Overview
- Features: Pushkar temples and Sikh gurudwara
- Opening Times: Dawn to dusk, daily
- Best Time to Visit: Pushkar Fair
- Duration: 2 to 3 hours
- Travelled By: Foot
- Cost: Free
- Address: Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
- Type: Temple
Author Reviews[display_rating_item_results rating_form_id=”2″ rating_entry_ids=”1″ show_category_filter=”false” show_options=”true” result_type=”star_rating” preserve_max_rating=”true” show_title=”false” show_count=”false” ]
Total Rating: [display_rating_result rating_form_id=”2″ show_count=”false” show_rich_snippets=true] [accordions load=”1″] [accordion title=”User Reviews” last] [display_rating_item_results rating_form_id=”5″ show_options=”true” result_type=”star_rating” preserve_max_rating=”true” show_title=”false” show_count=”true” show_rich_snippets=true] [/accordion] [accordion title=”Add Review”][display_rating_form show_email_input=”true” show_comment_textarea=”true” show_name_input=”true” rating_form_id=”5″] [/accordion] [/accordions]
Summary
The Pushkar temple is a major pilgrim site especially during the Hindu festival, Kartik Purnima (Full Moon), and is worth a visit while in town. In addition to the Pushkar temple, we also saw a beautiful Sikh gurudwara and a South Indian temple during our walking tour in Pushkar, as well as an interesting market along Main Market Road.
Pushkar Temple
We had seen a beautiful gurudwara in the distance across Pushkar Lake so we decided to find it first. A gurudwara is a place of worship for people belonging to the Sikh religion.
Pushkar was visited by Guru Nanak Dev (founder of the Sikh religion) and Guru Gobind Singh (one of the ten Sikh gurus). The shrine commemorating the former Guru’s visit is known as Gurdwara Singh Sabha.
The story goes that a Brahman priest at this Ghat, having full grown hair and donning a turban, has in his possession a hukamnama (a hymn from the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book for the Sikhs) written on a bhoj patra (leaf or bark of birch tree) and claimed to have been given by Guru Gobind Singh. The priest also keeps an old hand-written copy of the Guru Granth Sahib.
The gurudwara is a beautiful piece of architecture made of white marble. We were attracted to it as the spire on top of the building was painted in gold and shone brightly in the late afternoon light. Unfortunately, we couldn’t enter the gurudwara as the gates were closed in the afternoon.
I read a story online by an American who went to the gurudwara and had an amazing experience. He wrote:
…the officiant at the Sikh temple welcomed me, and after performing the needful rites for others who came in (Sikhs), he took a moment to explain the beautiful precepts of his faith.
Afterward, I asked for a dinner recommendation, and was pleasantly surprised to find myself invited to share a simple meal with the other temple visitors, and the priest, in the canteen beneath the temple.
Brahma Temple Pushkar
[singlepic id=2936 w=720 h=560 float=center]
Walking through the streets of Pushkar we came upon the most sacred Hindu temple in Pushkar – Brahma temple. It is a particularly holy shrine and draws pilgrims throughout the year. It was really crowded on the day due to the Pushkar Fair. Shoes had to be removed before we could enter the temple.
Pushkar Temple History
Although it isn’t the only Brahma temple in India, as people claim, it is the only major pilgrim place for followers of Brahma, the Hindu God of Creation. It is said that when Brahma needed a marital partner for a ritual, and his consort Saraswati took a long time to arrive, he married a cow-girl, Gayatri, after giving her the powers of a goddess. His wife learnt of this and put a curse on him – that he would only be worshipped in Pushkar.
Pushkar Temple Timings
Brahma Temple in Pushkar is open daily from dawn to dusk for pilgrims to perform prayers and provide offerings to Brahma. The best time to visit the temple is early in the morning and witness the rituals being performed in the temple.
Where is Pushkar Temple Located?
Brahma temple is located on Kharekhari Road on the west side of Pushkar Lake. Brahma Temple Road leads to this Pushkar temple.
[singlepic id=2942 w=720 h=560 float=center]
As we walked around the streets of Pushkar we noticed several temples along the way. The most impressive temple was a South Indian temple which has a very distinctive architecture. Idols of gods, goddesses, demons and angels are moulded into the mandapam. While the South Indian temples are usually painted in bright colours, this temple was painted in stark white.
[singlepic id=2937 w=720 h=560 float=center]
By the time we returned to the Main Market Road in the heart of Pushkar, the shops had opened for the evening and the atmosphere was different. People were out shopping and the smell of delicious cooked food filled the air.
There were shops selling everything from bangles and jewellery to Rajasthani bags and clothes. The colours were vibrant and the glass work on the dresses shone under the light. Tourists were out in full force looking for ethnic pieces of souvenirs to take back home. We just enjoyed strolling around the market looking at the colourful shops and people walking past.
While most people come to Pushkar to see the Pushkar Lake and visit the Pushkar Fair, there is more to Pushkar than just that. The Pushkar temple is worth a visit on its own as well as the other attractions that we saw during our walking tour around Pushkar.
