Rajasthan Pilgrim Places

Brahma Temple, Pushkar

The Brahma temple is an important pilgrim centre for the Hindus. It is nestled in the Pushkar valley which lies beyond Nagaparvat and the Anasagar lake. 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. Legend also has it that the ancient lake Sarovar had appeared miraculously, when a lotus fell from the hands of Lord Brahma and dropped into the this valley. The image of Brahmaji in Pushkar is in a seated Palthi position. This temple built with marble is decorated with silver turtle on the floor of the temple. The Rangnath temple has been built in southern style and is simply magnificent. Its images are almost true of life.
This temple has an image of Lord Vishnu, life-size dwarpals (door men) and Garuda pillars showing the mythical bird styled in gold. Pushkar has around four hundred temples. There is a temple dedicated to Mahalaskmi, who is the goddess of wealth and the Godamba Temple.

Dargah Shariff, Ajmer

The dargah Sharif or the place of Where the Muslim saint KhajwaMoinudin Chishti lie sburied, draws piligrams and devotees from all parts of the Islamic world.
But his admirers today come from all religions as the Dargah Sharif is considered a shrine where wishes are fulfiled. The flow of piligrams is quite steady throught the year but at the time of the annual urs (death anniversary ceremonies of the saint ) which lasts for six days, lakhs of pilgrims from all parts of India as well as from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Eastern Asia converge upon the shrine.
The simple tomb in which in the saint was buried has now grown in to a large complex with several mosques, pavillions and gateways. With in the complex Qawwals sing songs in praise of the saint. Their musical instruments provide the Rhythm while the khadims ( servants of the saint ) look after the tourists. When devotees prayers are answered, they offer chadar (cover) on the grave of the saint.

Dilwara Temple, Mount Abu

The Jain temples at Dilwara, near Mount Abu are considered to be masterpieces of temple architecture. The Vimalvashi temple was built by the commander Vimalshah on the order of King Bhimdev in 1031 A.D. It took around 1,500 workers, several years to build. There are forty eight pillars, sixteen pillars have the images of females figures in dancing poses. The rang mandap is a beautiful piece of architecture.
The images that can be seen are Saraswati, Lakshmi as well as scenes from the princely courts of Ayodhya and Takshashila. Navchauki is a platform divided into nine parts. The artistic roots are decorated with elephants and goddesses.
Lunvasahi temple has the image of the Jain tirthankara Neminath. Sculptures in stone, elaborate carvings, beautiful pillars, dome shaped roofs give a majestic and surreal look to the temple. There are sixteen images of the goddess of knowdege and also carved are glimpses from Lord Krishnas life. The footsteps of Dada Sahab and the kirti Stambha are also worth a mention. Apart from these, the temples dedicated to Rishabhdev, Parshvanath and Lord Mahavir are also classical examples of art.

Govind Devji Temple, Jaipur

Located in the central pavilion of the elaborate sprawling Jai Niwas Garden, to the north of the magnificent Chandra Mahal, is the miniature temple of Lord Krishna. The idol of Shri Krishna, originally kept in a temple in Vrindavan, was installed here by Sawai Jai Singh II, as the ruling deity of his family. Sri Govinddevji, the family deity of Amber's Kachawaha Dynasty, now dwells in Jaipur, along with his consort Radha. The image, nevertheless, earlier existed in Vrindaban, where the Lord resided in the great temple built for him by Raja Mansingh, which was consecrated in 1590 AD.

Jain Temple, Ranakpur

Ranakpur is located in the mountain ranges of Pali district, 23 kms away from the Phalna railway station. Ranakpur is reached after passing lush green valleys and streams and the heart capturing views drive away any fatigue of the journey. The Ranakpur Jain temples were built during the region of the liberal and gifted monarch Rana Kumbha in the 15th century.
The entire temple area is enclosed within a wall. The main 'Chamukha' temple is dedicated to the trithankara Rishabdeoji and a four-faced image is enshrined in the inner sanctum, open on all four sides.
An enormous basement cover 48,000 sq. feet are. There are four subsidiary shrines, twenty four pillared halls and eight domes supported by over four hundred columns. The total number of columns is 1,444, all which are intricetrly carved, no two being alike.

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