Showing posts with label Hindu Temples. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hindu Temples. Show all posts

Monday, July 5, 2010

Ancient Temples in India - Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya

The Mahabodhi Mahåvihåra or more popularly known as the Bodhgaya


Budha

Temple or the Great Stupa, is one of the shrines out of the 84000 shrines erected by King Asoka the Great in the 3rd century B.C. The Mahabodhi Mahavihara is the sole surviving example of what was once an architectural genre. How long it took to create this magnificent structure or whose creation it is still remains a mystery and for the lack of a comprehensive historical data this subject remains a controversy till date. However, throughout the centuries, this blessed site has retained its deep spiritual vibration and inspired countless beings towards a saintly life and the vihâra itself stands out as an eye catching artistic landmark as if standing testimony towards the presence of the greatest Teacher of all time mankind has ever witnessed.
A graphic and comprehensive description of the Mahabodhi complex is left by Huen Tsang, a Chinese pilgrim who visited Buddhagaya in 637 A.D. About the Mahabodhi Temple he says :

“To the east of the Bodhi tree, there is a vihara about 160 or 170 feet high. Its lower foundation-wall is 20 or more paces in its face. The building is of blue bricks covered with chunam (burnt stone lime) all the niches in the different stones hold golden figures. The four sides of the building are covered with wonderful ornamental work : in one place figures of stringed pearls (garlands), in another, figures of heavenly rishis. The whole is surrounded by gilded copper amalaka fruit. The eastern face adjoins a storeyed pavilion, the projecting caves of which rise one over the other to the height of three distinct chambers; its projecting caves, its pillars, beams, doors, and windows are decorated with gold and silver ornamental work with pearls and gems let in to fill up interstices”.


The original fabric of the present Mahabodhi temple, which notwithstanding the simplicity of design and decoration, is of unique importance, being the sole survivor of a style of architecture which was in vogue in this region and of which vestiges are still in existence in the ruined temples at Nalanda and a few other places. Curiously enough it retains the dimensions and broad features which characterized it in the time of Huen Tsang.
Buddhist Monks at Bodhi Tree

The Temple underwent several restorations, renovations and repairs in subsequent periods by a number of devout Kings, donors and philanthropists of home and abroad. A very thorough renovation of the Temple was taken up during 1874 by the deputations of the Burmese King, Mindon-Min, with the permission of the Government of India but subsequently completed in 1884 under the supervision of Sir Alexander Cunningham and Beglar. This Temple suffered much at the hands of time due to man made miseries and natural calamities especially during the reign of King Shashanka of Gour (Bengal).
In the 6th century B.C. Prince Siddhartha Gautama attained Supreme

Mahabodhi Temple - Full View
 Enlightenment at this Holy place and became the Buddha . In commemoration thereof, Emperor Asoka set-up the Vajrasana (Diamond Throne) of polished sandstone representing the seat of Enlightenment in the 3rd century B.C. Thereafter he built a stupa in veneration of the Buddha which remained there upto the 2nd century A.D. The original structure of Mahabodhi Mahavihara Temple was completed in 7th century A.D. during the reign of Gupta kings. The temple underwent several restorations, renovations and repairs in subsequent period in which the Burmese greatly contributed. In 1883, a very thorough and scientific renovation of the Temple was done under the supervision of the British Archaeologist Sir A. Cunningham and J.D.M. Beglar and the Indian Archaeologist Dr. Rajendra Lal Mitra. Again in 1956, on the occasion of 2500th Buddha Jayanti celebrations, the Govt. of India did some repair works and enlarged the premises of the Mahabodhi Mahavihara. This is the most sacred place of Buddhist Pilgrimage in the world.

The gold painted statue of Buddha in the sanctum shrine of the Temple is made of Black stone built by the Pala kings of Bengal. The Buddha is seen seated in the Bhumisparsa Mudra or the Earth touching posture.
The Mahabodhi Mahavihara has now been declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO on the 27th June 2002.

In the Temple complex, one can also visit the other seven places where the Buddha spent in meditation after the attainment of Enlightenment. All these places are situated inside the Temple complex.

The sacred Bodhi Tree

The sacred Bodhi tree - 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 present tree is probably the firth succession of the original tree which was earlier destroyed several times by man made misery and natural calamities.

Vajrasana

Vajrasana or the Diamond Throne is the seat of the Buddha’s Enlightenment. Built in the 3rd century B.C. by Emperor Asoka, it is made of red sand stone. Venerable Ashwaghosa in his Buddhacarita reveals that this is the Navel of the Earth. Fa-Hien mentions that all the past Buddhas attained Enlightenment here and the future Buddhas too will attain the enlightenment on this spot.

Animesha Lochana Chaitya

Situated on the north east of the Mahabodhi Temple, this is the place where the Buddha spent the second week in meditation in standing posture gazing at the Bodhi Tree with motionless eyes for one whole week.

Cankamana

This is the place where the Buddha spent the third week in meditation practicing the walking meditation, otherwise, called the Cankamana or the cloister walk. The raised platform with lotus flowers mark the spot where the Buddha kept his feet while walking.

Ratanaghara

The Ratanaghara or the Jewel House is the place where the Buddha spent the fourth week in meditation. Situated in the north-west of the Temple, the Buddha meditated here reflecting on the Patthana or the Law of Dependent Origination. A ray of six colours was said to have emanated from his body during that period and the Buddhists have designed their flag based on these colours.

Ajapala Nigrodha Tree

The pillar marks the spot where the tree once stood marking the place where the Buddha spent the fifth week in meditation after his attainment of Enlightenment and delivered a discourse on the equality of mankind.

Muchalinda Sarovar

The place where the Buddha spent the sixth week in meditation after his Enlightenment. While the Buddha was in meditation, a severe thunder storm broke out and seeing the Buddha getting drenched, the snake king of the Lake called Muchalinda came out of his abode and protected the Buddha with his hood from the violent wind and rains.

Rajayatna Tree
Situated in the south of the Temple, this is the tree under which the Buddha spent a week in meditation. It is said that two merchants from Burma (presently Myanmar) named Tapassu and Bhallika while passing this way offered rice cake and honey to the Buddha and took refuge in the Buddha and His teachings ‘Buddham Saranam Gachami, Dhammam Saranam Gachami’ but they could not take refuge in the Sangham because the Sangha was not constituted then, thus they became the first lay devotees in the Buddhist world.

Meditation Park

The park situated at the south-east of the temple is newly developed as a Meditation park. It has facilities for meditation huts, congregation and discussion courts and two huge prayer bells and two water fountains besides a lotus pond.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Karni Mata Temple (Rat Temple) - Rajasthan


Karni Mata temple in Deshnok, Rajasthan, India. The temple is also sometimes called “The Rat Temple”.

This Hindu temple is devoted to Karni Mata, a goddess who is said to have reincarnated her devotees into rats upon death. Today the temple is home to hundreds of rats which represent the reincarnated. Hindus come to worship at the temple and bring offerings of sweets to the rats. The rats are sacred, and it is said that if you kill a rat (by accidentally stepping on it), you must replace the rat with its weight in silver.

(The Temple Facade)
Because of the somewhat sensational nature of the temple, it has also become something of a tourist attraction; however when we visited the temple we only noted one other western tourist walking among the Hindu worshippers and rats.

(a wire over the courtyard protects the rats from raptors)

(the interior of the temple)


(a lucky white rat)

Visiting the temple
Most tourists visit the temple as a half-day trip from Bikaner, the nearest large city to Deshnok. We had a guide and driver for the day and our journey to Deshnok was included. As with all Hindu temples, visitors must remove their shoes before entering. It is allowed to wear socks and this is recommended. The temple floor is not filthy, but you do run the risk of accidentally stepping on some rat droppings as you tour the temple and courtyard.

Lucky rats
It is said that it is good luck to see a white rat at Karni Mata, and during our visit there were plenty of young men who offered to find a white rat for us. It is also good luck when a rat runs over your foot. This is easy to accomplish; there are some heavy rat-traffic areas along walls between rooms, and if a foot is placed in the path, it will get some rat prints on it.

(The rats drank from large saucers of milk)


...

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Pushkar - The Sacred Place

The Pushkar City



11-kms from Ajmer (132 kms from Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan) on the edge of the desert lies the tiny tranquil town of Pushkar along the bank of the picturesque Pushkar Lake. This is an important pilgrimage spot for the Hindus, which has the only temple of Lord Brahma in the country and the world. Lord Brahma is known as the creator of the world as per the Hindu mythology.

The pushkar lake also has a mythological significance associated with it. As per hindu mythology, Lord Brahma was on his way to search for a suitable place to perform a "Yagna' (a fire sacrifice), while contemplating a lotus fell from his hand on the warth and water sprouted from that place. One of them was Pushkar where Lord brahma performed "Yagna".



As indicated by Pushkar's position as the starting point of the grand pilgrimage, the worship of Brahma was considered highly important at the end of the first millenium BC. Pushkar is the only pilgrimage shrine dedicated to Brahma in the whole of India. The function of Brahma - creating the world - has been completed, while Vishnu (the preserver) and Shiva (the destroyer) still have relevance to the continuing order of the universe. Brahma is also a god of the Aryan invaders and during Vedic times, his cult temporarily displaced the more ancient indigenous Shiva and Shakti cults. With the passing of the period of major Aryan influence, these deities reemerged more powerful than before.

The 'Nag pahar' or the Snake Mountain forms a natural boundary between Ajmer and Pushkar. Surrounded by hills on three sides, pushkar abounds in temples. Of these the most famous is the only Brahma temple in the world.

Then there is the holy lake, which has 52 ghats and pilgrim taking a ritual dip in the lake is a common sight specially during the festival.

A city of Pilgrimage from time immemorial with over 500 temples and ghats, Pushkar begets a legacy of timeless architectural heritage. Pushkar radiates an ambience of peace and spirituality that casts a lure to visit again and again.


Pushkar has an immense hidden potential as a tourist destination:


  • The Pushkar fair is amongst the largest cattle fairs in the world.
  • Amongst the oldest cities in India, with references in mythology and the Mahabharat - Site of the only temple in the world dedicated to Brahma - the creator.
  • The site of the holiest lake in the country.
  • 52 bathing ghats, which are linked to the lunar calendar, enclose the lake. Each ghat has its own miraculous qualities and powers of healing.
  • This city of temples has over 500 temples built over different eras with varied architectural styles.
  • The rose garden of Rajasthan - the essence of the famous Pushkar rose is exported the world over.
  • The most varied terrain in Rajasthan with sand, rock, hills, vegetation and lakes is ideal for adventure activities.
  • Proximity to a number of heritage properties in the area.
  • A number of fairs and festivals in Pushkar, especially on the new and full moon days.
  • The Dargah of Khwaja Moin-Uddin-Chishti amongst the most sacred Muslims shrines is located at near by Ajmer.
  • An opportunity to visit local villages still free from commercialization. 

Pushkar Fair 
Camel fair
Camel Fair in Pushkar Rajasthan
Rajasthan is at its colorful best during its fairs and festivals.

One of the most popular and colorful fairs of the Thar desert is the Pushkar fair, which begins on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi & goes on for five days till Kartik Purnima. The time of the fair coincides with the bright half of the moon during the months of October-November. The lake at Pushkar is one of the most sacred in India.



Special Attractions -

The picturesque lake of Pushkar is set in a valley just about 11 kilometres northwest of Ajmer, surrounded by hills on three sides and sand dunes on the fourth. Pushkar forms a fascinating location and a befitting backdrop for the annual religious and cattle fair. Turbaned heads of men, and colorful veils and skirts of the women, bring alive the arid desertscape. The village women dress in their best colourful clothes and finery for the five-day mela.

Like Varanasi, Pushkar is one of the sacred places for the Hindus, with 400 temples of which the most important is dedicated to Lord Brahma - the creator of the universe. Fifty-two ghats bind the lake. During the days of the mela, the otherwise tranquil lake is engulfed with religious fervor. Thousands of devotees collect to take a dip, sadhus descend from the Himalayas and people pray for salvation to the sound of verses from the Holy Scriptures, which fill the air.

In the afternoons, people crowd the stadium where camels, horses, and cows are paraded and raced. Camels are bought and sold during the Pushkar fair.

On the roadside, stalls of all kinds are set up to sell a cornucopia of items. Almost every household is engaged in setting them up as the locals try to capitalize on the massive influx of people. It is impossible to drive around because of the large crowds. Either you hire a camel or you walk. In this aspect, it is truly a rural bazaar.

An interesting part of the Pushkar Fair is the mass trading of camels. Of course, cattle and other livestock are also traded, but it's camels that hold center stage at Pushkar. Camel-traders and villagers from miles away converge to Pushkar with their humped beasts. Over 25,000 camels (on the conservative side) are traded; making this world's largest camel fair.

Since Pushkar is a religious place alcohol and non-vegetarian food is prohibited.

Pushkar Fair - Rituals and Traditions


These five days are a period of relaxation and merry-making for the villagers, despite being the busiest for them, as this is one of the largest cattle fairs in the country. Animals, mainly camels, are brought from miles around. Trading is brisk as several thousand heads of cattle exchange hands. All the camels are cleaned, washed, adorned, some are interestingly shorn to form patterns, and special stalls are set up selling finery and jewelry for the camels. Camels at the Pushkar fair are decorated with great care. They wear jewelry of silver and beads. There are silver bells and bangles around their ankles that jingle-jangle when they walk. An interesting ritual is the piercing of a camel's nose.

Races and competitions are organized. Camels lope across the sands sometimes throwing their riders on to the vast sands, amidst cheers and jeers from thousands of spectators. An interesting event is the camel beauty contest, where they are adorned and paraded. The camels preen before the crowds, enjoying every moment of the attention they get.

It is believed that for five days every year, all the gods visit Pushkar and bless the devout. This accounts for the unbelievable number of devotees who flock to the lake to wash away their sins.

Pushkar Lake 

It is semicircular lake around which there are 52 "Ghats". The max depth of the lake is 10 mts. The lake is a holy place and is known as the king of the "Trithas". The bath at Pushkar is thought to be more important than at any other place. The holy dip in this lake on kartika Purnima is thought to be salvation giving.The man who BATHES in the Shukla Paksha of Karitha month and has the Darshan of varah will not take rebirth on this earth and enjoy the bliss of heaven. The people who have a holy dip at the lake on karitha Purinama, gain the fruit equal to do the Jap and Tap for one hundred years. There are many yajna spots which cannot be counted even by Vrihshpati, the teacher of the gods.

List of Important Ghats(bathing steps)
  • Bara
  • Gau
  • Bangla
  • Bharatpur
  • Kota
  • Sikar
  • Murli
  • Yegh
  • Brahma
  • Badri
  • Guru Govind Singh
  • Gangor
  • Cheer
  • Surya
  • Jaipur
  • Nursingh
  • Karni
  • Maharshi
  • Dadeechi
  • Gwalior
  • Chandra
  • Jodhpur 

Temples of Pushkar

Pushkar abounds in temples, the special attraction being, the temple of Lord Brahma, the only temple in India, dedicated to Brahma.This somewhat somnolent town, reverberates with hectic activity during the festivities.


Brahma Temple
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 Indian for it is believed that Lord Brahma, together with all the gods and goddesses, performed a Yagya here. Legends also has it that the ancient lake Sarovar had appeared miraculously, when a lotus fell from the hands of Lord Brahma and dropped into this valley.Brahma Temple The most famous temple in Pushkar, this is the only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma (the creator of the universe according to Hindu mythology) in the entire country. You can identify it by its red spire and by the image of a hans(the goose considered sacred to Lord Brahma).This temple built with marble is decorated with silver coins and there is a silver turtle on the floor of the temple.

Savitri Temple
This is the temple dedicated to Lord Brahma's first wife. It is located on the hill behind the Brahma temple, and one has to climb a long series of steps to reach the destination. It gives a panoramic view of the lake and surrounding sand dunes.

Rangji Temple
The gracious temple is very conpicuous,due to its south Indian style of architecture. It has a high rising 'Gopuram' typical of southern India.

Warah Temple
The Warah temple houses an image of lord Vishnu in the incarnation of wild boar.The temples of Brahma and Warah are considered equally important. This ancient temple belived to be constructed by King Anaji Chauhan (1123-1150). Mythologically a very important temple temple and is believed that Vishnu came on the earth in the incarnation of Warah(wild boar) to kill the demon Hirnayaksh and liberate the land from his atrocities.

Apteshwar Temple
Another important temple of the town,the 12th century temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. 

Accommodation in Pushkar

During the special occasion of the Pushkar Fair, accommodation is arranged in special tents in a tourist village, which is self-sufficient and specially designed to complement the natural beauty of the site. The village has a coffee shop and dining hall that can cater to 1,500 guests at a time. The village is arranged on blocks of tents, each with its own identity, named after the famous dances of Rajasthan. The village also has huts with attached western style toilets and running water.

Besides this village, Pushkar also has some hotels / resorts. However, it is sometimes difficult to find accommodation in Pushkar, especially if you arrive late in the day. Most hotels are nothing fancy, but they are generally clean and freshly white-washed.

Pushkar Resorts  ***
The Pushkar resort is set over 15 sprawling acres of land with an exotic fruit orchard. Offers air-conditioned rooms with international class amenities. Every room has a mini bar, television with satellite and telephone with STD/ISD facilities.

Pushkar Palace  Heritage
           
Partially Airconditioned, Mini - Bar, Refrigerator.

Tents in Pushkar  ***
 
On the outskirts of Pushkar, which is about 150 kms from Jaipur. It offers a majestic view of Pushkar, and particularly The Camel Fair


How to reach Pushkar

Pushkar is a sacred town for the Hindus, situated 11 kms. (7 miles) to the North-West of Ajmer.

Air
Jaipur, the nearest airport is 138 kms. (86 miles).

Rail
Ajmer is connected to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Abu Road and Jodhpur by regular trains. Two of the best trains of the Indian Railways, Pink City Express and Shatabdi Express connect Ajmer to Delhi and Jaipur.

Road
A dense network of bus service operates from Ajmer to key destinations around. Distances from important tourist centres are: -
- Jaipur: 138 kms. (86 miles).
- Delhi: 392 kms. (244 miles).
- Ahmedabad: 526 kms. (327 miles).
- Jaisalmer: 490 kms. (304 miles).
- Bikaner: 233 kms. (145 miles).