Lord Brahma in Hindu Dharma is one of the Trinity gods responsible for the creation of the universe. Even though he is considered a major god of Hindus, he is not worshipped widely, and Brahma temples are very less in number.
There are reasons why Brahma is not worshipped widely, leading to fewer temples being built dedicated to Creator God. Puranic texts have multiple metaphoric stories, but when we look at them spiritually, Hinduism does not consider creation as real; creation happens due to ignorance or Maya.
There are hundreds and thousands of Hindu temples all across the globe, but there are very few Brahma Temple that we can visit. Here are a few such temples dedicated to Lord Brahma.
1. Brahma Temple of Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Pushkar temple is a famous, ancient place of pilgrimage in Rajasthan, India. The Padma Purana says that Brahma, the Creator of the World, threw a lotus flower on the ground to kill the demon. The flower fell to the ground, and a sacred lake appeared in this place. The name of the city of Pushkar comes from the words Pushpa (flower) and Kar (hand), i.e., “a flower that fell from the hands of Brahma.”
The Brahma Temple is the main temple of Pushkar and the largest temple in India dedicated to Lord Brahma. The temple houses the majestic four-headed Brahma Deity, where the Creator God looks in four directions, symbolizing his presence everywhere.
There are 52 ghats (bathing places) around Pushkar Lake. At the Brahma Ghat, Brahma himself is said to have offered prayers. And at Varaha Ghat, according to legend, Vishnu himself appeared in the form of the divine boar Varaha.
This holy lake is known as the king of all Tirthas. Ablution taken in Pushkar on Kartik Purnima (full moon of the month of Kartik, October-November) saves from reincarnations in this world and bestows heavenly bliss.
You can identify it by the red spire and the image of Hans (the goose is considered sacred to Lord Brahma). This temple, built of marble, is decorated with silver coins and a silver tortoise on the temple’s floor.
2. Brahmadev Temple, Goa
Very few people know about Brahma’s oldest and most remote temple, built-in Satari in Goa. It was built in the 5th century in the middle of a forest.
The main temple of the Hindu complex in honor of Brahma is a stone-cut building with a dome-shaped turret, quite bright and noticeable from afar, as yellow, red, and orange colors predominate in the external design. The temple’s facade, especially its tower, is decorated with traditional carvings.
The main attraction of the Brahmadev temple is a sculpture depicting Brahma carved from a single piece of black basalt. It is a fine example of Kadamba art. The figure of Brahma has four hands, in which there are attributes traditional for this deity:
- A ladle-shaped scepter, which is associated with pouring ghee on the sacred fire of Vedic sacrifices and symbolizes that Brahma is their master
- The book of the Vedas symbolizes knowledge
- A pot of water symbolizes the original, all-absorbing ether from which the first element of creation appeared
- A prayer rosary used by a deity to count universal time
In general, the interior decoration of the Brahma temple is classic for Hindu temples. A spacious main hall is painted mainly in light colors with bright elements and several smaller rooms.
3. Prambanan Temple, Indonesia
Prambanan temple complex is a monument of medieval art, a temple complex of amazing beauty and elegance on the exotic island of Java in Indonesia. The temple’s history dates back to the 10th century and is dedicated to three trinity gods at once – Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma.
Since 1991, Prambanan’s Buddhist and Hindu shrines have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The “culmination” of the whole complex can be called three temples that rise above the center of the upper concentric platform in the center of Prambanan. The central temple, 47 m high, is dedicated to Shiva, which indicates that the complex belongs to Shaivism. The temple of God Vishnu is located to the north of the main, and the Lord Brahma temple is to the south.
They are similar to the central one but one and a half times smaller than it (their height is 33 m). To the west of the three main temples, there are also smaller (average 25, lateral 22 m) temples of the vahana (mounts) Trimurti: Shiva – the bull Nandi, Vishnu – the mythical bird Garuda, Brahma – the goose Hamsa.
4. Brahma Temple, Bangalore
This Brahma Temple is behind the Karivobanahalli government school at Nagasandra Post in Bangalore. It also has one of the largest 7-foot-tall 4-sided Chaturmukha statues of Lord Brahma.
5. Brahmapureeswarar Temple, Tiruchirappalli
The Brahmapureeswarar Temple is located in Thirupattur near Trichy; the presiding deities are Lord Brahmapureeswarar in the form of Swayambu Lingam.
In Brahmapureeswarar, there is the unusual case of housing an altar with the image of Brahma himself seated in a meditative posture on a lotus flower. Devotees worship this sacred image because it is said that his blessing, as Creator, can change negative aspects. And just off to the side is also Patanjali’s second samadhi, where devotees can sit in contemplation.
6. Mithrananthapuram Temple, Kerala
The Mithrananthapuram Trimurti Temple Complex is situated on the western side of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple and is dedicated to all Trimurti Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Mithrananthapuram Trimurti Temple is one of the most famous Trimurti Temple in India.
A path inside the complex leads to three temples. First, it’s a Vishnu temple with a Garuda statue right outside. Next to the Vishnu temple lies the temple of Lord Shiva.
A little behind the temple of Lord Vishnu is the temple of Brahma. The statue of Brahma is made of stone and has only one head instead of four. There is a belief that this temple of Brahma was consecrated here to ward off the Yakshi who was disturbing everyone. Although women were not allowed to visit this temple at first, they were now allowed with some restrictions.
7. Adi Brahma Temple, Kullu Valley
The Adi Brahma Temple lies in the Khokhan area of the Kullu Valley, one of the country’s most beautiful places. Before the state division, both Mandi and Kullu devotees worshiped in the temple, but after the division, a replica of the temple was built in Mandi.
8. Brahma Temple, Kumbakonam
It is believed that Brahma was filled with pride in his creation to the point of boasting that he was better than Shiva and Vishnu in the art of creation. This caused Vishnu to create a ghost which frightened Brahma. Terrified, he came to Vishnu for help, apologizing for his indiscretion. Vishnu then asked Brahma to observe penance on Earth to atone for his guilt. It is believed that Brahma chose this place to meditate.
9. Asotra Brahma Temple, Barmer
Asotra Temple lies in the Barmer district of Rajasthan, which was established by the Rajpurohits of the village. The temple has been constructed from the stones of Jaisalmer and Jodhpur. However, the idol of the deity is made of marble. You might be surprised that more than 200 kg of grain is fed to birds daily.
Conclusion
In recent times, devotees have started appreciating the creative role of Brahma. Most of the temples of Brahma have been constructed in recent times (less than 500 years). No matter what deity it is erected, each temple has a niche on the north side for Brahma, who, following the Vedic traditions, is worshiped daily.