The story of Brahma and Pushkar

The myth goes that Brahma was upset that he was the only god in the Hindu pantheon who did not have a dedicated city on Earth. The other gods decided that a swan would fly with a flower in its beak and wherever it dropped, their sacred city would be established. This is how the flower fell in Pushkar and it became one of the few places in India with a temple dedicated to Brahma.

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The Brahma temple is a 14th century building without much charm. However, the hustle and bustle of pilgrims and believers is reason enough to arouse your interest. People from all regions of Rajasthan come as a family to pay their respects to Brahma, the creator god.

The temple is located at the end of the bazaar. It is accessed by a steep marble staircase that enters the courtyard. Before you must leave all your belongings in the lockers of a perfume store or with the shoe guards.

The small colorful temple keeps a silver image of the god. Brahma is depicted with four faces looking at the four cardinal points , the symbol that he is the creator god . Many believers stand before the altar and make obeisances or donations to the priests who care for it. In the patio there are other altars. The Shiva altar in the crypt is a must for pilgrims, as well as the room dedicated to the goddess Durga in the back.

Note that there are offerings in the trees and a good part of the marble are tombstones donated to promote good karma in some deceased. There are even Hindus from the Canary Islands .

The other temples in the city are modern since during the Muslim domination much of the city’s Hindu heritage was destroyed.