This small, picturesque lake, a little off the road, near a beautiful bamboo grove, is actually a manifestation of one of the most famous pilgrimage sites of India - Pushkara Tirtha.
Pushkara in Rajasthan
Pushkara Sarovara (actually, these are three lakes) is located ten kilometers from Ajmer. Just by looking at its waters, one gains the same benefit as from the performance of ashvamedha-yajna.
The Padma Purana tells the story of the Brahma-Pushkara lakes. Once Brahma wanted to choose a place on Earth, and threw three lotus petals at random. From them in the earth formed three depressions. They were filled with water from the heavenly Pushkara-tirtha. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva settled on the shores of these lakes. They are called Jyestha-Pushkara, Madhya-Pushkara and Kanistha (Budha) -pushkara. In the Mahabharata, Pulastya Muni says that a person who comes here will become as exalted as Brahma, and one thought of this place is enough to wash away all sins.
The sages, hearing about the blessings that Brahma endowed with this place, were afraid that people, having been seduced by the easy way of gaining piety, would forget about religious duties, and godlessness would reign on Earth. Brahma, heeding their requests, announced that his blessing would be valid only in the last five days of Karttika (Bhisma-panchaku). To this day, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gather at Brahma Pushkar at this time.
The Padma Purana (Srishti Khanda, chapter 17) tells such a story. Once Brahma, planning to make a sacrifice, chose Pushkara as the place for this. The Vedic rules are such that yagya cannot be performed without a wife. But Sarasvati, the wife of Brahma, was late for the ceremony, and in order not to miss the opportunity, the demigods chose a new wife for him. Indra found a girl from a family of shepherds and, after performing all the necessary cleansing rituals, the sages passed her off as Brahma. The girl's name was Gayatri. Saraswati, having arrived in the arena of sacrifice and seeing her rival, cursed Brahma, saying that nobody would worship him anywhere in the world. The only place where this curse does not work is Pushkara-tirtha.
Pushkara in Navadvip
Bhaktivinoda Thakur tells the following story in Navadvipa Mahatmya.
In Satya Yuga, a brahmana named Divadas left his family and went on a pilgrimage. He wanted to see Pushkara-tirtha, but passing through Navadvipa, he had a dream that, having stayed here for a while, he would gain a great treasure. Brahman built a small hut and lived in it for many, many years, until he became old. When he realized that he no longer had the strength to go anywhere, he cried: "Now I will never see Pushkar!"
Then the personified Brahma-Pushkara came to him in the guise of a brahmana and said:
- Do not Cry. Before you is a beautiful pond. Take a bath in it, and you will see Pushkar.
Brahman washed himself in the pond and gained a transcendental vision. Seeing the personification of Pushkara, he cried again:
- I gave you so much trouble!
- "Oh lucky brahmana," replied Pushkara, "I didn’t have to go far — I am always here." Navadvipa is the embodiment of all the holy places that come here to serve her. I have proven myself in the West, but I myself always stay here. And the result of ablution here is one hundred times higher than the result of ablution there.
In fact, one who leaves Navadvipa to visit other holy places is a fool and a rascal. Bypassing all the holy places, a person can settle in Navadvipa.
O brahmana, I will tell you the innermost truth. Soon in Mayapur, in the house of Sacidevi, Gauranga will appear and will distribute a prema to everyone without exception. Everywhere in these places, the Lord and His associates will dance like ecstatic sankirtans. The Lord will perform His pastimes with the devotees of all His previous incarnations. O Divadas, one who lives in Navadvipa Dham with firm faith reaches the lotus feet of Gauranga. O brahmana, stay here and worship the Lord, and you will see Gauranga and all His associates.
Hearing this, the brahman freed himself from all anxieties and began to live on the bank of the pond, worshiping the Lord.
The result of ablution here is 100 times greater than ablution in the traditional Pushkara-tirtha.
Translated from dhama.dayalnitay.ru