Every November, the sleepy little township of Pushkar in Rajasthan, India
comes alive with a riot of colors and a frenzied burst of activity. The
occasion: PUSHKAR FAIR. Very few, if at all any, fairs in the world can
match the liveliness of Pushkar. Most people associate the Pushkar Fair with
the world's largest camel fair. But it is much more than that.
It is an occasion for villagers from far and near to gather together and
enjoy a welcome break from their harsh life of the arid desert. And enjoy
they do! In dazzling style and colors.
It is an occasion for Hindu pilgrims to converge for a holy dip in the
sacred Pushkar Lake to "wash away the sins of a lifetime" and pay
obeisance at the ONLY Brahma temple in the world.
For the visitor, it is an unparalleled and unforgettable experience to
capture the vibrancy of the entire state of Rajasthan in one place. This
website attempts to give you a glimpse of the magic of Pushkar. Of course,
you have to be there to truly understand it.
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History of Pushkar:-
There are many legends associated to the birth of Pushkar and Pushkar Fair.
One thing is clear that most of them are associated with Lord Brahma. It is
said that in a battle, Lord Brahma killed the demon Vajra Nabh with a lotus
flower, whose petals floated down to earth and landed in three places in and
around Pushkar where lakes sprang up.
According to another legend, back in a legendary time, Lord Brahma was
flying over the Rajasthan desert on his swan, when some petals fell from his
hand and drifted down. Miraculously, blue lakes sprang up where the flowers
had touched the soft sands. Just then, Lord Brahma realized that this was
the auspicious moment to perform a fire sacrifice or yagna. His wife Savitri
was not with him at that time and the yagna would be incomplete without her.
So Brahma married a local girl and sat down for the without her. Meanwhile
Savitri landed on earth and upon finding this new bride sitting next to
Brahma, she was raged with fury and cursed him that he would never be
worshipped anywhere else on earth. Ever since then, when the full moon
shines on Purnima during the autumn period of kartik, the desert tribes meet
to commemorate this epic event. It is interesting to note that Brahma is not
worshipped, even though he is one of the Holy Trinity of Hinduism.
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Places to see:-
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.
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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).
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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.
Click
Here for a customized tour to Pushkar
