Pushkar - Revision history

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[[Category: India |P]]
[[Category: Places |P]]
[[Category:Name|Alphabet]]
[[Category:Name|Alphabet]]

=Pushkar=

By Geeta Nandakumar

'' India Harmony '' VOLUME - 1 : ISSUE - 3 APRIL, 2012

==Enchanting Pushkar==

[[File: The town of Pushkar set amidst the sylvan beauty of the Arvallis and the wondrous lake formed from a flower that fell from the hand of Lord brahma himself.png| The town of Pushkar set amidst the sylvan beauty of the Arvallis and the wondrous lake formed from a flower that fell from the hand of Lord brahma himself|frame|500px]]
More than 400 temples in a small
Indian town by a beautiful semi- circular lake with 52 lovely ghats
is a surprise. And Pushkar is just that, an
enchanting smorgasbord of religion and
culture that intoxicates and holds tourists in
thrall. The byzantine lanes of its bazaars are
choc-a-bloc with people soaking in and
unravelling the aeons' old culture of a timeless
land. While tourists throng the town round
the year, the influx rises to massive levels,
when devotees and tourists descend there in
pilgrimage to one of the most sacred sites of
the Hindus in the month of November, when
the town also hosts an exotic extravaganza –
the world's largest camel and cattle fair.

==Tirtha raj==

The sparkling Pushkar lake is situated on the
edge of the desert surrounded by hills on three
sides and separated from Ajmer by the 'Nag
pahar' . The mountain houses the ancient cave
of saint Agastya and the poet Kalidasa. So
taken in was the poet by the sylvan
surroundings, that he made it the setting for
his masterpiece 'Abhigyana Shankuntalam'.
Legend has it that Ajmer and Pushkar are
hoary, they date back to the time when Lord
Brahma was in search of a tranquil land to
perform a 'yagna', a fire ritual. A lotus (pushp)
fell from the hand (kar) of the Lord into the
valley and the lake that sprang up at the spot
was named Pushkar by the lord Himself. A
temple dedicated to Lord Brahma in Pushkar
is a hugely popular place of pilgrimage and is
replete with lores about Lord Brahma.

[[File: Brahma temple,.png| Brahma temple|frame|500px]]

Pushkar is regarded as the tirtha raj, or, the
holiest of sacred places among the five
'dhams' that are a must visit for Hindu
pilgrims. Pushkar has the only temple in the
world for Lord Brahma (the Creator of the
Universe), one among the holy Trinity – the
other two being Lord Vishnu, the Preserver
and Lord Shiva, the Destroyer.

Since the cycle of creation, preservation and
destruction is an ongoing process in the
Universe, the three Gods represent a whole. If
the morning dies to give birth to noon and the
noon dies to give way for the night, creation
and destruction (birth and death) are inherent
and twin sides of the same coin and
preservation or maintenance of the day before
nightfall is also part of the process. Hence, the
Trinity is manifest at all times. While, there
are temples aplenty dedicated to Lord Shiva
and Lord Vishnu in India, Pushkar boasts of
the only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma.

[[File: Four-faced Brahma.png|Four-faced Brahma|frame|left|500px]]

Lord Brahma as the Creator of the Universe,is
the first among these equals or the Divine
Triad. An individual's subtle body is
constituted of his mind and intellect, that is,
his entire thoughts. Man's subtle body is
responsible for the creation of his gross body
and also the world that he experiences. This
phenomenon is true not only of the
microcosm but of the macrocosm as well. The
cosmic subtle body is the aggregate of all
subtle bodies of living beings. The cosmic
subtle called the Hiranyagarbha, is said to be
the creator of the entire universe. This creator
is Brahma.
The four-faced Brahma statue in Pushkar has
four hands,
symbolises the
four Vedas. The
mystic symbolism
is also about the
functioning of the
inner personality
comprising the
thought process,
the mind (manas),
the intellect
(buddhi), ego
(ahamkara) and
conditional consciousness (chitta). In Hindu
iconocgraphy, Lord Brahma is generally seen
in austere attire dressed in animal pelt holding
the four Vedas or the Book of Knowledge in
one hand; a kamandal in another; a sceptre in
the third that represents destruction of ego and
renounciation in order to dedicate oneself for
the welfare of the world, as well as rosary
beads in the fourth hand that indicate
meditation as the path of final realisation of
God, all symbolic of the pathway to be
adopted by a seeker desirous of attaining the
ultimate spiritual state, through spiritual
discipline. Brahma, the Creator of the
Universe as well as the intellect and the
subtle mind has Saraswati, the Goddess
of Knowledge as his consort and the
Swan as his official vehicle, as it
symbolises Grace and discernment. The
gateway to the temple in Pushkar is
adorned by a 'Hans' or Swan and the
walls of the temple adorned with
pictures of peacocks, the official vehicle
of Goddess Saraswati.

[[File: Symbols of pluralism The Brahma temple of Pushkar nestling in the folds of the Arvallis.png|Symbols of pluralism The Brahma temple of Pushkar nestling in the folds of the Arvallis|frame|500px]]

While legend has it that Goddess
Saraswati, also known as Savitri had
cursed Brahma for performing a yagna
in Her absence, with Gayatri as his
consort, the subtle reason for the few
Brahma temples is the fact that the
Creator of the Universe, who has
already performed the job of creation is
less worshipped and it is the path of the
Destroyer (Lord Shiva) and the
preserver of existence (Lord Vishnu)
that most humans seek since they are in
the process of destroying their negative
thought processes to attain Godhood.
For the intellectuals, seeking creative
ways to improve the world around, Lord
Brahma is of immense importance!

For seven days in the month of Kartik
(the eighth Lunar month) in October-
November, tens of thousands of
devotees throng this small temple town to pay
homage to Lord Brahma and to seek
enlightenment and salvation. Hindu pilgrims
come for the holy dip in the Pushkar Lake,
with the maximum gathering on Kartik
Poornima (the full-moon day of the month of
Kartik). The belief is that a dip in the Pushkar
Lake on this auspicious occasion brings
salvation to devotees. In the autumn night,
thousands of oil lamps are floated in the lake
as a mark of worship of Lord Brahma. The
entire atmosphere is aglow with the
illumination of the lamps and the deep faith of
the devotees.

==Carnival time==

[[File: The camel and cattle fair, the world’s largest one that is held every year in Pushkar town during the month of Kartik.png| The camel and cattle fair, the world’s largest one that is held every year in Pushkar town during the month of Kartik|frame|500px]]

The seven-day Pushkar festival is marked by
a trade and cultural extravaganza for the first
five days. As is typical of everything Indian,
the spiritual and the temporal meet
seamlessly. For, even as the tourists throng the
town on the edge of the magnificent lake,
ostensibly, for a communion with the Divine,
they are part of the huge local mela that is the
Pushkar fair. And since it is Rajasthan, the
local folks make the all -purpose and
ubiquitous camel that is at the heart of all life
in the state, the focal point of the fair. The
spiritual centre takes on a cultural and
business hue as brisk trade in camels and
cattle is done. And alongside, the business,
there are camel races and beauty pageants for
the dromedary too! After the first five days
which are a time of camel and carnival, before
the focus shifts to the religious festival of
Kartik Purnima. In this tale of the ethnospiritual
fest, the peaceful pilgrim town
explodes into a spectacle of local culture,
layered and intertwined with myth, history
and spirituality resulting in a bewildering
bazaar of gypsies, gods and dromedaries.

[[File: Camel rider readying for a race and crowds thronging the Pushkar mela.png| Camel rider readying for a race and crowds thronging the Pushkar mela|frame|500px]]

Pushkar's exquisite bazaars hawk everything
from miniature paintings, embroidered beads,
colourful bangles, leather goods or lovely
brass utensils to tattoo shops. Pushkar has
something for everyone. For those in love
with traditional items such as mesmerising
puppets and pottery, Pushkar is considered to
be one of the most interesting places to shop.
A giant hot airballoon safari over the holy city
of Pushkar gives tourists a kaleidoscopic view
of the scenic beauty of Pushkar Lake and the
ancient treasures which this city offers.

[[File: Camels readying for a race, cultural shows on the sidelines of the Pushkar mela and shops selling bric-a-brac at the mela.png| Camels readying for a race, cultural shows on the sidelines of the Pushkar mela and shops selling bric-a-brac at the mela|frame|500px]]

The Cattle and Camel Fair at Pushkar is the
largest one of its kind on the planet. Over
50,000 camels find their way to the Pushkar
Fair to be traded off or to display their best
features, beauty and tricks. The fair brings
unique competitions that are very funny and
very entertaining. At the beauty contest for
example, camels vie with each other adorned
with painted motifs and wearing beautifully
embroidered and mirror-worked saddlecloth.
Camel race and camel dance being the other
highlights of the fair. Men are not less
interesting here with giant-sized mustaches
and beards in unique shapes and designs.

Turban-tying, henna and bridal competitions,
folk dances, acrobatic performances, and
puppet performances lure over 2,00,000
visitors. The spectacular fair grounds are
filled with beautifully decorated camels and
cattle, adventurous competitions and events.
Meditating sadhus, holy dip in Pushkar lake,
huge number of stalls, folk dances and
colourfully dressed people from all over the
world are a feature of the fair. Over the years,
this mela has become one of the major
cultural reflectors of Rajasthan and people
from different parts of the world gather to
participate in the events.

[[File: Kalbeliya Dancer at the Pushkar Fair.png| Kalbeliya Dancer at the Pushkar Fair|frame|500px]]

There are snake charmers – whose hypnotic
music entices cobras to rise out of wicker
baskets and dance, elaborately dressed street
performers, ash-covered Sadhus lost in a
spiritual trance – and six-legged cows, whose
owners highlight their deformities to elicit
money from the curious. There are
fortunetellers, healers, jugglers, dancers and
storytellers. And of course, there are tribal
women in their brightly coloured saris and
lehengas with the thousands of arresting faces
that reflect the long and fascinating history of
an ancient culture that continues to live in the
heart and soul of Rajasthan.
Thus, a fascinating blend of Sufi Culture,
hindu spirituality and the magnificent colours
of Rajasthan make the twin towns an
irresistible draw.

@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 the town also hosts an exotic extravaganza –
 the world's largest camel and cattle fair.
 ==Tirtha raj==
@@ Line 256: / Line 258: @@
 ancient treasures which this city offers.
-[[File: Camels readying for a race, cultural shows on the sidelines of the Pushkar mela and shops selling bric-a-brac at the mela.png| Camels readying for a race, cultural shows on the sidelines of the Pushkar mela and shops selling bric-a-brac at the mela|frame|500px]]
-−
 The Cattle and Camel Fair at Pushkar is the
 largest one of its kind on the planet. Over

@@ Line 212: / Line 212: @@
 the devotees.
-==Carnival time==
+[[File: Kalbeliya Dancer at the Pushkar Fair.png| Kalbeliya Dancer at the Pushkar Fair|frame|left|500px]]
-−
-−
 The seven-day Pushkar festival is marked by
 a trade and cultural extravaganza for the first
@@ Line 307: / Line 306: @@
 of Rajasthan make the twin towns an
 irresistible draw.

@@ Line 289: / Line 289: @@
 participate in the events.
 There are snake charmers – whose hypnotic
 music entices cobras to rise out of wicker
@@ Line 309: / Line 307: @@
 of Rajasthan make the twin towns an
 irresistible draw.

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 ''Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value. ''
 [[File: The camel and cattle fair, the world’s largest one that is held every year in Pushkar town during the month of Kartik.png| The camel and cattle fair, the world’s largest one that is held every year in Pushkar town during the month of Kartik|frame|500px]]
 =Pushkar=
 Town, lake, and place of pilgrimage in Ajmer District,
@@ Line 51: / Line 51: @@
 [[File: Brahma temple,.png| Brahma temple|frame|500px]]
+[[File: Four-faced Brahma.png|Four-faced Brahma|frame|left|500px]]
 =Pushkar=
@@ Line 122: / Line 122: @@
 and Lord Vishnu in India, Pushkar boasts of
 the only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma.
 Lord Brahma as the Creator of the Universe,is
@@ Line 178: / Line 176: @@
 of Goddess Saraswati.
 While legend has it that Goddess
 Saraswati, also known as Savitri had