10-07-2005, 12:26 AM
<b>Pushkar Brahma Temple </b>
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Once upon a time, when Brahma was searching for an ideal place to perform a yagna, a lotus fell from his hand onto a spot which came to be called Pushkar. The auspicious hour was selected. Brahma and his wife Savitri were to jointly perform the yagna. But as the time for the ceremony drew near, Savitri was still preoccupied beautifying herself for the event. An enraged Brahma, under the compulsion of performing the rites with a wife, married a local cowherdâs daughter, Gayatri.
Once Savitri learnt of this, she cursed Brahma that he would not be worshipped anywhere on earth except at Pushkar. She deserted him and sat on the nearby Ratnagiri hill. There, today, is a Savitri temple. From there, anyone with a good eyesight can see the crimson Brahma temple where The Creator still sits with the cowherdâs daughter. Nothing happened on this matter till 1984.
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Another legend.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->According to another legend in the Shiva Purana, once Brahma and Vishnu were fighting over who was the superior of the two. Horrified at the intensity of the battle, the other gods asked Shiva to intervene. To make them realise the futility of their fight, Shiva assumed the form of a huge column of fire in between Brahma and Vishnu. Awestruck by its magnitude, they decided to find one end each to establish supremacy over the other. Brahma assumed the form of a swan and went upwards and Vishnu as Varaha went into the earth. But light has no limit and though they searched for thousands of miles, neither could find the end.
On his journey upwards, Brahma came across a Ketaki flower wafting down slowly. When asked where she had come from, the Ketaki replied that she had been placed at the top of the fiery column as an offering. Unable to find the uppermost limit, Brahma decided to end his search and take the flower as a witness. At this, the angry Shiva revealed his true form. <b>He punished Brahma for telling a lie, and cursed him that no one would ever pray to him</b>. <b>The Ketaki flower too was banned from being used as an offering for any worship</b>, as she had testified falsely. Since it was on the 14th day in the dark half of the month of Phalguna that Shiva first manifested himself in the form of a linga, the day is specially auspicious and is celebrated as Mahashivaratri.
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Brahma Temple, the only temple where Lord Brahma is worshipped, is one of the main attractions of Pushkar. The temple holds special importance for the followers of Hinduism. The temple houses a life size four-armed idol of Lord Brahma-the creator-in the antralaya (vestibule). The temple is also characterised by its white marble floor and stairs. The walls of the temple are studded with silver coins. The coins are put by the devotees to mark the births or deaths of the loved ones of the devotees who came here to offer prayers. This place, full of natural beauty, holds a special place in the hearts of Indians for it is believed that Lord Brahma, together with all the gods and goddesses, performed a Yagya here.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Once upon a time, when Brahma was searching for an ideal place to perform a yagna, a lotus fell from his hand onto a spot which came to be called Pushkar. The auspicious hour was selected. Brahma and his wife Savitri were to jointly perform the yagna. But as the time for the ceremony drew near, Savitri was still preoccupied beautifying herself for the event. An enraged Brahma, under the compulsion of performing the rites with a wife, married a local cowherdâs daughter, Gayatri.
Once Savitri learnt of this, she cursed Brahma that he would not be worshipped anywhere on earth except at Pushkar. She deserted him and sat on the nearby Ratnagiri hill. There, today, is a Savitri temple. From there, anyone with a good eyesight can see the crimson Brahma temple where The Creator still sits with the cowherdâs daughter. Nothing happened on this matter till 1984.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Another legend.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->According to another legend in the Shiva Purana, once Brahma and Vishnu were fighting over who was the superior of the two. Horrified at the intensity of the battle, the other gods asked Shiva to intervene. To make them realise the futility of their fight, Shiva assumed the form of a huge column of fire in between Brahma and Vishnu. Awestruck by its magnitude, they decided to find one end each to establish supremacy over the other. Brahma assumed the form of a swan and went upwards and Vishnu as Varaha went into the earth. But light has no limit and though they searched for thousands of miles, neither could find the end.
On his journey upwards, Brahma came across a Ketaki flower wafting down slowly. When asked where she had come from, the Ketaki replied that she had been placed at the top of the fiery column as an offering. Unable to find the uppermost limit, Brahma decided to end his search and take the flower as a witness. At this, the angry Shiva revealed his true form. <b>He punished Brahma for telling a lie, and cursed him that no one would ever pray to him</b>. <b>The Ketaki flower too was banned from being used as an offering for any worship</b>, as she had testified falsely. Since it was on the 14th day in the dark half of the month of Phalguna that Shiva first manifested himself in the form of a linga, the day is specially auspicious and is celebrated as Mahashivaratri.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Brahma Temple, the only temple where Lord Brahma is worshipped, is one of the main attractions of Pushkar. The temple holds special importance for the followers of Hinduism. The temple houses a life size four-armed idol of Lord Brahma-the creator-in the antralaya (vestibule). The temple is also characterised by its white marble floor and stairs. The walls of the temple are studded with silver coins. The coins are put by the devotees to mark the births or deaths of the loved ones of the devotees who came here to offer prayers. This place, full of natural beauty, holds a special place in the hearts of Indians for it is believed that Lord Brahma, together with all the gods and goddesses, performed a Yagya here.