Achleshwar Mahadev Temple,Achalgarh,Mount Abu, Rajasthan,India

Achleshwar Mahadev Temple, Achalgarh, Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India

Location

Achaleshwar Mahadev Temple is located just outside the Achalgarh Fort in the village, Achalgarh, 11km away from Mount Abu towards north. Mount Abu is a famous place and the only Hill station of Rajasthan in Sirohi District.

Achaleshwar Mahadev Temple

Nandi made of Brass

Legend

According to a legend the temple is contructed around the footprints of Lord Shiva on a rock as foundation. Generally, the Lingam of Lord Shiva is worshiped, but this is the only place on earth where the Toe is worshiped.

A huge brass structure of Divine Nandi Bull along with two large Buffaloes (made of large stone) is installed in front of the temple. When the Muslim invaders came here and attack the temple, millions of bumble bees released by Nandi, attacked on them and forced to fled away from the Temple.

Mount Abu is an important place of Hindu religion. There are 108 Temples of Lord Shiva in and around Mount Abu. After Varanasi it is supposed to be the another abode of Lord Shiva and 33 crores of God and Goddesses in the Universe ( as per Hindu mythology ). There is a beautiful lake nearby named Mandakini, surrounded by rocky hills on which the images of buffaloes and the King are carved beautifuly.

Mandakini Lake

In Garbhagriha (Sanctum), there is a semi circular pit in which the image of Right Toe of Lord Shiva can be seen and the water offered there on Shivalingam disappears. It is still a mystery, where the water goes. Devotees believe that the water goes to netherworld (Patal lok).

Semicircular pit

In the courtyard of the temple, a big, old and ancient tree of Champa flower which indicate towards the ancientness of this place. On the left side of the temple,there is a  DHARAMKANTA  ( Religious Weighing Balance ) built over the two artistically constructed, beautiful pillers. It is a tradition that the King, taking over the charge, first receive the blessings of Achleshwar Mahadev and then sit over Dharmakanta and take a oath of being impartial to the people of his territory.

Around the campus, there are also many more temples, constructed in which idols of black stones are installed. They are namely Varah Narsingham, Baman Bhagwan, Kachhap, Matsya, Rama, Krishna, Budhha, Kalangi Awatar are installed. There are also many sculpted idol which are made of Crystal like stone. In natural light this stone looks opaque but if you place a candle behind the idol a beautiful crystal like sparkle can be seen.The stone is called  SPHATIK  in Hindi.

About the Temple 

After the attack of the Muslim invaders, the then incharge of the temple began to think some way to protect the temple from the enemies in future.

He chalk out a plan to protect the sanctity of the temple by a simple method and decided to cover it by a layer of lime over the temple. This process covered the intricate fine filigree, important inscriptions and other art work under the layer of lime. As a result the appearance of the temple became very ordinary and insignificant.

Some where in 1979, the Prince of Sirohi visited this temple with the royal visitors and saw some thing looking like marble under the layer of lime at one place on the wall of the temple. Then the

Prince decided to restore the original glamour of the temple. At first he appointed the artisans for this work. They started to remove the layers of lime with extreme precautions. After that the great glory of temple was being revealed.

The semicircular pit of Garbhagriha (Sanctum) was originally built of blocks of marble. The Sanctum  was rebuilt with excellent quality of marble slab. After reconstruction a space for parikrama came out inside the temple.

After restoration the Dashawatar temple left all the visitors spell bound.

Places to visit nearby

Delwara Jain Temple

The temple is situated about 2.5 km from main city in the village Delwara. It is an ancient temple

of the period 1513 CE. The  artistic work inside the temple is beautiful and unparalleled. One should must visit.

Delwara Jain Temple

Adhar Devi Temple

This temple is situated in a cave and (dedicated to Goddess Durga) about 3 km away from the main town of Mount Abu. There are 365 stairs from the ground level upto the temple.

Adhar Devi Temple

Achalgarh Fort

Achalgarh Fort is situuated 11 km away to north of Mount Abu. The fort was originally built by Parmar Dynasty. Later on it was renovated, reconstructed and named as Achalgarh fort by Maharana Kumbha in 1442 CE. The fort is historical and of religious importance and worth visit.

Achalgarh Fort

Brahmakumari's

Prajapita Brahmakumari Ishwariya Vishawavidyalaya is an International Non Govt. Organisation head quartered at Mount Abu. It is a spiritual institution focused on self transformation.

Brahmakumari Vishwavidyalaya

Where To Stay

Mount Abu is the popular hill station and pilgrim destination. There are so many hotels of every budget are available here.

Budget Hotels - Hotel Lake Palace, Hotel Savera Palace, Hotel Sikhar, Aranya Village Resort etc.

Star Hotels - Hotel Hillock, Hotel Chacha Inn,Hotel Sunset etc

There are so many Govt. rest house, available for comfortable stay.

How To Reach

By Air

Maharana Pratap Udaipur is the nearest Airport, 207 km away. One can reach by his own car or taxi.

By Rail

Abu Road is the nearest Railway Station on Mumbai - Delhi route.

By Road

Mount Abu is well connected by road to major towns of northern and western India.The distance from some important cities are - Ahmedabad - 222 km, Jodhpur - 225 km, Jaipur - 509 km. It is advised not to travel in night.

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Lingraj Temple, Bhuvneshwar, Odisha, India

Lingraj Temple, Bhuvneshwar, Odisha, India

Location

Lingraj Temple is situated in the heart of the capital city of Odisha at Bhuvneshawar. The name LINGRAJ  literally mean the king of Lingam. The main deity inside the temple is Lord Shiva in combo form, clarified below.

Lingraj Temple

Puri Beach

Specialty of Lingam

The Lingam here is worshiped in the form Hari and Hara i.e. two forms. One is Hari,which means Lord Vishnu and second is Hara which means Lord Shiva.This way the Lingam is regarded as Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva both. This Lingam is believed to be a Swayambhu (self created) Lingam.

The Lingam is circular in shape, 8 ft in diameter and 8 inches in height. The surface of the Lingam look like bubbles on it and also called BUD - BUD  (Hindi word)  Lingam. Its circular shape represents Sudarshana Chakra of Lord Vishnu.


Devotees called this Lingam as Hariharatmak  (representing Lord Vishnu)  and Kalrudratmak (representing Lord Shiva) both. In this way this Lingam is worshiped as Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu both at one place. The devotees are allowed to worship here without the help of any priest or panda.

About the Temple

The temple is divided in to four parts 1. Grabhgriha, 2.Yagnashala, 3. Bhogmandap, 4.Natyashala.

The height of the main temple is 180 ft. There are approximately 180 temples of other Hindu Gods inside the compound wall of the temple.

On the main entrance door of the temple one can see the symbol of Trident on one side and Chakra on another side, again representing the temple as of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu both. Water, milk, honey, curd, bhang etc are used daily for ablution of the Shivlingam.

Lingraj temple states the rich legacy of Indian culture and traditions. The temple has an average of 6000 visitors per day.

Guidelines for Darshan

1. Non Hindus are not allowed to enter inside the temple, but can see the Deity from the viewing platform made for this purpose. 

2. Unbath visitors are not allowed.

3. Menstruating women are not allowed to go inside the temple.

4. One who had Death in his family can not enter the temple before 12 days.

History of the Temple

The temple is an ancient one and believed to be constructed in last decade of 11th century. Although the construction started in 6 th century CE and completed part by part.

A historian Ferguson believes that the temple might have been initiated by Lelat Indra Kesri who reigned from 615 to 657 CE. Finally the temple completed by the King Jajati Keshri of Shomvansa.

The high walls of the temple are constructed by using red stones. The entrance of the temple is on east side. The entrance gate is called Sinhadwar (lion gate). The statue of two lions side by side grabbing elephant with their feet.

The four components, as said above are Garbhagriha or Vimana jagmohana ( assembly hall ), Natyashala ( festival hall ), and Bhogmandapa ( place of offerings ). Vimana is the place where the Lingam is situated. Natyashala is an indication of DEVDASI pratha at that time.

Bhuvneshwara is known as Ekmara kheshtra (area). Ekmara literally means mango tree. Initially and originally Lingraj was situated under a mango tree.

Legend

The Lingam inside the temple is a rough, natural, unshaped stone. Such Lingam is called KRUTIBASA or SWAYAMBHU Lingam in Hindu religion.

There is an interesting story behind the temple. Once Parwati went Bhuvneshawar in guise of a cow herd to explore that place. Kruti and Basa were the two Demons who wanted to marry Parvati. Even after the hard refusal by Mata Parvati the Demons still continued to pursue her. Now Mata Parvati requested the demon to carry her on their shoulder.The demons did accordingly. Now Mata sstarted to increase her weight to the extent to crush the demons.This way the demons were killed.

The goddess Parvati became tired thirsty after killing the Demons. Lord Shiva then created a lake to quench her thirst. The lake is now known as Bindusagar lake and took abode here.

There is an island in the center of the lake where small temples are situated. Once in a year Lingraj himself brought for rituals and ablution. According to Hindu belief an underground river originates from the Lingraj temple and fills the Bindusagar lake.

Pilgrims take holy dip with this believes that the physical and spiritual illness will be remved by the holy water of the lake.

Festivals and Rituals

Shivaratri

Shivratri is the main festival celebrated here in Hindi month Falgun ( generally falls in March-April ). During Shivratri festival the number of devotees counts in lacs.

This shows the devotion of hindus towards their deity.The devotees enjoy the festival by praying his deity with Bhajan and Kirtans (religious songs) all overnight. They also do fast in Shivratri and usually break their fast after Mahadipa (a huge lamp) is lit on the spire of the temple.

Shrawan Mela

In the Hindi month Shrawan (july – august) thousands of devotees sounding Bol-Bam carry water from Mahanadi river and offer it on Lingam.

Sunian Day

Sunian Day is a 22 day festival, observed from the Royal period in the month of Bhadra (Hindi month) in which the land owners of the temple, servants working inside, local farmers took part in this celebration.

This is also known as sandal wood ceremony. Dances, communal feast and group marriage ceremony are arranged on this occasion. These all things are arranged by the local people.

Rath Yatra (chariot festival)

Rath Yatra is celebrated on Ashokastami. The Deity is taken on a chariot to Rameshwar Deula temple. A huge gathering of the devotees pull and follow the chariot having the beautifully decorated idols of the Deity with his sister Rukmini.

Places to visit nearby

Bhuvneshwar (Lingraj temple), Puri(Jagannath temple) and Konark (Sun temple), constitute a golden triangle in Odisha. All the temples are ancient and worth visiting

PURI

Jagannath temple Puri is situated 60 km away from Bhuvneshwar. It is an ancient and world famous temple and included as one of four DHAMS of Hindu religion. The other three dhams are Badrinath, Dwarika, Rameshwaram. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

Konark Temple

Konark Temple

Konark temple is basically a Sun Temple constructed by the King Narshimhadev 1 of eastern ganga Dynasty in 13 th century. 

The shape of the temple like a chariot with elaborately carved stone wheels. At present the temple is in Time worn condition but highlights the glory of ancient time. It is among the NDTV’S and Times of India’s list of Seven Wonders of India.

Ravindranath Tagore quotes about this temple –

Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man.

Udaygiri Khandgiri caves

Udaygiri Khandgiri caves are situated in Bhuvneshwar town on two hills Udaygiri and Khandgiri ayare of archeological, historical and religios importance. Very interesting to visit

Rajarani Temple

Rajarani temple is a 11 th century temple located in Bhuvneshawar. Local people call it a LOVE TEMPLE due to its erotic carvings of women and couples.

There is no idols or images inside the temple and hence it is not associated with any sect.,but interesting to visit such a temple without God.

Where to Stay

Bhuuvneshwar is the capital city of Odisha. there are so many Hotels of every budget are easily available for comfortable stay.

Budget Hotels

Hotel Presidency, Patra Guest House, Saraswati Rtreat, The Bari International are budget hotels below Rs1500/- INR per day.

Star Hotels 

Hotel Trident, Hotel Pal height, Hotel Kalinga Ashoke, Hotel New marrion etc are high budget hotels above Rs 3000/-INR per day. 

How to Reach

By Rail

Bhuvneshwar is well connected by rail from every corner of India. One can reach here easily.

By Road

Bhubneshwar is well connected by road from Bihar, Bengal, Jharkhand and South India.

By Air

The nearest airport is Bhuvneshwar. Flights for Major cities of India are available.

Martand SunTemple, Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Martand Sun temple, Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir

 Location

Martand Sun Temple is located in the village, Mattan which is 8 km from Anantnag town, a district Hq in the state of J&K.

Martand Temple

Dedicated to Sun God this is an ancient temple, constructed in 8th century AD. It is situated on a plateau, from where the whole Kashmir Valley is visible.

 Martand is the another name of Sun God in Sanskrit. 

The Valley of Kashmir is a Holy Land for Hindus, that is why there are several temples of Hindu religion here in a Ananatnag. Martand temple is among one of the famous temples of Sun God in India.

The ruins of the temple reveals the glorious past of this area. Its architechture, sculpture,and hugeousness is surprising.

On the way to Amarnath,  devotees come here and worship Sun God. In Hindu religion, Sun God is the God of health.

Devotees organizes so many celebrations all over the year.

The King Lohaditya was the great devotee of Sun God. It is said, that the king used to start his daily activity and routine work, only after worshiping Sun God.

About the temple

The temple's architecture is in Aryan style and blended with Gandharan, Gupta, Chinese, Roman & Greek style. In accordance with the Hindu religious belief, the primary entrance of the temple is situated in western direction.

The entrance is highly reflective, as a whole due to its elaborate decoration of the deities worshiped inside.The top of the temple is in pyramidical shape. It is a comman feature of temples in kashmir.

The temple was built by the King Laltaditya Muktapida in 724-760 CE. Although the foundation of the temple is said to be of the period 370-500 CE.

The Archeological Survey of India has declared the temple as the site of National Importance in J&K. The temple appears in the list of Centrally Protected Monuments. A signboard is installed there describing the history of the temple.

Signboard showing history in brief

Places to visit nearby

• Khir Bhawani Asthapan temple ( Devibal )

Basically, the temple of Goddess Durga, attracts a good number of devotee, and is considered a holy place by the entire Kashmiri Pandit community.

• Uma Devi Temple

Goddess Uma, said to have selected this place, Uttersoo in Anantnag as her Abode. Goddess here manifested in form of a stream and appeared in the shape of OMKAR, It is a temple worth visit.

Uma Devi Temple

• Nag Dandi

This temple is dedicated to Ramkrishna Paramhansa, constructed by Swami Ashokanand 40 yrs ago.

• Bhoumajo Cave

These caves are situated in the left bank of the Lidder river about a mile north of the village Baman. The temple is dedicated to Kala Devi,the Goddess of Art.

Bhaumajo cave

How to reach

By air

Seikh Ul Alam international airport is 62 km from Aanantnag. Airport is well connected to other important cities of India. Hence from Srinagar, one can reach Anantnag by taxi or by own car.

By rail

Anantnag Railway station is well connected with Kashmir Railway that runs from Baramula to Kazigud. Anantnag is connected to few important cities by frequent trains.

By road

Anantnag is very well connected to various cities of J&K. Here are some distances from Anantnag by road.

Kokarnag toAnantnag- 10 km

Pahalgam to Anantnag- 44 km

Shrinagar to Anantnag 66 km

Jammu to Anantnag – 237 km

Pahari Mandir, Ranchi,Jharkhand, India

Pahari Mandir, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India

Location

Pahari Mandir is located in the heart of Ranchi town in Ratu road on the small hill top. The main deity inside the temple is Lord Shiva in the form of Lingam. This temple is famous in the name of PAHARI MANDIR and also being, the famous land mark of the town. Ranchi railway station is 8 km and airport is 12 km from here.

Entrance Gate 

Shivlingam

The devotees from all over Jharkhand and nearby places come here in large numbers during Shrawana of Hindi month, and offer Jaldhara on Shivlingam. Most of the devotees go to the river Swarnarekha, take bath and carry Jal  (water) from there for Lord Shiva.

 Many of local devotees come here on regular basis early in the morning for doing Puja Archana. The devotees have to walk through  appox. 300 stairs to reach the Main Temple.

The temple campus is well maintained in all respect.The greenery all around the hill present a picturesque view.Viewing Ranchi from the top of the hill is amazing.There is a lake at the bottom of the hill looks very beautiful.

Over view of Ranchi

During the British period, the hill was known as Faansi Tongri and it was the place, used for hanging the Freedom Fighter. To remember the importance of this place, the citizens of Ranchi celebrate Republic Day and Independence Day by hoisting the National Flag here.

Lake below the Hill

The Ranchi Administration and Municipal Corporation together working for the renovation, beautification and development of the Pahari Mandir.

Puja and Rituals

Lord Shiva here is believed to be the incarnation of Mahakal. Trtaditionally, the Puja Archana start from the temples at ground level.A series of temple come one by one on the way and they are named below :-

Mahakal temple

On the left hand side of the Entrance gate, the temple of Mhakaal is situated. The devotees start their worship from here.

Kali Mandir

 On the right hand side of the entrance gate is Kali Mandir.

Vishwanath Mandir

On the right hand side, the Temple of Lord Vishwanath is situated, Sivlingam of black colored stone is installed inside the temple.

Hanuman Mandir

The idol of Hanuman sculpted from a single piece of stone is marvellous.

Durga Mandir

 Goddess Durga and Goddess Parvati, both being the Goddess of Power sparkled inside the temple campus.

Nag Mandir

Just below the main temple there is a cave in which Nag Mandir is situated.There is also a foot print there which is believed to be of Lord Shiva.

Facilities over there

•  Hall for Marriage ceremony.

•  24 hrs water supply & water coolers for drinking water.

•  Free shoe stand.

•  Cctv cameras for watching unlawful activities.

•  24 hrs ATM facility.

•  Shulabh Shouchalaya and other sanitation facilities.

Places to visit nearby

Jagannath Temple

Situated at a distance of 8 km from the city is the replica of Jagannth temple Puri. It is constructed by the King of Barkagarh Thakur Ani Nath Shahdeo in the year 1691.

Jagannath temple

Rajrappa Chhinnamastika Temple

48 km by road from Ranchi town.The temple is dedicated to Goddess of power with severed head holding it in Her left hand. It is situated at the meeting point of Damodar and Bhairvi river.

Rajrappa Temple

Deori Temple

This Temple is dedicated to Sixteen handed (Solah Bhuji Devi) Mata Deori. Indian Cricket team Captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the great devotee of Devi. Whenever he come and go from  Ranchi, must go to Deori Mandir to worship and recieve blessings.

Deori Mandir

Hundru Fall

Situated at 45 km away from Ranchi town. It is a beautiful water fall worth seeing.

Hundru Fall

There are also so many beautiful park in Ranchi town some of them are namely Rock Garden, Naxatrvan, Siddhu Kanhu park etc.

Where to stay

Ranchi is the Capital town of Jharkhand, There are so many hotels in the town. Some of them are, Hotel Radison blue, Capitol hill, Green Horizon,Basera Hotel, Hotel Yuvraj and many other hotels of low, medium and high budgets are available.

How to reach

By rail

Ranchi is well connected to all over india by railway network.It is under South Eastern Railway. Trains for Delhi, Kolkata, Patna, Tata, Dumka, Bhagalpur and other cities runs daily.

By road

Ranchi is well connected by road from all the cities of Jharkhad and Bihar.Famous G T road passes through Jharkhand which connect it from all over India.

By air

Birsa Munda airport is only 8 km from the town. Flight for Mumbai, Patna, Kolkata, Delhi operates regularly.

Sri Chandrasekhar Mahadev Temple, Saho village, Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India

Location

Sri Chandrashekhar Mahadev temple, a magnificent shrine, located in the village Saho of Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh. Chandrashekhar literally means the moon on the head but basically Lord Shiva. This is an ancient temple of 10th century and situated in plain but surrounded, three sides by the hills.

A river named Sal is flowing, below the temple in deep valley. The river got its name from the Sal trees, found in this region in abundance. The distance from Chamba to village Saho is 18 km.

Most population of Saho village, are the devotees of Lord Shiva and are called Suhal, who speak Suhali.

Chandrashekhar Mahadev Temple

Sal River

About The Temple

The Shivlingam is 5 ft in height and commonly known as Chandrashekhar Mahadev. The Lingam is placed on a large stand, square at the top which is encased in copper sheets. There is a legend that copper is procured from the same site, where the temple is situated.

Divine Bull (Nandi) made out of stone is placed in front of the temple. The devotees pass through the legs of the bull, with this belief that the trouble of his life will be removed by doing so. They also rub butter, ghee, milk, etc over the mouth of Nandi. The devotees believe that, by doing so, they will remain healthy and wealthy.

The temple is undoubtedly, the ancient one. According to a stone inscription, discovered in the village Saho and now, preserved in Chamba museum. It states that the temple was built by King Saryaki, son of Bagota in 10 Th century.

In front of the temple, there is a courtyard. Foot prints of Goddess Mekhli isinstalled here, the devotees bow their head and have Her blessings.

Above the courtyard, a 25 ft high statue of Lord Hanuman is installed. The specialty of the statue is that Lord Shani Dev is tied to the waist of Lord Hanuman. Above the main door of the temple the statue of Lord Ganesha and on left and right Kaal and Mahakal’s statues are installed.

The tourists and the devotees come here through out the year to get blessings of Lord Shiva and to enjoy the natural scenic beauty of Chamba and Saho valley.

History

According to a legend, during the exile period, Pandavas came here and constructed this temple of Lord Shiva for their worship.

Another legend says that in the ancient time, a Saint used to do meditation in a cave, near the river Sal. After the completion of the meditation he used to take bath in the river, very early morning.

One day, he saw that somebody had taken bath before him. He wanted to know the fact and kept watching that place from very early morning. He saw that three Saints appeared like a flash of light by the supernatural power and began to take bath. After taking bath, they started chanting and vanished immediately. The Saint, watching this occurrence, became astonished.

In the same night the Saint had a dream, in which Lord Chandrashekhar appeared before him and said not to worry from this incident. 

Lord Chandrashekhara told him that I am present here in the form of a stone, under the water of Sal river. He directed him to take it out of the water and carry it to another place, where this stone (SHILA) would become heavy, place it there, and construct a temple.The saint did accordingly.The news of this incident circulated, all around the village and the King.

Knowing about this news, the King reached that place and started the construction of the temple. Again an amazing incident happened there. It is seen that as the construction of the temple progressed the Shivling started to grow taller and taller. Then again Lord Chandrashekhara came in to the dream and directed to stop the construction of the wall, and complete its roofing work.That is why the temple's roof is of low height and in Tribal style.

Festivals

All the festivals are celebrated here according to the traditional culture. In Maha Shivaratri, the devotees worship Lord Shiva with grains of new crop and wool. The devotees who are unable to go to Mani Mahesh, they take bath in Sal river and worship Lord Shiva with this belief that they had earned Punyafal ( Religious benefit ) equivalent to Mani Mahesh pilgrimage.

In Hindi month Baishakh, a fair is organised in which the local people performs singing and dancing, wearing traditional dresses and enjoy the celebration. The local people suppose themselves as a part of Lord Shiva family.

The tourists and the devotees all over the country visit this place, through out the year and enjoy the festival.

Places of Interest

1. Gandhi Gate

A bright orange gateway is constructed on the south western side of the chowgan in 1900 AD to welcome Lord Curzon. This was the main entrance in to the city before the new road was built.

2. Luxmi Narayan Temple

This temple in Chamba is worth seeing. There are six temples, three of Lord Shiva and three of Lord Vishnu temple.

3. Chamba Museum

Collections of sculptures of 18th and 19th century are preserved beautifully inside the Museum.

4. Khajjiar

Khajjiar lake is situated at an altitude of 1920 M between Dalhousie and Chamba town.

Khajjiar Lake

How to Reach

By Road

The nearest Bus station from Chamba is located in Chowgan. Bus service is easily available from Delhi, Chandigarh and the other cities of Himachal.

By Rail

Pathankot is the nearest railway station and the distance to Chamba is 122 km.
From Pathankot buses are available for Chamba.

By Air

Nearest airport is New Delhi or Chandigarh from where one can hire a taxi or can reach Chamba by own car.

Mahamaya Temple, Bilaspur Chhatisgarh,India

Mahamaya Temple, Distt. Bilaspur, Chattisgarh, India

Mahamaya Temple 

Mahamaya Devi

Location

This ancient temple of Mahamaya Devi is located at Ratanpur of distt Bilaspur in Chattisgarh. The distance from Bilaspur is only 25 km, connected by good road.

This temple is built upon 16 stone pillars in 12th century and surrounded by 18’’thick wall. There are also the temples of Maa Mahakali, Maa Bhadrakali, Sun God, lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva inside the boundary wall of the Mahamaya temple.

Mahamaya temple is among the 51 Shakti peethas of Sati cult. Being dishonoured by king Daksha,Mata sati sacrificed herself in the fire of Hawan Kund. Seeing this, Lord Shiva became angry and lifted her body on his shoulders and started Tandva, moving, in three Loka (Akash,Patal,Earth). Lord Vishnu, being the Gaudian of the Universe started efforts to calm Lord Shiva and cut off the body of Mata Sati into 51 pieces and scattered it on the Earth. The shoulder of Mata fell here, where the temple of Mahamaya Devi constructed. Hence this place became a sacred place in Hindu religion.

During Navratra which come twice in a year, the devotees in large numbers gather here to worship.

There are big halls around the temple which is used during navratra. Akhand Jyoti for nine days is lighted here. The devotees light their own Akhand jyoti. The expenditure of ghee and other materials born by each devotee.

Navratra is celebrated here with joy and enthuesm. It is believed that if you wish anything before Devi and hang a shri- fal (coconut) wrapped in red cloth on the tree before the temple, your wish will be fulfilled by the blessing of Goddess Mahamaya.

Ancient History

It is an ancient temple believed to be constructed in 12-13 th century by heirs of king Ratnadev of Ratnapur. Many statues are taken from the time worn and ruins of the temples constructed earlier of 12 th century.

It is believed that king Ratnadev of Ratanpur in 1050 AD did the first Puja and Abhishek of Devi. He also shifted his capital from Tuman to Ratanpur during this period. Devi Mahamaya is the Kuldevi of the king Ratnadev. As described before, the heirs of the king Ratnadev, built up the fort of the capital, temples and other structures which can be seen today.

Dual faced statue of Devi Mahamaya is installed inside the temple. The main pond is in front of the temple. The front face of the statue is of Mahamaya Devi who is Mahishasur Mardini. and back face of the statue is of Maa Saraswati.

Front face Mahamaya Devi & back Mata Saraswa

Although there are so many temples of other Gods in the campus in which temple of Lord Shiva is a magnificent architecture made of red stone.

Over all these temples are ancient & historic. All the walls are decorated by the sculptures of 9th to 12 th century AD. The recent temple is renovated by the Archaeological Survey of India but the actual shape of the temple was kept intact.

Administration

The temple is managed by the trust named Sidh Shakti Peeth Shri Mahamaya Devi mandir trust.

The trust is registered with the Govt. and run as per law.

There is a good  rest house managed by the trust free of cost and on first come first serve basis.

Some social work also perform by the trust such as -

1. Mahamaya Vedic Sanskrit Peeth - free of cost

2. Samuhik Upnayan Sanskar

3. Homeopathic Hospital

4.  Samuhik vivah organised by the trust

Places to visit nearby

 Bhairav mandir

it   It is essential to visit the temple of Bhairav Baba who supposed to be the door keeper of Mahamaya Devi. Without Darshan and Puja of Kaal Bhairav, worship will not be accepted by the Goddess Mahamaya. Thus, it is essential to worship Kaal Bhairav first.

2     Lakshami Devi mandir

Lakshmi Devi Temple

-t   This temple is in the shape of Pushpak Vimana and built by Gangadhar Shastri in 13^th century.

3    Ram Tekari temple

Ram Tekri Temple

-    A beautiful statue of God Rama, Sita and Lord Hanuman made of granite is installed inside the temple.

Vrideshwarnath temple

This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Shivling is made up of bronze alloy. 

How to reach

By  rail

Bilaspur is a junction stations of SE railway, is well connected to all over India.

By road

One can reach Raipur, the capital of Chhatisgarh, from there one can come to Bilaspur. Roads are in good condition.

By air

Nearest airport is Raipur.  From air port hire a taxi and reach Bilaspur and then Ratnapur.

Markanday Mahadev Temple, kaithi, Varanasi Uttar Pradesh India.

 Markanday Mahadev Temple, Kaithi, Varanasi, UP, India

Markanday Temple

Markanday Shinlingam

Location 

Markanday Mahadev temple is located in Kaithi village, which is 30 km away from Varanasi, near the confluence point of Ganga and Gomti rivers. This temple is the centre of belief for having a child or descendant to a couple.

Kaithi is supposed to be the 2nd Kashi established by the king of Kashi named Debodas.

Story behind the Temple

Mrikandu was a saint in the ancient times. The name of his wife was Marudwati. Unfotunately the couple had no issue. Sage Mrikandu was a great devotee of god and used to meditate at Nemisharanaya Sotapur, where the other sages were also doing meditation.

The saint Mrikandu left the place and came to Vindhychal. Here, the saint performed tough meditation. Being pleased with his meditation, Lord Brahma appeared before him and told the way through which he could have a child. He also advised him to pray and meditate hard for Lord Shiva, because he is the only god who can alter the future happenigs decided by me. 

Then Mrikandu couple came at the confluence point of Ganga and Gomti rivers and performed hard meditation. Being pleased with his meditatation Lord Shiva appeared before Mrikandu and asked about his will. Sage Mrikandu requested Lord Shiva to bless him with a child.

Lord Shiva then blessed him with a son.. Shiva asked the couple if they want an ordinary son who will lead a long healthy life or an exceptional son who would lead a short life but with extraordinary intelligence. The couple opted for the second one.

As the time passed, his wife had a child and named him Markanday. The child was very intelligent and of religious nature. Intellegence within him was god gifted and became a devotee of Lord Shiva. He was the master of Mahamrityunjaya Mantra and he became famous and a accomplished Sage quite early in his childhood.

At the age of sixteen, his existing time on earth came to an end. The Yamraj (god of death) came to take him away from the earth. At that time Markanday was worshiping before the Shivlingam. Seeing the Yama, out of fear he grabbed and holded Shiva Lingam with his both arms and prayed Lord Shiva to protect him. Yama then threw the noose (Bandhan) towards the child sage which encircled the Shiva Lingam too.

After that the Shiva Lingam burst with a roar and flashes like a thunder and Lord Shiva appeared. Shiva blessed Markanday with eternal life and proclaimed that he shall live forever as a sixteen year old. He also declared computation of time will be according to my time, means the heavenly time computation process.

Since, that day the village Kaithi became famous in the name of Markanday and Mahadev came to be known as Markanday Mahadev.

Here, large number of people come to get their wished fulfilled and to get mental peace. According to the Hindu mythology, Mahadev is considered as God of Gods.and so, this place attracts everybody. Here, the priests are the owners of this place and take the offering from the devotees and serve the God. The Priests belong to the Goswami community.

It is believed that the famous sage Shringi Rishi did Yagna named Putrayeshti yagna at this place in Treta Yuga by which King Dashratha had four sons. This is also the place, where king Raghu did Parayana (to complete ) of Haribans Purana ( a holy book ), after that he got the descendant of his family.

Thus, the devotees who pray to Markanday Mahadev, with the core of his heart, must receive the blessings and the wishes fulfilled.

Festivals

Shivratri festival is celebrated in which not less than 5 lakhs devotees gather here. Special arrangements made by the devotees and Swayam Sevi Sansthan’s to manage the crowd.

How to reach

Varansi city is a world renowned place. Anyone can reach here easily.

From Varanasi one can hire a taxi and reach Kaithi by road. Kaithi is on the national highway connecting Varanasi and Gazipur.

Where to stay

There are so many Dharamshalas, guest houses, hotels available at Varanasi for comfortable stay.

It is advised to stay at Varanasi, from there one can go to Kaithi by road.

Places to visit nearby

Varnasi is the nearest city and a famous Hindu religious place, regarded as the spiritual capital city of India. Along with its winding streets are 2000 temples including Kashi Vishwanath, the golden temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Varanasi is situated on the bank of holy river Ganga. There are so many ghats along the bank in which few are worth seeing. Given below the list of some ghats and temples which are of religious as well as of tourism importance ;-

Temples

• Sarnath Temple 

• Sankat Mochan Mandir

• Tulsi Manas Temple 

• Bharat Mata Mandir 

• Banaras Hindu University

• Annapurna Temple 

• Kal Bhairav Temple 

Ghats

• Manikarnika Ghat 

• Dasashwamegh Ghat   

• Harishchandra Ghat  

• Panchganga Ghat 

Mangalnath Temple, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India

Mangalnath Temple, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India

Mangalnath Temple

Mangalnath Lingam

Location

The Mangalnath temple is located on the bank of Shipra river in Ujjain , Madhya Pradesh. The holy river is believed as Mokshdayini, according to the Hindu belief. This marvelous shrine is far from the chaos of the city life, where the devotees experience calm and peace.

According to Matsyapuran, Mangalnath temple is the birth place of mars, The Mangal planet is supposed to be the son of Lord Shiva and Earth. That is why Mars is worshiped in the form of Lord Shiva. Geographically, this temple is situated at the intersection of Karka rekha (tropic of cancer).

As per Astrologists, a man who suffers from Mangal dosh (disfavored by mars) is advised to perform Bhat Puja. Bhat Puja is the way by which Mangal dosh can be averted.

One thing, that is very important is that this place is most suitable for astronomical studies. A large number of people come here to worship mars and for performing Bhat Puja for the remedy of Mangal dosh. This is the only temple in India where worshiping for Mangal Dosh is organised.

Bhat Puja

Ganesh - Gauri pujan, Mangal Kalash pujan, Panchamrut pujan, Dahi bhat pujan (rice & curd) and Nav Graha pujan, all these pujans are collectively called Bhat Puja.

The materials required for the puja is arranged by the priest which costs to the devotees. Some amount as Dakshina (money ) is also offered to the priest.

It is believed among the people that after Bhat puja, the Mangal dosha is completely removed from one's life. A large number of people come here to worship Mars and for performing Bhat puja for the remedy of Mangal dosh.

Mangal Graha is supposed to be the active Planet which is related to monetary, property, marital life, accidents, surgery, debts and childless problems. All these problems can be prevented by the worship of Mangalnath’s Bhat puja.

Nearby Attractions & Places to Visit

1. Mahakal Temple, Ujjain  - This temple is among the 12 Jyotirlingas and famous in India and abroad. It is supposed to be the most sacred abode of Lord Shiva.

Mahakaat Lingam

2. Chintaman Ganesh Temple - About 15 km away from the main city and worth seeing.

Chintaman Ganesh

3. Harsiddhi Temple - This temple is dedicated to Goddess Annapurna.

Harsidhi Temple

4. Gopal Mandir - This temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna in Blue form and also knwon as Dwarikadhis temple.A beautiful temple worth seeing

5. Kaal Bhairav Temple - An incarnate of Lord Shiva or Mahakaal is famous for consuming alcohol. It is a mystery and interesting to visit the Temple once.

Kaal Bharav

The above are the main temples nearby worth visiting.

How to Reach

Ujjain is a famous place and well connected by road, rail, and air.