different deities. The ornate outer
gopuram over the entrance is said to have been built by a team
of masons specially brought here from south India.
 The
Holy Lake and its many Ghats:
Many Ghats run down to the Holy Lake where pilgrims are constantly
bathing in the holy waters. Joining people at the ghats has
to be with some respect for their culture and privacy. And for
this reason, removing shoes before approaching the ghats, no
smoking and restraining from photographing bathing people is
well avoided. The Pilgrims here are sensitive about comments
by non-Hindus. The famed waters of the Pushkar lake wash away
the sins of a lifetime.
The mystical water is also believed to cure skin diseases, making
Pushkar the Lourdes of the East. |
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