Truly royal, truly grand! These are words that spring forth from the mouth of any visitor vacationing for the first time in Rajasthan. As the golden orb sets behind the sand dunes, the land reverberates with the tales of Rajput valor bringing alive the music and its’ unique tapestry of tradition. This is the uniqueness of state which enhances the golden landscape further. As if to add to the already enriched landscape, yet another feature has been added in the form of Pushkar temple. This is the temple which is unique in the respect that it is the only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma in India. There are a number of temples dedicated to the Hindu trinity of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, but there is none for Lord Brahma. The architecture of the temple dates back to 14th century and it stands on a high platform near the Pushkar Lake.



The sanctum sanctorum consists of a silver turtle embossed in the floor. Hundreds of silver coins litter the floor around the turtle and this includes walls of the temple. Pushkar temple has been restored by Nahadarava in the seventh century who cleaned up the lake and got an embankment built on the river Luni. He also rebuilt twelve resting places and ghats on the three sides of the lake. The surrounding area is called Parasara Brahamanas due to the presence of descendents of sage Parasara. There is a legend associated with the Pushkar temple which mentions that the gods released a swan with a lotus in its beak in the same area. Further, the legend says that the gods had already decided wherever the lotus would fall, Lord Brahma will perform ‘yagya’ the holy fire in which sacred oblations are poured along with the mantras. Hence the place was named as Pushkar which means ‘born due to a flower’.

The place is also famous for the Pushkar Brahamanas whose origins can be traced to the place. The place is famed for its other equally important list of pilgrimages and is situated about 14 km North West from Ajmer. In Pushkar temple, images of peacock considered as the vehicle of Saraswati, adorn the walls and Brahma is shown in a life-size form with four hands and four faces, representing four directions. The gateway of the temple is adorned with the image of ‘Hans’ (goose, the official carrier of Brahma) further crowned with a red spire. The idol of Lord Brahma is adorned on the one side by a small idol of goddess Gayatri and is called Chaumurti. The holy place is one of the five sacred dhams (pilgrimage sites for the Hindus) and is known as ‘tirth raj’ or the king of pilgrimage sites. In the recent years, it has evolved as one of the most popular destination for the tourists.

Besides the Pushkar temple, the placed is equally famous for its annual Pushkar Camel Fair. An environmental problem of massive magnitude in the recent years has engulfed the sacred Pushkar temple. The ecology of the lake has degraded due to the inflow of tourists on a wide scale for whom the accommodations have been constructed on the shores of lake. It has only added to the ugliness of the place which had been already damaged to manifold proportions by the continuous deforestation of the surrounding area. With the greenery cover gone for good, the place is yet one barren spot added to the desolate landscape. The best solution to the problem can come from temple authorities themselves, who are brimming with revenue in the form of donations from the pilgrims themselves.