Lord Venkateshwar Abhishekam Photos Tirupati Andhra Pradesh

Lord Venkateshwara Abhishekam Photos Tirupati Andhra Pradesh

Lord Brahma Temple in India

Birth of Pushkar (Rajasthan)

It is said that Lord Brahma’s lotus flower fell in three separate places in the Pushkar area, and water came from the ground at each place. They are located within a radius of six miles. Senior Pushkar, where the hotels are located, is considered the most holy place, because the lotus fell here first. Middle Pushkar is 3 km down the road and has a small Hanuman temple and a 200-year-old banyan tree. New (Junior) Pushkar, 3 km further north, has a small Krishna temple. As Brahma threw the pushpa (flower) with his kar (hand), so the place received the name Pushkar.

Legend and History of Brahma Temple

It is said that while Lord Brahma was passing this spot he dropped a lotus flower. From the spots where the petals fell, water sprang out and lakes were formed. There is a rectangular lake here surrounded by temples. According to the Padma Purana, Brahma, the lord of creation, killed a demon with a lotus flower here. He dropped the lotus at this place to kill the demon. Petals fell in three spots, where lakes emerged.

Brahma wanted to perform a yajna on the full moon day in Kartika (Oct/Nov). Lord Brahma, the creator, was in search of a suitable place to perform the yajna. The lotus from his hand fell down, rebounded, and fell at three places, from where water sprang. Thus Brahma decided to perform the yajna at Pushkar (push-lotus; kar-hand).

But the yajna could not take place without his wife, Savitri, by his side, and she was late. Brahma therefore for him, so that he could fulfill the religious obligations. So the priest manifested a daughter called Gayatri. Because she was an untouchable, to purify her, she was put into the mouth of a cow and removed from the other end, which totally purified her. When Savitri arrived, she saw Brahma married without her permission. So she cursed Brahma that he would only be worshiped at Pushkar.

Brahma Temple

The only temple of its type, the Brahma temple is an important pilgrim centre for the Hindus. The temple is small but an impressive one.

In front of the Brahma temple, two small temple structures are situated. One is dedicated to Kubera, wealthiest God. Legends say that he donated huge funds to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala, most popular Devata (God) to people in Southern India who returns the money collected from visitors.

He is one of the eight Devatas called ashta dikpalakas (Hindu Gods) who take care of eight directions in ‘yantra’, temple, house, or of the universe with reference to the point where we are situated. Kubera looks after the North direction. Another small temple like structure is dedicated to Lord Indra.

Famous Temples in India

Ranakpur Temple

Dedicated to Adinatha, the Jain Temple in Ranakpur rises majestically from the slope of a hill. The temple is supported by over 1444 marble pillars, carved in exquisite detail. The pillars are all differently carved and no two pillars are the same. The construction of the temple and quadrupled image symbolize the Tirthankara’s conquest of the four cardinal directions and hence the cosmos. The dating of this temple is controversial but it was probably built between the late 14th and mid-15th centuries.

Khajuraho Temple

The village of Khajuraho is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Its numerous Hindu and Jain temples are famous for their erotic sculpture. The temples were built over a span of 200 years, from 950 to 1150. During the Chandella rule, Khajuraho was home to a large and flourishing Jain community. The Jains apparently lived on the east side of town and a number of Jain temples have survived in this part of Khajuraho. Two of the large temples still stand in a good state of preservation.

Gomateshwara Temple

The monolithic statue of Gomateshwara stands on a hill in the city of Shravanabelagola. Gomateshwara was the second son of Lord Adinatha, the first of the 24 Tirthankara (enlightened human). The 17.38 meter (58 ft) high monolithic stone statue is regarded as one of the largest monolithic statues in the world. It was created around 983 AD by Chavundaraya, a minister of the Ganga Kingdom. Once in 12 years the Mahamastakabhisheka festival is held and the statue of Gomateshwara is bathed in milk, curds, ghee, saffron and gold coins.

Lal Mandir

Located just opposite the massive Red Fort, the Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir is the oldest and best known Jain temple in Delhi. Originally built in 1526, the temple has undergone many alterations and additions in the past and was enlarged in the early 19th century. The imposing red sandstone temple is also known as Lal Mandir.

Sonagiri Temple

The small town of Sonagiri (literally, the golden peak) is situated on a hill in central India. Several spotless white Jain temples are scattered around Sonagiri. Both pilgrims and tourists are required to climb the 300 steps to the top bare-footed. Once at the top, travelers can marvel at the view of countless white temples and chhatris (domes) whichever way you look.

Dilwara Temple

Located near Mount Abu (Rajasthans’ only hill station), the Dilwara temples are world famous for their stunning use of marble. The ornamental detail spreading over the minutely carved ceilings, doorways, pillars and panels is simply amazing. There are 5 Jain temples here, each with its own unique identity and named after the small village in which it is located. All the temples were built by the Chalukya dynasty between the 11th and 13th centuries.

Palitana Temple

The city of Palitana is a major pilgrimage center for Jains. The temples of Palitana are considered the most sacred pilgrimage place in Jainism. There are hundreds of Jain temples located on the sacred Mount Shatrunjaya, exquisitely carved in marble. They were built by generations of Jains over a period of 900 years, from the 11th century onwards. The top is reached by climbing 3,572 steps, a heavy 2 hour accent.