Rajasthan is a colorful Indian state, a melting pot where people from different religions and backgrounds thrive and live together in peace and harmony. The land of kings and maharajas, Rajasthan is well known for its proud tradition, glorious forts, beautiful attire, and spellbinding folk music and dance performance. The royal state is home to many magnificent temples sprawling across a vast region.
Brahma Temple in Pushkar of Rajasthan is a rare religious site dedicated to the lord of creation Lord Brahma. The reason behind it is a rare temple which is one of the very few existing temples of Lord Brahma in India. Also referred to as the Jagatpita Brahma Mandir, this Hindu temple has its address in the religious town. A major highlight of any Rajasthan Tour, the Brahma Temple in Pushkar has many mythological stories attached to it. Let’s take dig deeper to know more about Pushkar’s famous Brahma Temple.
Legends behind it –
According to Hindu mythology, more than 30 million Hindu gods are residing here. The three main gods that together form the trinity or Trimurti are Brahma – the creator of the universe, Vishnu – the preserver, and Shiva – the destroyer. Lord Brahma is one of the most popular gods and creator of the universe. It has only one temple dedicated to him in the world, and this is what makes the Braham Temple in Pushkar tourism. Moreover, the legends linked with the Pushkar Temple are quite riveting.
The Curse of Shiva –
The legend has it that Brahma once lied about an accomplishment. It happens to be when Brahma Ji and Vishnu Ji were finding the head and foot of a pillar light respectively. During the task, they both got tired and quit, while Vishnu Ji accepted his unsuccessful, Brahma Ji fibbed. Using his powers, he presented a flower as evidence of reaching the top of the pillar light. The moment Shiva knew about the lie, he swore to Brahma Ji that there would be no temple dedicated to worship as he was unworthy.
Another interesting tale about Pushkar’s famous temple can be found in Brahma Purana. As per the sacred texts, when Brahma Ji was creating the universe, he created a beautiful deity called Shatapura and was attracted to her. He followed her wherever she went. When Shiva deduced this was not good, he directed that no one on earth would ever worship Brahma eve. Shatapura is regarded as the first woman to be borne by the creation of Lord Brahma along with Manu.
The Swore of Savitri
Contrary to popular mythological legends, in Pushkar, they say that it was Savitri, Brahma Ji’s wife who cursed him. In this legend, Brahma Ji had to perform a yajna but he needed a consort to complete the ritual. He sent for his wife, Savitri, who was then unavailable. Later Brahma Ji got married to a beautiful girl, Gayatri for that purpose. When Savitri got to know about this, she rushed to the place and cursed Brahma Ji that he would not be worshipped anywhere. After her anger subsided, she added to the curse that Pushkar would be the only place where there will be an only Hindu temple dedicated to his worship.
Today, on the opposite end of Pushkar, there are two hills with a temple on each. The higher one is dedicated to Savitri while the smaller one is to Gayatri. Locals believe that Savitri is still present in her shrine in enraged form while Gayatri hides in fear of hers.
Architecture –
Set amidst the sacred lake of Pushkar, the Brahma Temple reflects the fine Rajasthani style of architecture. The fact that it finds a place in several Rajasthan Tour Packages doesn’t come as a surprise. However, the current structure dates back to the 14th century, and the core structure of the Brahma Temple is about 2000 years old. The temple is set on a high platform, several marble steps lead to the entrance of the holy Brahma Temple of Pushkar Sightseeing Tour which is adorned with pillared canopies. Once you step into the gate comes the pillared outdoor hall called Mandap and then the main sanctum called Garbhagriha which is dedicated to Lord Brahma and his second wife Gayatri.
Structurally, the temple is constructed with stone slabs and blocks that are fixed together with molten lead. The walls and the marble floor have been studded with hundreds of silver coins by devotees with their names etched on them. The coins are a mark of offering by devotees to their worshippers of Brahma. Within the temple, the idol of Brahma in the temple is made of marble and seated in a cross-leg position.
So, no wonder what your purpose for visiting the Rajasthan tour is, the Brahma Temple in Pushkar is a place that you should not miss out on.