A part of the Hindu trinity, Lord Brahma is famous as the svayambhu, the ‘uncreated creator’. Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva are the other two deities from the trinity. Brahma is the source of all forms, causation, time and space. Even when Lord Brahma plays an important part in Hindu Mythology, He is never worshiped. Neither any major temple has His idol, nor does He have any re-incarnations. Also, unlike other Hindu deities, Lord Brahma doesn’t have any particular day dedicated in His name. Ever wondered why? Read on to know more!
Why isn’t Lord Brahma worshiped?
According to a famous myth, once there arose a conflict between Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu regarding their importance. For settling the feud, Lord Shiva was approached. Lord Shiva set them a challenge, stating “whosoever managed to view Lord Shiva’s top of the head first, would become the winner”. Having set the challenge, Lord Shiva took on an enormous form spreading across several the universe.
It didn’t take long for Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma to realize that the task was an impossible one. Brahma noticed a ketaki ( thazampu ) flower wafting by. When asked where it belonged to, the flower answered that it fell from the head of Lord Shiva many thousand years ago. Brahma convinced the ketaki flower to lie that He had seen the top of Lord Shiva’s head.
Having called upon Shiva to claim victory, Lord Brahma was outrightly caught lying and was hence cursed to never be worshiped.
Brahma Temples in India
As opposed to numerous temples dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu, Brahma has very few in his names. The most famous Brahma temple in India is in Pushkar, Rajasthan. While most of us might think that this is the only Brahma temple in India, there are 5 other as well.
- Khedbrahma Temple, Sabarkantha, Gujarat
Built in the 11th century, Brahma Temple in Khedgrahma is second to be built after the Pushkar temple. The temple is made with white sandstone and cement bricks. The temple is 57-feet long, 30-feet broad and 68- feet tall. The temple has an image of Brahma in his four faced form. The complex also has a step-well which is called Brahma Vav, built in grey granite stone and has a line of miniature shrines.
- Brahma Temple, Bangalore
Domlur’s Brahma Temple in Bangalore is home to India’s largest Brahma statue, measuring 7 feet. This temple with Chaturmukha (4 faced) statue of the Lord, is one of the oldest temples, said to have been built in the 10th century by the Cholas.The pillars of the temple have Lord Vishnu’s Dashavathars. The temple is believed to possess pranic energy, by the natives.
- Mithrananthapuram Temple, Kerala
In the Mithrananthapuram Temple, Lord Brahma is not worshiped alone, rather as a part of the trinity. The temple complex is situated close to the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple and is one of the most famous Trimurti temples in India.
- Brahmapureeswarar Temple, Tiruchirappalli
The Brahmapureeswarar Temple, located near Trichy, is visited by numerous devotees every year to seek the blessings of Lord Brahma.The deities in this temple are worshiped in the form of Swayambu Lingam and Devi Brahma SampathGowri. There is also a separate temple of Lord Brahma, sitting in Padmasana on a lotus flower. The complex of the temple also features the Jeeva Samadhi of Yogi Patanjali.
- Brahma Temple, Carambolim
60 kilometers from Panaji and 7 kilometers from Valpoi, there is another temple dedicated to Lord Brahma in Carambolim. The images of the God in the temple have been said to be brought to Carambolim in the SatariTaluka by the devotees. The temple has carvings of Lord Brahma on a single black basalt stone. The sculpture has an image of the Lord with the beard and carrying a ladle, Vedas and Kamandalu with his all three hands, while the fourth hand is seen in Varamudra posture.
If you are planning for a religious trip this year, consider visiting some of these famous Brahma temples in the country
Read More:
- Top 20 places in Kerala to visit: Complete Guide
- Top 20 places in Rajasthan to visit: Complete Guide
- 15 Best Places to Visit in Tamil Nadu
- Top 20 Places in Uttarakhand to Spend a Joyous Vacation
- 20 Best Places in Maharashtra to Spend Your Holidays
- Top 20 Places in Goa for a Memorable Trip
- 20 Top Places in Karnataka You Must Explore
- Top 20 Places to Explore in Himachal Pradesh