Brahma Kund is a
stepped temple tank in
Sihor
Sihor is a town, a municipality in Bhavnagar district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Gujarat. Placed along the river Gautami, this erstwhile capital of the Gahlot, Gohil Rajputs, surrounded by hills is situated about 2 ...
town of
Bhavnagar district,
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
, India. It is located near the southern wall of the old town. It believed that it was constructed by
Jayasimha Siddharaja
Jayasiṃha ( ), who assumed the title Siddharāja (), was an Indian king who ruled western parts of India. He was a member of the Chaulukya (also called Solanki) dynasty.
Jayasimha's capital was located at Anahilapataka (modern Patan) in pres ...
.
History
The exact dates of Brahma Kund is unknown. It mentioned in ''
Skanda Purana
The ''Skanda Purana'' (IAST: Skanda Purāṇa) is the largest '' Mukyapurana'', a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Kaumara literature, titled after Skanda, a son of Shiva and Parvati, w ...
''.
According to legend,
Chaulukya
The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...
king
Jayasimha Siddharaja
Jayasiṃha ( ), who assumed the title Siddharāja (), was an Indian king who ruled western parts of India. He was a member of the Chaulukya (also called Solanki) dynasty.
Jayasimha's capital was located at Anahilapataka (modern Patan) in pres ...
was suffering from skin disease following the curse from
Ranakadevi
Ranakadevi was a legendary 12th century queen of Khengara, the Chudasama ruler of Saurashtra region of western India. She is mentioned in the bardic tragic romance representing the battle between Chudasama king Khengara and Chaulukya king Jayasi ...
, the queen whom he captured from
Junagadh
Junagadh () is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located at the foot of the Girnar hills, southwest of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar (the state capital), it is the seventh largest city in the state.
Literally ...
. He was cured after bathing in this tank so he refurbished the tank. The water of the tank is still considered miraculous.
It is mentioned in ''
Prabandha-Chintamani
''Prabandha-Chintamani'' (IAST: Prabandha-cintāmaṇi) is an Indian Sanskrit-language collection of ''prabandhas'' (semi-historical biographical narratives). It was compiled in c. 1304 CE, in the Vaghela kingdom of present-day Gujarat, by Jain s ...
'' written by
Merutunga
Merutuṅga was a medieval scholar from present-day Gujarat in India and was a Śvētāmbara Jain monk of the Añcala Gaccha. He is presently most well-known for his Sanskrit text, the '' Prabandhacintāmaṇi'', composed in 1306 CE. He also ...
. The tank kept finding its reference and mentions citing Siddharaja since 12th century.
It is also mentioned in ''
Ain-e-Akbari''. Poet
Nanalal Dalpatram Kavi
Nanalal Dalpatram Kavi (16 March 1877 – 9 January 1946) was an Indian writer and poet in Gujarati language of Gujarati literature. His name is sometimes spelled as Nhanalal.
Biography
Nanalal was born on 16 March 1877 in Ahmedabad as the f ...
expresses and explains in his ''Hari Samhita'' that
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
had visited the place.
Architecture
Brahma Kund, built in the style of medieval architecture, has a design of steps, small temples, metaphors, motifs and beliefs, idols of
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
deities, stone work, some scientific entities, everything carved within and across the complex.
There is Neelkanth Mahadev temple near the tank. There is a lake known as ''Gautam Lake'' and Gautameshwar temple is located nearby.
The tank is the State Protected Monument (S-GJ-35). It is now poorly maintained.
Culture
On the last day of
Shraavana
Śrāvaṇa ( sa, श्रावण) is the fifth month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Śrāvaṇa is the fifth month of the year, beginning on July 23 and ending on August 22. In the Tamil calendar, it is known ...
month, called as ''Bhadarvi Amas'' or ''Bhadrapad Amavasya'', the fair is organised at the place which is attended by tens of thousands people.
See also
*
Brahma Vav
*
Brahma Temple, Khedbrahma
Notes and references
Notes
References
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Tourist attractions in Gujarat
Buildings and structures in Gujarat
Temple tanks in India
Tourist attractions in Bhavnagar district