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| Temple of Rajasthan |
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Rajasthan temples go without saying that India has rich cultural and historical heritage – and the phrase 'unity in diversity' may be trite but true in the Indian context. Many theories have been propounded to explain the existence of such a large number of temple sites in Rajasthan, giving a concrete place to God in the 'Indian scheme of things', to pave the way for attaining moksha (salvation).
Eklingji Temple
The Eklingji Temple is located in the beautiful city of Udaipur in Rajasthan. Eklingji is referred to Lord Shiva and is considered as the guardian deity of Mewar. The Maharajas of Mewar regarded this deity as the virtual ruler. Dating back to the 15th century CE, the present structure is one that is built of the ruins of a previously destroyed structure. The architecture is same as that of the Jain temples of Gujarat Shiva. It is worshipped here as a four faced black marble image. The four faces represents Brahma (West), Vishnu (North), Maheshwar (South) and Surya (East). A mystic symbolic drawing, known as `Yantra`, covers the flat top of the composite idol. Shiva is worshipped here as the Ultimate Reality.
Ranakpur Jain Temple
The Ranakpur Jain temples were built during the period of the liberal and gifted monarch Rana Kumbha in the 15th century. It is seen that the entire temple complex is enclosed within a wall. The major 'Chamukha' temple is dedicated to the trithankara Rishabdeoji and a four-faced image is enshrined in the inner sanctum, open on all four sides.
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Ranakpur Jain temples |
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Eklingji Temple |
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Birla Mandir
Birla Mandir or the Lakshmi - Narayan Temple, situated just below the Moti Dungari. This is a modern temple built of white marble on top of a hill, dominating the skyline of south Jaipur. The Birlas (industrialists who have also built several temples in India) built this temple.
The temple has been constructed in white marble and has three domes, each portraying the different approaches to religion. The presiding deities here are Vishnu (One of the Hindu Trilogy Gods) called Narayan and his consort Lakshmi Goddess of wealth and good fortune. The temple is built is white in marble and exterior has carved sculptures of various mythological themes and images of saints. The interior has large panel in marble of mythological proceedings. The images of the deities are placed in the sanctum sanctorum. Built on raised ground, it is surrounded by large lush green gardens.
Shrinathji Temple
The temple of Shrinathji or Lord Krishna, dedicated to the Vaishnav religion is situated at Nathdwara, 48 kms north of Udaipur. As thousands of tourists and pilgrims from all parts of the world pass the haughty mountains and peaceful lakes of Udaipur, it is a must tour itinerary to visit this sacred religious place in Rajasthan. In the temple, enshrined is an exceptional image of Lord Krishna, which has been sculptured from a single piece of black marble. |
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Birla Mandir |
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Shrinathji Temple |
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Ajmer-e- Sharif Dargah
The Dargah Sharif, located at the foot of a barren hill, is the place where the Khawaja Moin-ud-din Chisti' mortal remains lie buried. The Dargah (tomb) with a marble dome is situated in the center of a courtyard and is surrounded by a silver platform. It's believed that the shrine is a place of wish fulfillment for those who pray with devout and pure hearts. People of all religious faiths visit the Dargah and make offerings of rose and jasmine flowers to seek the blessings of the Khawaja. More than a half a million devotees from the subcontinent visit the Dargah to pay homage to Khawaja on Urs, the death anniversary of Khawaja. It's said that the revered saint left for heavenly abode after a six-day prayer in seclusion and for this their devotees celebrate 'Urs' every year during the first six days of Rajjab, the 7th month of the Islamic calendar.
Brahma Temple
Brahma Temple is the only temple that is dedicated to Lord Brahma in India. Located near the Lake at Pushkar in Rajasthan, Brahma Temple receives many pilgrims to its doorsteps every year. Built in the 14th century, Brahma Temple commemorates Lord Brahma, who is considered as the creator of this Universe according to the Hinduism. Lord Brahma is one amongst the trinity of Hindu Gods, the other being Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. For the Hindus, Brahma Temple is an important pilgrim place. Raised on a high platform, the temple lies in the Pushkar valley that is known for its scenic beauty. |
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Dargah Sharif (Ajmer ) |
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Brahma Temple |
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Dilwara Temple
Legend has it that Hindus revere Dilwara Temples because once Nandini, the cow of the venerable sage Vashishth, was trapped in a deep gorge and could not free herself. The sage appealed to Lord Shiva for assistance. The Lord sent Saraswati, the divine stream, to help flood the gorge so that the cow could float up. The sage Vashishth then decided to ensure that such mishaps would not occur in future and asked the youngest son of Himalaya to fill the chasm permanently. This he did with the assistance of Arbud, the mighty snake. This spot came to be known as Mount Arbud and was later changed to its present form
Mount Abu. This region is revered by Jains as well since Jain scriptures record that Lord Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, also visited Mount Abu and blessed this place.
Karni Mata temple
The Karni Mata temple, Deshnok is situated 30 km from Bikaner. The temple is dedicated to an early 15th century mystic, considered to be a reincarnation of Goddess Durga. This temple is quite famous for a large number of brown rats running around the temple complex fearlessly. It is believed that the souls of dead Charans (traditional bards, the devotees of Mata) reside in these rats. It is considered very lucky to spot a rat in the temple. During the time of aarti, these rats are offered sweets, grains, etc by the devotees.
Ganga Singh, the former ruler of Bikaner, got the temple constructed totally of marble. Karni Mata temple, Rajasthan has silver and gold domes. Even the mandap and the panels above the image are made up of gold. The main gate of the Deshnok Rat temple, Bikaner has been intricately worked upon. |
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