Famous Temples in Pushkar is the land of temples and one of the most auspicious cities of Rajasthan. Pushkar is one of the most important cultural destinations of India that is visited by a lot of globe trotters. Pushkar Mela, traditionally a religious and cultural event, attracts tourists from across the globe. Since it is one of the religious sites, a traveller makes sure to include as many temples and religious sites of the cities in their itinerary to have a complete outlook of the city.
In this city, here are temples that are almost 2000 years old. The temples here have enough stories to tell and everyone must explore them to the fullest. Below are listed the 6 temples in Pushkar that are the most Famous Temples in Pushkar.
This temple is very important and special because it is the only temple in the world that is dedicated to Lord Brahma. The image of the swan and the red spire are the highlights of this temple. The inner sanctum of the temple has the Chaturmukhi (four-faced) idol of Lord Brahma. There is also the statue of the Sun God or the Surya Devta inside the temple. Ratri Shayan Arati must be attended here.
Savitri Temple
The Savitri temple in Pushkar is situated on the Ratnagiri hill, a considerably formidable climb around the Pushkar Lake. Pushkar is in the Ajmer district of the Indian state of Rajasthan and is a small religious hamlet with a rich history and a popular pilgrimage spot for Hindu school of religious philosophy, Pushkar Attractions.
The Savitri temple has a strange story owing its origin and subsequent installation to that can be traced back to various Hindu epics and mythological references in the religious texts and scriptures. It is said that the temple dedicated to Goddess Savitri, was built when she cursed her husband Bramha for compromising her prized position beside her husband as the orchestrator of an important religious ceremony with an inferior mortal. According to the curse, Bramha was doomed to be restricted to only one place of worship by devotees and that was in Pushkar.
Tradition still reveres and obeys the Goddess Savitri‘s wishes to be worshipped first before one proceeds to pay their tributes for worshipping Lord Bramha, thereby saving themsleves from the folly. As mentioned earlier, the climb to the temple premises after scaling the Ratnagiri hill is quite challenging and not for the faint-hearted. However, legend has it that the hard work and toil spent in scaling the hill to reach the temple is credited to one’s spiritual accumulation of wealth Famous Temples in Pushkar.
Although there is a rope way cable car for those who cannot climb stairs, if your visit is a pilgrimage, avoiding the toil of climbing stairs will not make the pilgrimage successful, or so it is believed. The temple houses the idols of both wives of Lord Bramha, Savitri and Gayatri, the one he replaced the original wife with. However, in accordance with ritual belief the Goddess Savitri is worshipped first before one approaches Gayatri.
Brahma Temple
The Brahma Temple is one of the temples in Pushkar that needs no introduction across India. It is the only temple in the world that is dedicated to Lord Brahma. The red spire and the image of the swan (considered sacred to Lord Brahma) are the identifying marks for this temple. The inner sanctum of the temple has the Chaturmukhi (four-faced) idol of Lord Brahma. Apart from this, a marble statue of the Sun God stands guard at the doors of the temple. It is said that the Brahma temple in Pushkar is about 2000 years old.
If you want to visit Brahma temple, then the best time is the Ratri Shayan Arati. This temple remains open from 6.30 am to 8.30 pm. Brahma temple is only 10 km away from the Ajmer city and you will easily find buses, taxis, and trains to commute. Brahma temple conducts three aratis on a daily basis, first is the Sandhya arati which happens during the evening around 40 minutes past the sunset, second is the Ratri Shayan Arati which happens after 5 hours of sunset, and in the morning, the Mangalaarati is held, Famous Temples in Pushkar.
Varaha Temple
According to legend, once upon a time, a demon called Hiranyaksha was going about destroying all life on earth and threatened to finish off the planet. Seeing his destruction, Lord Vishnu appeared in the avatar of half a boar-half man and killed the demon. At different times, when the forces of evil were gathering strength, Lord Vishnu would take on an avatar and appear on earth to defeat these evil forces. According to Hindu mythology, he embraced nine such avatars, one of which was Varaha. This temple is dedicated to the Varaha avatar of Vishnu.
The Varaha temple was built in the 12th century by King Anaji Chauhan. Varaha or the boar is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The temple was partly destroyed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb but was renovated again in the 18th century by the Raja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur.
The temple has a huge statue of the Lord Varaha in its inner sanctum which is white in colour. Apart from this, there are many intricate carvings and pillars depicting Garuda and life-sized statues of dwarpalikas or sentries guarding the temple doors Famous Temples in Pushkar.
The best time to visit Varaha temple is during winters which are from October to February. You can visit the temple anytime from sunrise to sunset. Once you reach the railway station or airport, you will easily get buses and taxis to Varaha Temple.
Old Rangji Temple
One of the most popular religious sites in Pushkar, the Old Rangji temple is a 150-year old temple dedicated to Lord Rangji who is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Embodying a fine mix of Mughal and Rajput architecture, the temple also has shades of South Indian architecture with its high-rising Gopuram. Old Rangji Temple is dedicated to Lord Ranga.
The temple was commissioned to be built in the year 1823 by a rich merchant Seth Puran Mal Ganeriwal of Hyderabad. The temple houses the idols of Lord Rangji, idols of Lord Krishna, Goddammahi, Goddess Lakshmi and Shri Ramanujacharya.
Almost all the major festivals on the Hindu religious calendar are celebrated here and they draw huge crowds of devotees from across Rajasthan.
Old Rangji Temple is only one km away from the Pushkar bus station. It will take around 30 minutes to completely explore Old Rangji Temple. This temple remains open from 6 am to 7 pm and it is close to Pushkar Lake.
Apteshwar Temple
Apteshwar Temple is one of the religious sites in India, that boast of spellbinding architecture and religious rituals. A temple that endured the ravages of time, this 12th-century structure was destroyed by Aurangzeb but reconstructed again.
The main deity here is the Shiva Lingam that is served with curd, milk, ghee, and honey. Apart from this, devotees also offer ‘bel’ leaves to the Lord, which they believe helps in fulfilling their wishes.
Devotees and tourists from all parts of the world visit this temple to take part in the rituals and admire the architecture. Shivaratri is the main festival here, which is celebrated with great fervour and joy.
The distance between Pushkar Bus Station and Apteshwar Temple is only one km. It is located near the Brahma temple and you can visit this temple from 6.30 am to 8.30 pm. The Apteshwar temple is famous for its architecture, the white marbles and the serene beauty of Shiva make Apteshwar temple a must-visit Famous Temples in Pushkar.
Raghunath Temple
Pushkar has two Raghunath temples with the older one being built in 1823 and dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Here, Vishnu is worshipped in the form of Lord Rama who is one of the nine incarnations of Vishnu.
Like other religious sites in the area, this one too has beautiful architecture and has deities of Lord Venugopal, Goddess Lakshmi, and Lord Narsimha.
The newer Raghunath temple has deities of Lord Vaikunthanath and Goddess Lakshmi. This temple has seven other shrines with one shikhara each. Only Indians are allowed to enter this temple.
Raghunath temple remains open from 6 am to 9 PM and the best time to visit this temple will be during winters. During summers, the temperature soars, making it extremely difficult for the visitors to explore the temple wholeheartedly. To completely explore Raghunath temple, it takes somewhere around 1 to 2 hours.
Gayatri Temple
The Gayatri temple is a hill-top temple dedicated to Goddess Gayatri who is said to be the consort of Brahma. Along with Goddess Gayatri, Lord Brahma and Godess Savitri are worshipped in this temple.
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Brahma dispatched a swan with a lotus in its beak to drop at a place where he would perform a yagna. The place where the swan dropped the lotus was Pushkar and thus it is considered a major pilgrimage spot for Hindus.
The prime attraction at this temple is the Rajasthani architecture. Devotees throng the temple to worship and enjoy the scenic views from the hill-top.
You can visit Gayatri temple from 6 am to 9 pm. If you are travelling by train, then the Gayatri temple will be 11 km away. You can easily reach by bus and private taxis.
