Tip #3 Walking up to the Pap Mochani Temple

One of our first days in Pushkar, we decided to go up the hill and visit the Pap Mochani Temple, to get a panoramic view of the city. 

^{Images of the sun setting over town, on the way up}

We heard that walking up would take approximately one hour, but this is overestimated; one way the hike takes you around 15 to 20 minutes maximum.

^{A creative goat along the stoned path on our way up the hill}

---

This holy place up the hill is one of the many temples of Pushkar. The temple is dedicated to Gayatri, a Gujjar girl whom Lord Brahma married to perform a ritual, instead of waiting for his wife Savitri (read about her temple on top of the other, Ratnagiri hill in this article).

Over time, Pushkar has grown into a temple city with over 500 Hindu temples, all situated around the lake. The many temples and ghats (stairs leading to the holy baths) are not that old though – dating from the 18th century and onwards -, because of the earlier Muslim conquest and as a result, the demolition in the area.

---

^{Every morning and night around sunrise and sunset, a ritual is performed at the temple by a Hindu priest}

The Pap Mochani Temple is believed to provide respite to followers from their cardinal sins (pap meaning ‘sin’ in Sanskrit). And there are more mythological associations with the temple, which give the place a great religious significance.

One of the mythological stories regarding the temple is that Lord Krishna once cursed Ashwathama, a character in the Indian epic Mahabharata, to roam about in the earth for three thousand years. 

In order to seek salvation, his soul comes to the Pap Mochini Temple in Rajasthan once in a year.

(Source: Triphobo.com) 

As a result, thousands of devotees come to the temple with a belief that a visit to the temple will release them from all their sins.

---

The red spired Brahma Temple is another Pushkar Temple – and probably the most famous among all. This is because it’s one of the very few remaining temples dedicated to Brahma in India, and moreover the most prominent shrine among them. 

Besides Pushkar being an important Hindu pilgrimage site, the city is also an significant place of worship for the Sikhs. Everyone is welcome in these Sikh temples, but you’re not allowed to take pictures inside.

---

---

Pap Mochani Temple (or Gayatri Peeth), Pushkar, Rajasthan 305022, India

---