Ramanisblog

Tag: Temples of Uttarkhand

  • Oldest Himalayan Cave Temple Ravana’s Gate Patal Bhuvaneswar

    There are lost Cave Temples in the Himalayas.

    Some of them have been found are in a difficult terrain.

    They have fascinating histories.

    Patal Bhuvaneswar.image.jpg Patal Bhuvaneswar.Pithogarh.

    One such is Pathala Bhuvaeswara temple, in Uttarkhand,India

     

    Patal Bhuvaneswar Cave Entrance.image.jpg Patal Bhuvaneswar Cave Entrance.

    ‘The first human to discover this cave was Raja Ritupurna who was a king in Surya Dynasty who was ruling Ayodhya during the Treta Yuga. The story starts with Ritupurna and King Nala. It is said that once, King Nala was defeated by his wife, Queen Damayanti. In order to escape his wife’s prison Nala requested Ritupurna to hide him. Ritupurna took him to the forests of the Himalayas and asked him to stay there. While going back home he was fascinated by a deer which ran into woods and went after it. He could not find it and took rest under a tree. He had a dream where the deer was asking Ritupurna not to chase him. His sleep broke and as he woke up and went to a cave where a guard was standing. After enquiring about the cave he was allowed to go inside. Right at the entrance, Ritupurna met Sheshnag who agreed to take him through the cave. It carried him on his hood. He saw the marvels of Gods taking place inside. He all the 33-crore gods and goddesses including Lord Shiva himself. It is said that after his visit, the cave was closed for ages with a slight prediction in the Skandpurana that it will be reopened again in Kaliyuga. Shankarcharya in Kalyug, during his temporary visit to Himalayas re-discovered this cave. Since then regular worship and offering are being done at this place.

    Patal Bhuvaneswar Location Map.image.jpg

    Patal Bhuvaneswar Location Map.

    According to belief King Rituparna of the Sun dynasty (Surya Vansha) discovered the cave in ‘Treta yug’. It has been described in the ‘MANAS KHAND’ of ‘SKAND PURAN’. Adi Shankaracharya visited this cave in 1191 AD. That was the beginning of the modern pilgrimage history, at Patal Bhuvaneshwar.[2] The journey inside the cave has to be carried in feeble lights, holding protective iron chains. The Stone formations of Sheshnag can be seen, holding earth, heaven the world beneath. ‘Havan’ (fire sacrifice) is performed in a dimly lit, solemn atmosphere, under the spell of holy chants. You’ll also be impressed by theto visit these parts form the celestial heights of His abode in Kailash.The cave, it is believed, is connected by an underground route to Mount Kailash.[3] it’s believed that Pandavas, the ‘Mahabharat’ heroes proceeded towards their last journey in the Himalayas after meditating here, in front of Lord Shiva.This hidden pilgrimage situated at 1,350mts above sea level is mainly dedicated to Lord Shiva.Almost every god that you would have heard of resides in this mystifying cave. It is also believed that you can worship at Patal Bhuvaneshwar is equivalent to worshipping at Char Dham of Uttarakhand.

    The priest family, the Bhandaris are performing religious rites at Patal Bhuvaneshwar since the time of the Adi Shankaracharya. More than 20 generations in the line. They are a treasure house of legends, lores, anecdotes and information about this holy place. It is also believed that this cave is internally connected to the four abodes /seats (Char Dham)

    “This awesome cave is believed to be as old as the earth itself. It has been mentioned in detail in the 103 chapter of Manaskhand of “Skanda Purana”. The first human who entered this cave was king “Rituparna” of Suraya Dynasty during the “Tretayuga”. It is said that during his visit, he had encountered several demons and “Sheshnaag” himself acted as his guide.One can see the gateway of the great ages in Patal Bhuvaneshwar. There are four entrances inside the cave named as ‘Randwar’ ‘Paapdwar’, ‘Dharamdwar’ and ‘Mokshadwar’. The Paapdwar was closed soon after the death of Ravana and the Randwar, literally, the road to war, was closed down after the great Mahabharata war. At present only two gateways are opened. You can see the tongue of Kali Bhairav, Aravati of Indra, hairs of Lord Shiva and several other wonders inside the caves of Patal Bhuvaneshwar.

    How to reach Patal Bhuvaneswar.

     


    The nearest airport to Patal Bhuvaneshwar is Pantnagar Airport. Pantnagar Airport is situated 244kms from Patal Bhuvaneshwar. Taxis are easily available to Patal Bhuvaneshwar from Pantnagar Airport. Patal Bhuvaneshwar is well connected by motorable roads with major towns of Kumaon.

    By Train

    The nearest railhead to Patal Bhuvaneshwar is Tanakpur situated at a distance of 154kms. Taxis and buses are easily available from Tanakpur Railway Station to Patal Bhuvaneshwar, Gangolighat, and Lohaghat etc. Tanakpur is well connected with major destinations of India like Lucknow, Delhi, Agra and Kolkata. Trains are frequent to Tanakpur Railway Station.

    Patal Bhuvaneshwar is well connected by motorable roads with major destinations of Uttarakhand state. Buses from ISBT Anand Vihar are available to Tanakpur, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Lohaghat and many other destinations from where you can easily hire a local cab or bus to reach Patal Bhuvaneshwar.

    Citation.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patal_Bhuvaneshwar

     

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  • Shiva’s Marriage Fire Still Burns Triyuginarayan Temple

    Some central thoughts in Sanatana Dharma, Hinduism, remain firm.

    One is that there is no difference between Hari and Hara  and they are quite close.

    Marriage Ceremonial Fire,Akahan Dhuni.image.jpg
    Marriage Ceremonial Fire,Akahan Dhuni .Shiva Parvati Marriage. Triyugu Narayan Temple. Image credit.http://imagesofincredibleindia.blogspot.in/2011/03/triyugi-narayan-temple-marriage-place.html Click to Enalrge.

    As an evidence of this Lord Shiva’s Marriage  with Parvati was conducted specially for Lord Vishnu.

    The Marriage Ceremonial fire still burns.

    Scroll down for Video.

    The marriage is between Shiva and Parvati, the Homa kunda is for their marriage.

    Yet the Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu!

     

    Triyuginarayan Temple (Sanskrit: त्रियुगी-नारायण) is a Hindu temple located in the Triyuginarayan village in Rudraprayag district,Uttarakhand. The ancient temple is dedicated to god Vishnu. Its fame is credited to the legend of god Shiva’s marriage to goddessParvati witnessed by Vishnu at this venue and is thus a popular pilgrimage centre.[1][2] A special feature of this temple is a perpetual fire, that burns in front of the temple. The flame is believed to burn from the times of the divine marriage.[3] Thus, the temple is also known as Akhand Dhuni temple.

    The temple courtyard is also the source of a water stream, which fills four sacred bathing ponds (kunds) nearby.

     

    The word “Triyugi Narayan” is formed of three words “tri” means three, “yugi” denotes the period of time – Yuga and “Narayan” is another name of Vishnu. Pilgrims have been offering wood to the fire in the havana-kund (fireplace) since the three Yugas – hence the place is given the name “Triyugi Narayan”.[1] Yuga in Hindu philosophy is the name of an epoch or era within a cycle of four ages. The four Yugas are Satya Yuga (1,728,000 human years), Treta Yuga (1,296,000 years), the Dvapara Yuga (864,000 years) and finally Kali Yuga (432,000 years), which is the present Yuga.

    The name “Akhand Dhuni temple” also originates from the eternal flame legend, “Akhand” means perpetual and “Dhuni” means flame…

    According to Hindu mythology, goddess Parvati was daughter of Himavat or Himavan – the personification of the Himalayas. She was the rebirth of Sati, the first wife of Shiva – who sacrificed her life when her father insulted Shiva. Parvati initially tried to allure Shiva by her beauty, but fails. Finally, she won Shiva by practising rigorous penance at Gauri Kund, which is 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) away from Triyuginarayan. Pilgrims visiting Triyuginaryan temple also visit the Gauri Kund temple, dedicated to Parvati. Mythology states that Shiva proposed to Parvati at Guptakashi (on the road to Kedarnath) before they got married in the small Triyuginarayan village at the confluence of Mandakini and Sone-Ganga rivers.

    Triyuginarayan is believed to be the capital of Himavat. It was the venue of the celestial marriage of Shiva and Parvati, during the Satya Yuga, witnessed in the presence of the holy fire that still burns eternally in front of the temple in a Havana-kund or Agni-kund, a four-cornered fireplace on the ground. Vishnu formalized the wedding and acted as Parvati’s brother in the ceremonies, while the creator-godBrahma acted as the priest of the wedding, that was witnessed by all the sages of the times. The exact location of the wedding is marked by a stone called Brahma Shila, in front of the temple.The greatness of this place is also recorded in a sthala-purana (a scripture specific to a pilgrimage centre). According to the scripture, pilgrims who visit this temple consider the ashes from the burning fire as holy and carry it with them. It is also believed that ashes from this fire are supposed to promote conjugal bliss.

    Before the marriage ceremony, the gods are believed to have taken bath in three kunds or small ponds namely, Rudra-kund, Vishnu-kund and Brahma-kund. The inflow into the three kunds is from the Saraswati-kund, which – according to legend – originated from Vishnu’s navel. Hence, the water of these kunds is considered to cure infertility. The ashes from Havana-kund are supposed to promote conjugal bliss.

    Airport. New Delhi

     

     

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triyuginarayan_Temple

  • Pancha Kedar Five Shiva Temples By Pandavas

    Pancha Kedar Five Shiva Temples By Pandavas

    The Pandavas are said to have esablished five temples for Lord Shiva in the Garhwal Region of  North India.

    In Tamil Nadu,South India there are seven Temples of Lord Shiva, called Saptha Vidanga Sthala.

    I shall be posting on this and on individual Pancha Kedar( Article on Tunganath has been published)

    Scroll down for video.

    The Five temples of Shiva in garhwal Region.png
    Panch kedar Temples of Shiva.

    ‘

    Panch Kedar (Sanskrit: पंचकेदार) refers to five Hindu temples or holy places of the Shaivite sect dedicated to god Shiva. They are located in the Garhwal Himalayan region in Uttarakhand, India. They are the subject of many legends that directly link their creation to Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

    The five temples designated in the strict pecking order to be followed for pilgrimage for worship are the Kedarnath (Sanskrit:केदारनाथ) at an altitude of 3,583 m (11,755 ft), the Tungnath (तुंगनाथ)(3,680 m or 12,070 ft), Rudranath (रुद्रनाथ) (2,286 m or 7,500 ft),Madhyamaheshwar (मध्यमहेश्वर) or Madmaheshwar (3,490 m or 11,450 ft) and Kalpeshwar (कल्पेश्वर) (2,200 m or 7,200 ft). The Kedarnath is the main temple, which is part of the four famous Chota Char Dhams (literally ‘the small four abodes/seats’) or pilgrimage centers of the Garhwal Himalayas; the other three dhams are the Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. Kedarnath is also one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.

    The Garhwal region is also called the Kedar-Khanda after Kedar — the local name for Lord Shiva. The region abounds in emblems and aniconic forms of Shiva sect of Lord Shiva, much more than the Vaishnava sect. The western part of this region in particular, which constitutes half of Chamoli district being known as Kedar-Kshetra or Kedar mandala, encompasses in its ambit all the five temples constituting the Panch Kedar.

    The most famous folk legend about Panch Kedar relates to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Pandavas defeated and killed their cousins — the Kauravas in the epic Kurukshetra war. They wished to atone for the sins of committing fratricide (gotra hatya) and Brāhmanahatya (killing of Brahmins — the priest class) during the war. Thus, they handed over the reigns of their kingdom to their kin and left in search of the god Shiva and to seek his blessings. First, they went to the holy city of Varanasi (Kashi), believed to Shiva’s favourite city and famous for its Shiva temple. But, Shiva wanted to avoid them as he was deeply incensed by the death and dishonesty at the Kurukshetra war and was, therefore, insensitive to Pandavas’ prayers. Therefore, he assumed the form of a bull (Nandi) and hid in the Garhwal region.

    Not finding Shiva in Varanasi, the Pandavas went to Garhwal Himalayas. Bhima, the second of the five Pandava brothers, then standing astride two mountains started to look for Shiva. He saw a bull grazing near Guptakashi (“hidden Kashi” — the name derived from the hiding act of Shiva). Bhima immediately recognized the bull to be Shiva. Bhima caught hold of the bull by its tail and hind legs. But the bull-formed Shiva disappeared into the ground to later reappear in parts, with the hump raising in Kedarnath, the arms appearing in Tunganath, the nabhi (navel) and stomach surfacing in Madhyamaheshwar, the face showing up at Rudranath and the hair and the head appearing in Kalpeshwar. The Pandavas pleased with this reappearance in five different forms, built temples at the five places for venerating and worshipping Shiva. The Pandavas were thus freed from their sins. It is also believed that the fore portions of Shiva appeared at Pashupatinath, Kathmandu — the capital of Nepal.

    A variant of the tale credits Bhima of not only catching the bull, but also stopping it from disappearing. Consequently, the bull was torn asunder into five parts and appeared at five locations in the Kedar Khand of Garhwal region of the Himalayas.[7] After building the Panch Kedar temples, the Pandavas mediated at Kedarnath for salvation, performed yagna (fire sacrifice) and then through the heavenly path called the Mahapanth (also called Swargarohini), attained heaven or salvation.[citation needed]

    After completing the pilgrimage of Lord Shiva’s darshan at the Panch Kedar temples, it is an unwritten religious rite to visit Lord Vishnu at the Badrinath Temple, as a final affirmatory proof by the devotee that he has sought blessings of Lord Shiva.

     

    Citation.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panch_Kedar

    How  to reach and tour package , check the Link

    http://www.sacredyatra.com/panch-kedar

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  • Tallest Shiva Temple Tunganath Shiva Hid From Pandavas

    The tallest Shiva Temple is in the mountain range of Tunganath in Rudraprayag district,India.

     

    Lord Shiva avoided the Pandavas for in His opinion ,were guilty of killing the kith in the Mahabharata War.

     

    Tallest Shiva Temple,Tunganath.jpg
    Tallest Shiva Temple,Tunganath.

     

    The Tunganath (literal meaning: Lord of the peaks) mountains form the Mandakini and Alaknanda river valleys. Located at an altitude of 3,680 m (12,073 ft), and just below the peak of Chandrashila, Tungnath temple is the highest Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is believed to be 1000 years old and is the second in the pecking order of the Panch Kedars. It has a rich legend linked to the Pandavas, heroes of the Mahabharata epic.

     

    The Tunganath myth is indelibly linked to the origin of the Panch Kedar temples built by the Pandavas. The legend states that sage Vyas Rishi advised the Pandavas that since they were culpable of slaying their own relatives (Kauravas, their cousins) during the Mahabharata war or Kurukshetra war, their act could be pardoned only by Lord Shiva. Consequently, the Pandavas went in search of Shiva who was avoiding them since he was convinced of the guilt of Pandavas. In order to keep away from them, Shiva took the form of a bull and went into hiding in an underground safe haven at Guptakashi, where Pandavas chased him. But later Shiva’s body in the form of bull’s body parts rematerialized at five different locations that represent the “Panch Kedar” where Pandavas built temples of Lord Shiva at each location, to worship and venerate, seeking his pardon and blessings. Each one is identified with a part of his body; Tungnath is identified as the place where the bahu (hands) were seen: hump was seen at Kedarnath; head appeared at Rudranath; his navel and stomach surfaced at Madhyamaheshwar; and his jata (hair or locks) at Kalpeshwar.

    Legend also states that Lord Rama, the chief icon of the Ramayana epic, meditated at the Chandrashila peak, which is close to Tungnath. It is also said that Ravana, also of Ramayana fame, did penance to Shiva, the lord of the peaks, when he resided here.

     

    How to reach Tunganath Temple.

    ”

    By Air

    Nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Bhaniawala, Dehradun, 41 KMs from Haridwar. After reaching Haridwar you need to carry rest of the journey by road only. Haridwar to Chopta is about 225 KMs by road.

    By Rail

    Nearest railway station is at Haridwar. After reaching Haridwar you need to carry rest of the journey by road only. Haridwar to Chopta is about 225 KMs by road.

    By Road

    Below is the route that needs to be followed to reach Deoria Tal from Delhi –

    Delhi – Haridwar (212 KMs) – Rishikesh – Dev Prayag – Srinagar – Rudra Prayag (take left towards Kedarnath) – Agustmuni – Syal Saur – Kund – Ukhimath – Duggalbitta – Baniya Kund – Chopta (448 KMs) – Tungnath – Chandrashilla

    Vehicles can go up to Chopta only and you need to trek about 3.5 KMs from Chopta to reach Tungnath. If you are interested in Chandrashilla, you need to further trek about 1.5 KMs from Tungnath to reach the Chandrashilla peak. There is no motorable road to Tungnath and Chandrashilla. The trek is a paved path from Chopta up to Tungnath temple and from there on to Chandrashilla it is not paved but track exists. People generally complete the trek to Tungnath (without snow) in about 2-3 hours and to Chandrashilla in about 3-5 hours from Chopta. However, the presence of snow on the trek, scripts a different story altogether. The time and feasibility of trek then depends entirely upon the amount of snow present on the trek and the weather on the particular day.

    *Best time to travel or visit to Tungnath Temple is April – November (exclude monsoon). In winters i.e December – February, when the snowfall starts the Tungnath becomes inaccessible. Soon, Chopta also gets snow bound and gets cut-off from the rest of the valley. As the end of February approach, the snow starts to melt around Chopta, Duggalbitta and Baniya Kund which creates a ray of hope for people looking for Snow Trek to Tungnath / Chandrashilla and experience some real adventure. However, be ready to trek more than 6-7 KMs on either side as the roads to Chopta are not accessible almost till March (mid) from December (after snowfall).

    Citation.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungnath

     

    http://devilonwheels.com/index.php/delhi-tungnath-chandrashilla-uttarakhand-travel-guide/

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  • Shiva Let Milk Flow For Aswathama Tapkeshwar Shiva

    Three is a Temple for Lord Shiva, where Dronacharya resided and where Aswathama was born.

     

    Lord Shiva let Milk flow for Aswatahama.

     

    Tapkeshwar Temple.jpg
    Aswathama,Tapkeshwar Tempel.

     

    The Pandavas worshiped Shiva here.

     

    The Shiva Linga here has water dripping down on it through out the year.

     

    The Tapkeshwar Mahadev  cave temple is built upon the banks of a Dehradun seasonal river.

     

    From Dehradoon main city , this temple  is located ~ 5.50 km away towards Garhi Cantonment area .

     

    Siva Linga,Tapkeshwar.jpg
    Shiva,Tapkeshwar.

     

    The name  ” Tapkeshwar ” is due to a reason that inside the cave  , a steady drop of water falls from the ceiling on the top of the shivlinga.

     

    According to a story  Rishi Dhrona’s son Ashwathama  Birth took place at this place .

     

    Lord Shiva made milk flow from this cave for Ashwathama . Mahrishi Vyasa also after very hard worship of Lord Shiva , got the  boon of  “Amaratwa ”  here.

     

    Dronacharya was very poor and he had even a Cow to provide milk for His son Aswathama.

     

    Drona went and met his class mate and friend King Draupada, father of Draupadi, and requested for wealth.

     

    Draupada insulted Drona saying that a poor Brahmin can never be a friend of a king and sent Drona back.

     

    Drona came home desolate.

     

    He  could not provide Milk for the Child Aswathama.

     

    Aswathama cried near the Shiva Linga and his tears fell on the Shiva Linga.

     

    Shiva then let Milk flow for the child.

     

    How To reach.

     

    Airport.Dehradun.

     

    Railway Station.Dehradun.

     

    Bus Station.Dehradun.

     

    Dehradun, Uttarkhand is well-connected by Air, Train and Bus with the rest of India,

     

    .

     

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