Atmateshwar Temple Pushkar

The temple at Pushkar, Atmateshwar Temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva and is thus also called the Atmateshwar “Mahadev” Temple. Lord Shiva is worshipped by Hindus across the globe as the restorer and destroyer of world as well as in various other forms.

Shiva is considered one of the greatest gods in Hindu religion and a part of the Brahma and Vishnu trio. The temple was constructed around the 12th century A.D. and is well known for the lovely architecture. The superb historical look is achieved by the Hemadpanti style magnificent architectural carvings. Some scholars feel that the Phallic worship and that of the horned god, of the Indus valley civilisation has much common ground with the worship of god Shiva.

Shiva is also compared to the cosmic dissolver and god of destruction, Lord Rudra. The god is worshipped in the symbol of lingam with other popular forms being the ascetic, Yogi and Nataraja for his dancing skills. The most popular of his forms is that of a Himalayan yogi with a snake coiled around the neck, smeared with ashes and long matted hair to go with the deep meditation. The mount of the god is the bull and he is usually found in idols with his wives Goddesses Uma, Kali, Durga or Parvati.

Shaivism finds mention in Hindu religious texts such as the Upanishads as early as 500 to 200 B.C. around the time of the Mahabharata and makes this temple a must visit for one and all.

Timings

The timings are 9.30 till 1.30 pm and 4.30 pm till 7.30 pm on all days ideally.

Best Time to Visit

The temple is visited by a large number of people all across the year. It remains crowded during the time of Shivaratri, since thousands of devotees come to pay respects on this festival. Thus, for those tourists preferring lesser crowds this time is best avoided.