Beautiful Ancient Temples

We have learnt in Indian history that temples in ancient times were once social hubs where people congregated. They were also sites where the arts of dance, music and combat were honed and have been passed down for generations. Today, these temples remind us of our past and the architectural brilliance of craftsmen in those days.

1. Brihadeshwara Temple, Tanjore, Tamil Nadu

Built by King Rajaraja Chola in 1002 AD, this temple was dedicated to Shiva and is the finest example of Dravidian art. The Brihadeshwara temple combines the best in the tradition of temple building - architecture, sculpture, painting and other allied arts. It is composed of many interconnected structures such as the Nandi pavilion, a pillared portico and a large hall. Its vimana (the roof like structure that towers above the sanctum sanctorum or main shrine) is 66 metres high.

2. Kailashnath Temple, Ellora

This was built as a dedication to Lord Shiva, the destroyer. It is a tribute to man's greatness, even though academia have not given it its due place in our school history syllabus. It was carved in perfect proportion and alignment to its adjacent structures, which include columns, flying bridges, stone arches, and statues and buildings - all made out of a single piece of rock.

3. Chennakeshava Temple, Karnataka

Situated on the banks of the Yagachi river, this temple was an early masterpiece of the Hoysala Period. It was built by the Vijayanagara ruler to commemorate their victory over the Cholas and is solely dedicated to Vishnu as most of the figural carvings depict aspects of Vishnu, particularly the incarnations and the God seated with Lakshmi.

4. Tugnath Temple, Uttarakhand

At an elevation of 3680 metres above sea level, the Tugnath Temple is the highest elevated of the Panch Kedar, the others are Madhyamaheshwar, Kedarnath, Rudranath and Kalpeshwar. The temple is connected to the Ramayana where Lord Ram meditated to release the curse of Brahmahatya for having slaughtered Ravana. The temple is quite small, and hence only 10 people are allowed in at a time. 

5. Adi Kumbeswarar, Tamil Nadu

Located in the temple town of India, Kumbhakonam, this temple dates back to the Vijaynagara period. Adi Kumbeswarar is the presiding deity of the temple and the shrine is located in the centre. Kumbeswarar is in the form a lingam believed to have been made by Shiva himself when he mixed the nectar of immortality and sand.

6. Jagatpita Brahma Mandir, Rajasthan

Although the structure of this temple dates back to the 14th century, this temple is said to be 2000 years old. The temple is mainly built of marble and stone slabs. It has a distinct red pinnacle and a bird motif. The temple sanctum sanctorum holds the central images of Brahma and his second consort Gayatri. It witnesses a festival dedicated to Brahma during the Kartik Purnima.

7. Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Tamil Nadu

Varadharaja Perumal Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in the holy city of Kanchipuram. It is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu believed to have been visited by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars. It is believed that the lizard sculptures that adorn the ceilings of the temple when touched forgive the sins of your past life. 

8. Konark Sun Temple, Odisha

This temple was built by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty around AD 1250. The temple is in the shape of a gigantic chariot with elaborately carved stone wheels, pillars and walls. A major part of the structure is now in ruins. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

9. Dilwara Temples near Mount Abu, Rajasthan

Located about 2.5 km from Mount Abu, each of these five temples are unique in their own way and were built between the 11th and 13th century AD and are remarkable for their stunning use of marble. These five temples (Vimal Vasahi, Luna Vasahi, Pittalhar Temple, Parshvanatha Temple and Mahavir Swami Temple) are considered the most beautiful Jain pilgrimage sites in the world. 

10. Pancha Ratna Temple, Bankura, West Bengal

Built in 1643 by King Raghunath Singha, this temple stands on a low square plinth and consists of an ambulatory pathway with a porch opened by three arches on the four sides of the temple. The walls are richly decorated with terracotta carvings featuring aspects of Lord Krishna’s life.

11. Badami Cave Temples, Karnataka

The Badami cave temples are a complex of temples located at Badami, a town in the Bagalkot District in the northern part of Karnataka, India. They are considered an example of Indian rock-cut architecture, especially Badami Chalukya Architecture.

12. Vittala Temple, Hampi, Karnataka

Perhaps one of the most popular of all the temples in the Hampi complex, this houses the famous musical pillars that have amazing acoustics. The British wanted to find out the reason behind this, and so they cut two pillars to check if there was anything inside that was producing the sound. They found nothing but hollow pillars. 

The road leading to the temple was once a market where horses were traded. Even today we can see the ruins of the market on both the sides of the road. The temple contains images of foreigners like Persians selling horses.

13. Orchha Temples, Madhya Pradesh

Orchha is another famous tourist spot located near the famous Khajuraho Temple. The town has Chaturbhuj Temple, Lakshmi Temple and Ram Raja Temple. 

The Chaturbhuj temple is imposing with tall spires built atop a high platform. Its exterior is richly ornamented with lotus symbols. The Raja Ram Temple resembles a palace as the Ram is worshiped as a king here.

The Lakshmi Temple is an odd mixture of temple and fort and an unique mixture of concentric forms. It consists of an octagonal central tower inside a triangular temple. In line with this eccentricity, the entrance gate is set in a corner rather than the wall.

The Khajuraho Temple

The Khajuraho  is a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about 620 kilometres  southeast of New Delhi, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculptures.

 In the 19th century, British engineer T.S. Burt arrived in the area, followed by General Alexander Cunningham. Cunningham put Khajuraho on the world map and he explored the site on behalf of the Archaeological Survey of India  .The Khajuraho Group of Monuments has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is considered from one of the “seven wonders” in India.

Architecture

 The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions: western, eastern and southern.

The Khajuraho temples are made of sandstone. The builders didn’t use mortar: the stones were put together with mortise and tenon joints and they were held in place by gravitcal force . This form of construction requires very precise joints. The columns and architraves were built with megaliths that weighed up to 20 tons.

 The Saraswati temple on the campus of the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India, is modeled after the Khajuraho temples.

 The Khajuraho temples do not contain sexual or erotic art nor inside the temple or near the deities; however, some external carvings bear erotic art. Also, some of the temples that have two layers of walls have small erotic carvings on the outside of the inner wall. There are many interpretations of the erotic carvings. They portray that, for seeing the deity, one must leave his or her sexual desires outside the temple. They also show that divinity, such as the deities of the temples, is pure like the atman, which is not affected by sexual desires and other characteristics of the physical body. It has been suggested that these suggest tantric sexual practices. Meanwhile, the external curvature and carvings of the temples depict humans, human bodies, and the changes that occur in human bodies, as well as facts of life. Some 10% of the carvings contain sexual themes; those reportedly do not show deities, they show sexual activities between people. The rest depict the everyday life of the common Indian of the time when the carvings were made, and of various activities of other beings. For example, those depictions show women putting on makeup, musicians, potters, farmers, and other folk. Those mundane scenes are all at some distance from the temple deities. A common misconception is that, since the old structures with carvings in Khajuraho are temples, the carvings depict sex between deities.

Another perspective of these carvings is presented by James McConnachie. In his history of the Kamasutra, McConnachie describes the zesty 10% of the Khajuraho sculpture as “the apogee of erotic art”: “Twisting, broad-hipped and high breasted nymphs display their generously contoured and bejewelled bodies on exquisitely worked exterior wall panels. These fleshy apsaras run riot across the surface of the stone, putting on make-up, washing their hair, playing games, dancing, and endlessly knotting and unknotting their girdles….Beside the heavenly nymphs are serried ranks of griffins, guardian deities and, most notoriously, extravagantly interlocked maithunas, or lovemaking couples.”

Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya

The Mahabodhi (Great illumination) Temple is a Buddhist stupa located in Bodhgaya, Bihar India. It is the most holy site in Buddhism and visited frequently by both Buddhist and Hindu pilgrims (Hindus honor the Buddha as an embodiment of Vishnu).

 A feeling of tranquility engulfs one as soon as one enters the sacred Mahabodhi Temple complex. The Mahabodhi  earlier the temple was  known as Bodhimanda-vihara (Pali) and the Bodhi tree is the old sacred tree which is located adjacent to the Mahabodhi temple of Bodh Gaya.  Bodhgaya is the second largest place of pilgrimage .Here the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree at the age of 35 and came to be known as Buddha, meaning the ‘all knowing one’ and the ‘all compassionate one’. The Maha Bodhi or the Pipal tree is known as the tree of awakening. After attaining enlightenment, Buddha spent seven more weeks in meditation in seven different places around the Bodhi Tree.

 In 2002, UNESCO declared the Mahabodhi Temple a World Heritage Site and recommended “the Indian authorities should plan to develop an overall management  to safeguard the values of the World Heritage site. This  plan should include a provision for regular monitoring of conditions at the site, including the impact that tourism may have on the religious and spiritual significance of the place. ” The Mahabodhi Temple is, as desired by UNESCO ,governing  by the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee.

 The Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, highted  52 mt tall spire and home to a large gilded statue of the Buddha, stands next to the Bodhi Tree. The temple is supposed to be built by the Emperor Ashok, and is decorated with friezes depicting the life of the Buddha. Along the northern wall of the Mahabodhi temple there  is a raised walkway known as the Chankramana Chaitya- the `Jewel Path’- where the Buddha meditated as he walked. Adjacent to the temple is a lotus pond the place where the Buddha performed his ablutions. The temple represents the architectural brilliance of the Gupta Kings, who put together their genius and skills to come up with its attractive structure. The architecture speaks its volumes of the artistic caliber of the builders for their amazing structure.

 The sacred Bodhi Tree

 The sacred Bodhi tree is the shades under which the Siddhartha Gautama meditated and attained Enlightenment on the full Moon day of Vaisakh Purnima (May month). This Peepal tree’s botanical name is Ficus Religiosa. It was under this tree that the Buddha spent the first week in meditation after attaining Enlightenment.

The original tree is destroyed several times by man-made misery and natural calamities.

The present Tree which stands is probably the fifth succession of the original tree.

 The pilgrimage season starts from the September month but the best time to visit the temple is between the months of November to February when the climate is so moderate.

SHRI KASHI VISHWANATH MANDIR

A BRIEF HISTORY

Standing on the western bank of India's holiest river Ganges, Varanasi is the oldest surviving city of the world and the cultural capital of India. It is in the heart of this city that there stands in its fullest majesty the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in which is enshrined the Jyotirlinga of Shiva, Vishweshwara or Vishwanatha. Here gravitate the teeming millions of India to seek benediction and spiritual peace by the darshan of this Jyotirlinga which confers liberation from the bondages of maya and the inexorable entanglements of the world. A simple glimpse of the Jyotirlinga is a soul-cleansing experience that transforms life and puts it on the path of knowledge and bhakti. Vishweshwara Jyotirlinga has a very special and unique significance in the spiritual history of India. Tradition has it that the merits earned by the darshan of other jyotirlinga scattered in various parts of India accrue to devotee by a single visit to Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Deeply and intimately implanted in the Hindu mind, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple has been a living embodinent of our timeless cultural traditions and highest spiritual values. The Temple has been visited by all great saints- Adi Shankaracharya, Ramkrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekanand, Goswami Tulsidas, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, Gurunanak and several other spiritual personalities. The Kashi Vishwanath Temple attracts visitors not only from India but abroad as well and thereby symbolises man's desire to live in peace snd harmony with one another. Vishwanath being a supreme repository of this spiritual truth thus strengthens the bonds of universal brotherhood and fellow feeling at the national as well as global levels. On January 28, 1983 the Temple was taken over by the Govt. of Uttar Pradesh and it's management ever since stands entrusted to a Trust with Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh. Former Kashi Naresh, as president and an Executive Committee with Divisional Commissioner as Chairman. The Temple in the present shape was built way back in 1780 by Late Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore. In the year 1785 a Naubatkhana was built up in front of the Temple by the then Collector Mohd. Ibrahim Khan at the instance of Governor General Warren Hastings. In 1839, Two domes of the Temple were covered by gold donated by Punjab Kesari Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. Third dome but was remained uncovered, Ministry of cultures & Religious affairs of U.P. Govt. took keen interest for gold plating of third dome of Temple.

Charbhuja Temple Garhbor

Charbhuja mean 'four arms' i.e lord Vishnu of Hindu's. Charbhuja Temple is of lord Vishnu which was built by Shri Gang Dev who received divine instructions from lord Vishnu in his dreams. Believing on his dream, Gang dev recovered a 85 centimeters high idol of Shri Charbhuja ji. It was also believed that more than 125 battles were fought to protect this temple and many times it was submerged in water for its protection. Pandava also worshiped this Shri Charbhuja idol.

Shri Charbhuja Temple and Idol

Shri Charbhuja temple was constructed near the Gomati river in 1444 A.D. Temple is also known for its unmatched architecture with magnificent mirror work inside the temple. White marble, lime mortar and mirror is used as the construction material for this temple. Its gold inside shutters and silver ouside shutter attracts with stone elephant which are placed on both side of the entrance in the temple. Garud ji idol is also situated in the courtyard. 85 cm idol of Shri Charbhuja ji has four arms which are holding conch, discus, mace and a lotus flower each. Inscription in the temple tells about the village name Badri, so the idol also known as Badrinath.

A large fair is held in Shri Charbhuja temple every year on Bhadrapad Ekadashi i.e. Jhaljhoolani Ekadashi. As this idol is consider a miraculous one, thousands of pilgrims visit it every year. Jhaljhoolani Ekadashi falls on the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapad month of Hindu’s i.e August-September. Pilgrims takes part in great procession and people welcome them with perfume and flowers.

Deo Somnath Temple

Deo Somnath Temple is a Lord Shiva temple which is located at a distance of 24 km away from Dungarpur at Deo Gaon. Situated on the banks of the River Som, it was constructed during the rule of Vikram Samwat in the 12th century. Beautifully built with white marble stone, Deo Somnath walls have many inscriptions. It is a replica of the Somnath temple of Gujarat and also resembles one of the Khajuraho temples of Madhya Pradesh. At the entrance of the temple, massively carved stone elephant structure and Lord Shiva bull also made of stone sit at the entrance.Incripted walls of the temple also have handprints panels which are believed of those women who immolated as "Sati". Temple’s dome also present fine architecture and also resembles Ranakpur Jain temple. Marvelously carved stone pillars with series of sculpted figures and inscription adds to it’s beauty.

Tirupati Balaji Temple

Tirupati is situated in Chittoor District in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Tirupati is one of the important pilgrim centers in India. The ancient and sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak, Venkatachala (Venkata Hill) of the Tirupati Hill. This historic shrine of Sri Venkateswara is famous all over the country and attracts pilgrims from all over the country who stand in line for hours together to obtain a glimpse of the presiding deity for a few fleeting seconds. 

The shrine is located on a hill at Tirumala, a cluster of seven hills known as Seshachalam or Venkatachalam with an elevation of 853m (2,800ft.) above the sea level. It is said to be the second richest temple in the world. This temple is a vibrant cultural and philanthropic institution with a grand history spanning several centuries.

All the great dynasties of rulers of the southern peninsula paid homage to Lord Sri Venkateswara in this ancient shrine. The Pallavas of Kancheepuram (9th century AD),the Cholas of Thanjavur (a century later),the Pandyas of Madurai, and the kings and chieftains of Vijayanagar (14th – 15th century AD) were devotees of the Lord.

Tirupati is a fine example of Dravidian temple architecture. The ‘gopuram’ or tower of the Tirupati Temple shows a characteristic feature of Dravidian architecture. The ‘Vimana’ or Cupola over the sanctum sanctorum is covered entirely with gold plate and is known as “The Ananda Nilayam”. The Shrine consists of three ‘Prakarams’ or enclosures. The outermost enclosure contains the ‘Dhvajastambha’ or the banner post and, among others, the statues of Vijayanagara king Krishnadevaraya and his consorts, and of Todarmal, the minister of Akbar.

The idol of the deity, the full figure of Lord Venkateswara or ‘Venkataramana’ or ‘Srinivasa’ or ‘Balaji’ has the attributes of both Vishnu and Shiva, preserving and destroying aspects of the Hindu Trinity

Padi Kavali Maha Dwara:
The Padi Kavali Maha Dwara or Outer Gopuram stands on a quadrangular base. Its architecture is that of the later Chola period. The inscriptions on the gopuram belong to 13th century. There are a number of stucco figures of Vaishnava gods like Hanuman, Kevale Narasimha and Lakshmi Narasimha on the gopuram.

Sampangi Pradakshinam:

The path for circumnavigating the temple is called a Pradakshinam. The main temple has three Prakarams. Between the outermost and middle Prakarams is the second pathway for circumambulation known as the Sampangi Pradakshinam. Currently, this pathway is closed to pilgrims. The Sampangi Pradakshinam contains several interesting mandapams like the Pratima Mandapam, Ranga Mandapam, Tirumala Raya Mandapam, Saluva Narasimha Mandapam, Aina Mahal and Dhvajastambha Mandapam.

Ranga Mandapam:

Ranga Mandapam, also called the Ranganayakula Mandapam, is located in the south-eastern corner of the Sampangi Pradakshinam. The shrine within it is believed to be the place where the utsava murti of Lord Ranganadha of Srirangam was kept during the 14th century, when Srirangam was occupied by Muslim rulers. It is said to have been constructed between 1320 and 1360 AD by the Yadava ruler Sri Ranganadha Yadava Raya. It is constructed according to the Vijayanagara style of architecture.

Tirumala Raya Mandapam :

Adjoining the Ranga Mandapam on the western side, and facing the Dhvajastambha Mandapam is a spacious complex of pavilions known as the Tirumala Raya Mandapam or Anna Unjal Mandapam.

It consists of two different levels, the front at a lower level and the rear at a higher. The southern or inner portion of this Mandapam was constructed by Saluva Narasimha in 1473 AD to celebrate a festival for Sri Venkateswara called Anna Unjal Tirunal. This structure was extended to its present size by Araviti Bukkaraya Ramaraja, Sriranga Raja and Tirumala Raja.

It is in this Mandapam, that the utsava murthi Malayappan, holds His annual darbar or Asthanam during the hoisting of the Garudadhwaja on Dhwajastambham to mark the commencement of Brahmotsavam. Incidentally, the prasadam distributed on this occasion is still called Tirumalarayan Pongal.

Tirumala Raya Mandapam:
The Mandapam has a typical complex of pillars in the Vijayanagara style, with a central pillar surrounded by smaller pillars, some of which emit musical notes when struck with a stone. The main pillars have rearing horses with warriors mounted on them. Some of the best sculptures of the temple are found in bold relief in the Mandapam. The bronze statues of Todermallu, his mother Matha Mohana Devi and wife Pitha Bibi are kept in a corner of the Mandapam.
The Aina Mahal:

The Aina Mahal is on the northern side of the Tirumala Raya Mandapam. It consists of two parts – an open Mandapam in the front consisting of six rows comprising six pillars each, and a shrine behind it consisting of an Antarala and Garbhagriha. It has large mirrors which reflect images in an infinite series. There is an Unjal in the middle of the room in which the Lord is seated and festivals conducted.

Saint Ramanujacharya prescribed all the elaborate rituals and mode of worship in the temple that are still followed by the priests and devotees. Anointing the idol with camphor, and the offering by pilgrims of the hair on their heads by getting themselves shaved by licensed barbers are the important customs in vogue at Tirupati Temple.

The most famous is the annual festival called ‘Brahmotsavam’, which is celebrated on grand scale for nine days in September, attracting pilgrims and tourists from all parts of the country. The fifth and ninth days of the festival are especially significant in as much as Garudostavam and Rathotavam takes place on those days.

Tanot Mata Temple

Tanot Mata Temple or Mateshwari Tanot Rai Mandir is the same temple you have seen many times in the Bollywood 'Border' movie. Tanot Mata temple remained untouched despite the heavy shelling by Pakistan during Indo-Pak war of 1971. The temple is located very close to India - Pakistan Border and tourist are not allowed to go beyond this temple.

Tanot Mata History

Goddess Tanot is believed to be the incarnation of Goddess Hinglaz which is located in Lasvela district of Baluchistan. In 847 AD foundation of Goddess, Tanot was kept and idol was installed. Generation of Bhati Rajput takes care of this temple.

Earlier during the Indo-Pak war of 1965, Tanot Mata temple did not even touch by targeted bombs by Pakistan Army whereas all the bombs did not explode which falls in the vicinity of the temple due to Goddess Tanot divine power. Those unexploded bombs now can be seen in the Tanot Mata temple museum. After the war, Border Security Force of India continues to manage this holy temple till date. Located very close to the battle site of Longewala- Jaisalmer , visitors cannot go beyond the temple.

Now Tanot Mata turn out to be a popular tourist destination and a perfect place to explore in the Thar desert. Best time to visit Tanot Mata temple is October to March.

Chintamani Parasnath Jain Temple

Chintamani Parasnath Jain Temple is famous Jain temple also known as 'Shri Godisa Parshwanath Bhagwan ka Mandir'. This temple is dedicated to Parasvanath who is a Jain Tirthankara. Located on west of Barmer city oat top of a hill-lock, this Parasnath temple was constructed in 12th century.Parshwanath Jain temple is famous for its magnificent sculptures and ornamental paintings which makes its interiors attractive. Visitors must also see the rich glass inlay work of the artisans in the interior part the temple.

Famous Temples in Haryana

Haryana is a small state in India which has its own religious identity. The temples in Haryana are beautiful that reflects the ancient era and are ideal tourist spots. The temples in Haryana are prominent for their symbol of heritage and culture.

Haryana, with its capital in Chandigarh or “The City Beautiful” as it is known, a significant constituent of Delhi’s National Capital Region and surrounding the capital on three sides, has made amazing progress over the years and today is a force to be reckoned with, economically and industrially!

The scene of several historic battles which shaped the history of India, including the three Battles of Panipat, Haryana has significantly shaped the country’s economic progress and self-sufficiency in food as well! While agriculture is the main industry, embryo transfer technology has revolutionized cattle breeding and with Asia’s oldest and largest Dairy at Karnal, the Murrah breed of water buffalo from Haryana is world-famous for its milk production.

Haryana, is the land of ethics and culture and attracts large number of tourists throughout the year. The visitors to Haryana can go for adventure sports and also visit number of pilgrimage places. Haryana Tourism Development Corporation is making all efforts to preserve the heritage sites of the state, and paying adequate attention on the development of infrastructure. There are many tourist complexes for the comfort of the travelers which are available at reasonable prices. Haryana is known for its folk music, handicrafts, pottery, dance and different kinds of embroidery and weaving. There are several tourist spots and resorts in Haryana

Haryana Tourism also organises the grand Suraj Kund Crafts Mela where there is the display of the best quality of handloom and handicrafts and also of the vivacious culture of Haryana. The state is full of life and the development process is going here with a very fast pace.

Famous temples to visit  in Haryana are:

Baba Rameshwar Dass Temple
Birla Gita Mandir
Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple 
Sita Mai Temple
Bishnoi Mandir 
Mansa Devi Temple 
Ancient Shiva Temple of Saketri 
Chandi Mandir 
Bhima Devi Temple 
Jayanti Devi Temple 
Sheetala Devi Temple
Bhawani Amba Temple
Brick Temples

Chamunda Mata Temple Jodhpur

Chamunda Mata temple in Jodhpur is the temple of Chamunda Devi, Isht devi of royal family. It is located in the southern part of Mehrangarh Fort. Founder of Jodhpur city, Rao Jodha brought the idol of his favourite goddess Chamunda Devi from old capital of Mandore in 1460. He installed Chamunda Devi idol in the Mehrangarh Fort and from then Chamunda become their diety.Worshipped and visited by many devotees in and around Jodhpur, at the time of Dussehra, Fort become full of peoples and devotees.

History of Chamunda Mata Temple

Located in Mehrangarh Fort Jodhpur, the temple was built by Rao Jodha at the time when he was building the fort here. The hill where he chose to build this fort was ocuppied by the hermit butt he was removed from there as a result he cursed the king thet his fort will have shotage of water always.

To balance this curse by the saint he built the Chamunda Mata Temple inside the fort to protect the fort and its people. From that day Goddess Chamunda was the main deity of the Rajputs here.

Brahma Temple in Pushkar

Brahma Temple is one of the most famous and only few of the temples dedicated to Lord Brahma in the holy city of Pushkar, Rajasthan. This Pushkar temple is the place of deep spirituality and thousand of devotees come here to pay homage to the many gods that reside in this temple town. Pushkar city has over 500 temples with the main Pushkar temple. It is dedicated to lord Brahma and the only Brahma temple anywhere in the world.

Brahma Temple History

According to the Padma Purana, the story behind Pushkar temple is that Lord Brahma was in search of a suitable place to perform a yajna when the lotus he was holding fell from is hand and landed on the Earth. Miraculously a lake sprang up at the place where the Lotus touched the earth and Brahma considering it a good omen decided to perform his yagna and named the town as a flower in Hindi is ‘push’ and hand is ‘kar’, therefore the land was named Pushkar. But when his wife Saraswati failed to join him, he married a local maiden Gayatri and completed the ceremony, on getting to know about this, an enraged Saraswati cursed Brahma that from this day forth he would be worshiped only in the land of Pushkar and nowhere else on Earth.

Architecture and Fair

The temple is constructed on the banks of the Pushkar Lake in the 14th century. Pushkar temple spreads the splendid aura around it. Built on a raised platform, it has marble steps, a hans (goose-the official carrier of Brahma) in the gateway with a red sapphire on its crown. It also has beautifully carved silver turtle sits with its face towards the sanctum sanatorium. This temple has a four-headed idol of Lord Brahma which is magnificent. During the Kartika Purnima (Full Moon) in the months of October- November, Pushkar temple is crowded with thousands of devotees as it is the time which marks the period during which Brahma performed his Yagna in Pushkar. Holy dip in the water of Pushkar Lake and bow their head before the Jagat Pita, Lord Brahma has its own significance in Hindu culture. This is also the time when the sleepy town of Pushkar comes alive with the joyous Pushkar festival.

Baba Ramdeo Temple Jodhpur

Baba Ramdeo Temple or Baba Ramdev Temple, famous by the name of Adhar Shila temple is located above on top of a sandstone 'Massuria hill'. This hill comes on route between Jalori Gate and Nagori Gate of Jodhpur. Baba Randev temple history allures visitors to know more about the temple.Known for its divine and devotion, Baba Ramdeo temple has long lost of followers and stories of local beliefs. This mysterious temple has tiny rock at its entrance with the inscription "Enter at your own risk". This makes travellers more curious towards the temple With devotees, adventurous people also visited it for the spectaclar views from the top of the temple which could only be possible after climbing through rickety stairs against vertical rock pillars. But now proper stairs are made which easier the task to reach at top and take amazing views.

Akshardham Temple in Jaipur

Swaminarayan Mandir Akshardham Temple is one of the well-known tourist attractions of Jaipur. The temple is known for its beautiful architecture, magnificent idols, sculptures, and carvings. and is dedicated to the Hindu God, Narayan. Akshardham temple provides the real glimpse of Indian architecture, cultural heritage and sculptures of Hindu gods to the visitors. It is located in the Vaishali Nagar, Jaipur.

History of Akshardham Temple Jaipur

Akshardham Temple in Jaipur has not such legendary history since it is a modern temple which was built recently in between 19th and 20th century. But it still depicts the architectural wonders of Indian temples and is one of the most visited temple in Jaipur city. The temple is located in vaishali nagar and is visited by millions of devotee all round the year. The idol and the temple buildings offers a place fo serenity and peace.

Architecture of Temple

The temple is surrounded bu lush green gardens and fountains. It’s unique architecture is what attracts most of the tourists here. The walls of the temple is beautifully decorated with number of sculptures and carvings which feels amazing to watch. The main idol of the temple which is Lord Vishnu, is decorated with the gold and silver ornaments

Adishwar Temple Pali

Adishwar Temple in Pali is also known by other name 'Chaumukha Temple' also. This 15th century temple shrine known for the unique architectural style of a Nalinigulm Vimana, a heavenly aircraft.Adishwar Temple took 65 years for the construction and is the largest Jain temples. Temple has three storeys, 80 domes, and 29 halls.

 

Visitors get surprise by seeing the pavilions of the temple which are supported by 1444 pillars. The innermost part of the temple is adorned with a four faced image of Lord Adinath or Rishabhdev.