Rajasthan Pilgrims

Rajasthan, the desert state of India is the most colorful state known widely for its vibrant combinations of arts, heritage and its hospitable culture. Home to people belonging to all religions mainly the Hindus, the Jains and the Islam's as well as the Christians all of whom are at great harmony with each other demonstrating excellent communal harmony.

Some of the prominent shrines are located in this very state, which brings thousand of visitors to this enchanting place covered with sand dunes in the windy seasons. The Hindus and the Jain temples reflect not only the deep rooted faith in religion but also symbolize its greatness in architectural grandeur. There are innumerable Hindu temples, Jain temples and the Islamic Dargarhs. Few names that come on the fore front are the Dilwara Jain temple in Mount Abu, the Laxmi Narayan temple, the Govind Devi temple at Jaipur. Brahma temple in Puskar, Eklingji temple in Udaipur, the Parsvanath Temple in Nakoda and the Dargah Sharif in Ajmer.


Places of Pilgrimage Importance
» Jain temple, Ranakpur - Located in the mountain range of the pali hills, the 15th temple complex of Ranakpur is among the five holy places of the Jain community. The main Chamukha temple is dedicated to Rishabji and sprawls to some 48,000 sq.ft and has 29 halls including 1444 pillars. Four faceted it houses an idol of Adinath while the mandapa is carved intricately and the temple chimes with the bells from morning till evening.

» Ajmer-e- Sharif Dargah - The Dargah, a fine example of Unity of Diversity, is next only to Mecca in terms of holy shrines of the Muslims. It is believed that seven times visit to the place equals a visit to the great Mecca Madina. It was here where the Muslim saint Khwaja Moinudin Chisti lie in eternal peace. The shrine was built by Humayun and there is a great gateway to the Dargah carved in silver.
The temple is built with decorative marble pieces with silver turtles on the floor. Nearby is the Rangnath temple built in southern style having an image of Lord Vishnu with pillars where the Garuda bird of the Hindu religion is carved.

» Eklingi Temple, Udaipur - Placed on the turfs of Udaipur, the temple is bestowed with a multifaceted image of Lord Shiva in black stone. Generally known to the world as Kailashpuri, the white marble temple in on an area of 2500 sq ft. The 15th century old 65ft high temple displays Lord Shiva in various forms. The temple also consists of deities of the Hindu religion like Yamuna, Saraswati, Ganeshji, Kalika etc. It was here that Lord Indra meditated and prayed to Eklingji in repentance to get free from his curse. Another incident relates to Bapparwa who had seen the Shivlinga in his dream and later constructed the temple and build Mewar.

» Birla Mandir, Jaipur - Known popularly as the Laxmi Narayan temple, the temple is situated at the bottom of the Moti Dungari hill. In appearance the temple looks like a modern architectural appearance and is of special interest to the people of southern part of Jaipur. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Lakhsmi, it is splendidly carved with white marbles with three domes to the top of the temple. Flooded on the occasion of Janmasthami (the day lord Krishna was born), the temple has a large number of visitors all round the year.

» Brahma Temple, Pushkar - Located 11 kms from Ajmer, Puskar is famous for the Brahma temple. Believed to have been created by Lord Brahma himself. The holy lake nearby is of equal importance. No pilgrimage to Puskar is considered complete without a dip in to the holy puskar lake. The image of Lord Brahma is in a seated cross legged position.

» Dilwara Temple, Mount Abu - The temple was erected by the Ministers of the Solanki rulers of Gujarat from 11 to 13 th centuries. Considered a masterpiece in Temple architecture, the famous Jain Vimalvasi temple at Dilwara was built on order from the Bhimdev Kings in the 11th century. The pillars are 48 in numbers of whom around 16 have images of the female dancers. Apart from it images of Saraswati, Lakhmi and scenes from the princely court of Ayodhya and Takshila.