Brahma temple in Pushkar, Rajasthan

About Brahma temple:

Lord Brahma The Creator

Brahma temple in Pushkar is truly a worthy visit. The temple is dedicated to Lord Brahma. The temple was built in the 14th century in close proximity to the Pushkar Lake. There are a number of features of the temple that will surely attract your attention. Features like the walls of the temple being wrapped up with silver coins reflect a great art work. There is also a great silver turtle on the floor. This turtle also attracts a lot of tourists and also helps in enhancing the beauty of the temple compound. However, before watching all these, you will surely come across a Goose at the gateway of the temple. The goose is actually believed to be the carrier of Lord Brahma and its presence right the entry bears a lot of significance. The splendid architecture of the temple is a major draw for the tourists. On visiting the temple, you will be able to know a lot about the Rajasthani architecture. It will also give you an idea about the culture and tradition of the place.

The Brahma temple in Pushkar is the only temple in India that is dedicated Lord Brahma. Apart from this, the temple also has a number of other spiritual significance attached to it. There are also a number of beliefs attached to it. It is believed that the temple had been formed by an accident. It was the accidental fall of a lotus flower from the palms of Lord Brahma that created the temple. As the flower fell into the Pushkar valley, it created a lake that boasts divine beauty. This lake later became popular as the Pushkar Lake. The serene beauty of the place acts as a perfect place to host the beautiful Brahma temple. The spiritual importance attracts a lot of Hindu devotees from different parts of the world. Hence, a visit to the temple also reflects the various rituals of the Hindu religion.

Hence, what are you waiting for? Plan your tour to Pushkar soon and go for a tour to the place. It will surely be a great experience as you will be able to visit the splendid Brahma temple

Worship

The temple is visited by pilgrims and also by the holy men and sages, after taking a ceremonial sacred bath in the Pushkar lake.It is also a practice that visit to the Brahma temple is followed by worship of his consort Gayatri, followed by visits to other temples as convenient.

The temple is open for worship between 6:30 am and 8:30 pm during winter and 6:00 am to 9:00 pm during summer, with an interval in afternoon between 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm when the temple is closed.Three aratis are held in the temple: Sandhya arati in the evening about 40 minutes after sunset, Ratri Shayan arati (night-sleep arati) about 5 hours past sunset and Mangala arati in the morning, about 2 hours before sunrise.

The priests at the Brahma temple refer to a strictly followed religious practice. House-holders (married men) are not allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum to worship the deity. Only ascetics (sanyasis) can perform the puja to the deity. Hence, all offerings by pilgrims are given, from the outer hall of the temple, through a priest who is a sanyasi. The priests of the temple, in general in Puskkar, belong to the Parashar gotra (lineage).

Once a year, on Kartik Poornima, the full moon night of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik (October – November), a religious festival is held in Brahma's honour. Thousands of pilgrims come to bathe in the holy Pushkar Lake adjacent to the temple. Various rites are also held at the temple during the fair. The day also marks the famous Pushkar Camel Fair, held nearby.Special rites are performed on all poornimas (full moon days) and amavasyas (new moon days).

History

Pushkar is said to have over 500 temples (80 are large and the rest are small); of these many are old that were destroyed or desecrated by Muslim depredations during Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's rule (1658–1707) but were re-built subsequently; of these the most important is the Brahma temple. Though the current structure dates to the 14th century, the original temple is believed to be 2000 years old.The temple is described to have been built by sage Vishwamitra after Brahma's yagna.It is also believed that Brahma himself chose the location for his temple.The 8th century Hindu philosopher Adi Shankara renovated this temple, while the current medieval structure dates to Maharaja Jawat Raj of Ratlam, who made additions and repairs, though the original temple design is retained.Pushkar is often described in the scriptures as the only Brahma temple in the world, owing to the curse of Savitri, but also as the "King of the sacred places of the Hindus".Although now the Pushkar temple does not remain the only Brahma temple, it is still one of very few existing temples dedicated to Brahma in India and the most prominent one dedicated to Brahma.International Business Times has identified Pushkar Lake and the Brahma temple as one of the ten most religious places in the world and one of the five sacred pilgrimage places for the Hindus, in India.

Architecture

The temple, which is set on high plinth, is approached through a number of marble steps leading to an entrance gate archway, decorated with pillared canopies. The entry from the gate leads to a pillared outdoor hall (Mandapa) and then the sanctum sanctorum (Garbhagriha). The temple is built with stone slabs and blocks, joined together with molten lead. The red shikara (spire) of the temple and symbol of a hamsa (a swan or goose) - the mount of Brahma – are distinct features of the temple. The shikara is about 700 feet (210 m) in height. The hamsa motif decorates the main entry gate. Marble floor (in black and white checks) and walls inside the temple have been inlaid with hundreds of silver coins by devotees (with their names inscribed), as mark of offering to Brahma. There is a silver turtle in the mandap that is displayed on the floor of the temple facing the Garbhagriha, which is also built in marble. The marble flooring has been replaced from time-to-time.

Brahma's central icon (murti) made of marble was deified in the garbhagriha in 718 AD by Adi Shankara. The icon depicts Brahma, seated in a crossed leg position in the aspect of creation of the universe (the Vishvakarma form). The central image is called the chaumurti ("four-faced idol"). It is of life size with four hands, four faces, each oriented in a cardinal direction. The four arms hold the akshamala (rosary), the pustaka (book), the kurka (kusha grass) and the kamandalu (water pot). Brahma is riding on his mount, the hamsa. The four symbols held by Brahma in his arms: the rosary, Kamandalu, book and the sacrificial implement kusha grass represent time, the causal waters from which the universe emerged, knowledge and the system of sacrifices to be adopted for sustenance of various life-forms in the universe. Gayatri's image sits along with Brahma's in centre to his left. Savatri alias Sarasvati sits to the right of Brahma, along with other deities of the Hindu pantheon. Images of the peacock, Sarasvati's mount, also decorate the temple walls. Images of the preserver-god Vishnu, life-sized dvarapalas (gate-keepers) and a gilded Garuda (eagle-man, mount of Vishnu) are also seen in the temple.