Baidyesvara Temple, Agrahat, Odisha

Baidyesvara Temple, Agrahat, Odisha

Baidyesvara Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Agrahat village near Chaudwar Town in Cuttack District in Odisha State, India. The temple is situated amidst a mango grove in Agrahat village. The temple is situated on the left side of the road leading from Charbatia (Chudakhia Chaka) to Mangarajpur.

History

The current structure is recently built but the sculptures present in the temple are dated to 10^th century CE during the reign of Somavamsis.

The Temple

This Temple is facing towards east. The temple consists of rekha vimana and an open pillared Nandi mandapa. The vimana is square on plan and Nandi mandapa is rectangular on plan. The temple is pancharatha on plan and triangabada in elevation. The sanctum enshrines the presiding deity, Baidyesvara. In the form of Lingam within a circular yonipitha.

The temple is famous for its natural stream present in the temple premises. It is said that the water of this stream has medicinal properties to heal several diseases. There are few loose sculptures and architectural fragments of an ancient temple of bygone era can be seen in the temple premises.

Festivals

Shivarathri and Kartika Purnima are the festivals celebrated here with much fanfare.

Connectivity

The temple is located at about 1.5 Kms from ARC Charbatia Bus Stop, 2.5 Kms from Charbatia Railway Station, 3.5 Kms from O T M Chaka Bus Stop, 5 Kms from Manguli Chaudwar PH Railway Station, 7 Kms from Mangarajpur, 13 Kms from Cuttack Junction Railway Station, 14 Kms from Cuttack, 17 Kms from Cuttack Bus Stand, 39 Kms from Bhubaneswar and 43 Kms from Bhubaneswar Airport. The temple is situated on the left side of the road leading from Charbatia (Chudakhia Chaka) to Mangarajpur.

Location

Baidyanath Temple, Baideswar, Odisha

Baidyanath Temple, Baideswar, Odisha

Baidyanath Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Baideswar Village in Cuttack District in Odisha State, India. The temple is situated on southern bank of the Mahanadi river in the vicinity of Hatia hillock. The Temple is situated on Cuttack to Daspalla route.

History

The temple is believed to be built by the Gangas in 14^th century CE. The temple is under the control of Endowment Department, Government of Odisha.

The Temple

This temple is facing towards east. The temple consists of a pidha vimana and a pillared mandapa with galvanized steel sheet roof. The vimana is square on plan. The temple is pancharatha on plan and panchangabada in elevation. The doorjambs of the sanctum have three bands of decorations. The sanctum enshrines the presiding deity, Baidyanath, in the form of Linga within a circular yonipitha.

The nisha shrines are added over the parsvadevta niches. The exterior walls of the sanctum is devoid of decoration except a few stucco maithuna images. Idols of Varaha, Parvati, Kartikeya, Shiva, Mahisasuramardini, Surya, and Trivikrama can be seen in the temple premises. There is a step well situated on the northern side of the temple.

Dhabalesvara Shrine:

This shrine is situated inside the Baidyanath Temple. It is an east facing pidha shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. The shrine enshrines the presiding deity, Dhabalesvara, in the form of Linga within a circular yonipitha. It also enshrines the images of Jain Thirthankara Parshvanatha and Goddess Parvathy. The exterior walls are devoid of any decoration. The temple is of later construction, but the images kept inside the sanctum, can be assigned to the Ganga period of 14^th century CE.

Kapilesvara Shrine:

This shrine is situated inside the Baidyanath Temple. The temple is believed to be built by Gajapathi rulers in 16^th century CE. It is an east facing pidha shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. The shrine is pancharatha on plan and panchanga bada in elevation. The shrine enshrines the presiding deity, Kapilesvara, in the form of Linga within a rectangular yonipitha. The shrine is square on plan and stands over a low raised platform. The exterior of the shrine is plain except the parsvadevta niches. The parsvadevta niches houses the images of Ganesha, Kartikeya and Parvathy  in the southern, western and northern side respectively.

Festivals

Shivarathri and Kartika Purnima are the festivals celebrated here.

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 1.5 Kms from Baideswar Bus Stand, 23 Kms from Begunia, 25 Kms from Begunia Railway Station, 41 Kms from Narasinghpur, 64 Kms from Daspalla, 65 Kms from Cuttack, 67 Kms from Bhubaneswar and 67 Kms from Bhubaneswar Airport. The Temple is situated on Cuttack to Daspalla route.

Location

Shankaracharya Temple, Srinagar – The Temple

Shankaracharya Temple, Srinagar – The Temple

This temple is situated on top of Shankaracharya Hill at an altitude of 1100 feet. The temple is located in the valley under high security zone and hence no camera and mobile is permitted on the top. The entrance to the hill is guarded by army personnel and cars are not permitted after 17:00 hours, although the temple remains open until 20:00 hours.

Devotees need to climb 243 steps to reach the entrance of the temple and have to climb another 10 steps with side walls from the entrance to the temple hall. The steps are not very steep and can be climbed easily. The temple is built on a 20 feet tall octagonal plinth. The temple is square on plan.

The interior of the sanctum is circular in plan. The interior of the sanctum is covered by a ply board ceiling concealing the flat sandstone slabs which are supported by two lintels bearing the load on four octagonal columns in the centre. The lower course of the ceiling is still extant in its original shape. The Sanctum houses the presiding deity, Jyesthesvara, in the form of Shiva Linga.

The Linga is large and oval shaped. It is a with reddish black stone probably brought from the Narmada River valley in Madhya Pradesh of Central India. The dome shaped ceiling and the brick roof over the sanctum is of recent construction. The temple is about 30 feet tall. The temple resembles the interior plan of a large temple at Ladhuv in the Valley.

The south west column of the temple bears two inscriptions of Mughal Period. The lower courtyard has an octagonal precast ornamental iron rain shelter shed with some benches for the benefit of the tourists. There are some modern structures added on the right side in Dogra period for the benefits of the priests of the temple.  

The white marble bust of Adi Shankaracharya was installed by the J & K Dharmarth Trust in 20 April 1961 near the temple. There is a small marble tank built with slab stones situated just behind the temple. This temple offers enchanting views of Srinagar City and Kashmir valley. It also offers the splendid snow-covered mountains of Pir Panjal range.

Shankaracharya Temple, Srinagar – Legends

Shankaracharya Temple, Srinagar – Legends

As per legend, Adi Shankara visited Kashmir when Kashmiris were culturally & spiritually much advanced and believed strongly in the greatness of both Shiva and Shakti. On the other hand, Shankaracharya believed in Shiva not Sakthi. Shankaracharya camped with his disciples outside the city of Srinagar without any lodging facilities. A young Kashmir woman was sent to meet Shankaracharya to access their plight. She found them in difficult situation as they were not able to cook as no fire was made available to them.

The young woman asked why he was not able to produce fire despite being great. Then, she picked two thin wooden sticks in her hand, recited mantras & rubbed the sticks and fire was produced much to the surprise of Adi Shankaracharya. Later, a religious discourse was arranged between Shankaracharya and the woman. It went for 17 days continuously.

Finally, Adi Shankaracharya accepted his defeat. Further, he realized the importance of Shakthi cult. After accepting the predominance of Shakti cult, Shankaracharya wrote Soundarya Lahiri, in praise of Shakti, at the top of the hill, known as Gopadri Hill during ancient times. Thus, the hill and the temple came to be called as Shankaracharya hill and Shankaracharya temple in memory of him.

Shankaracharya Temple, Srinagar – History

Shankaracharya Temple, Srinagar – History

The temple was originally built by the Hindu king Sandiman reigned in Kashmir from 2629 to 2564 BC. It was extensively renovated by King Gopaditya (426–365 BC) and by King Lalitaditya (697–734 CE). Kalhana, author of Rajatarangini, mentions that King Gopaditya built the temple dedicated to Jyesthesvara on top of the hill. The temple is believed to have been visited by Adi Shankaracharya, which has made the temple to be associated with him.

As per historians, this temple was originally a Buddhist temple during the Buddhist era. The temple was then later on changed to a Hindu site and Adi Shankaracharya made it a Hindu place of worship. The Jews and Persians used to call it the Bagh-i-Sulaiman which means the Garden of King Solomon and the temple also has Persian engravings.

Sikandar Butshikan (Sikandar, the iconoclast) did not destroy this temple for some reason. Zain-ul-Abidin, eighth sultan of Kashmir, repaired the roof of the temple which had been destroyed during an earthquake in the region. The hill was also mentioned as Takht-e-Suleiman during the periods of the Mughal, Sikh, Afghan and Dogra periods. Sheikh Ghulam Mohi-ud-din, a Sikh Governor (1841–46 CE), also repaired the dome of the temple.

The temple and the hill derived the name Shankaracharya during this period. The temple was not in active worship in this period. It was consecrated as Shankaracharya temple and Shiva Linga was installed in the temple. The Dogra King Gulab Singh (1846-1857 CE) constructed the steps to the hill from Durga Naag temple side. The Maharaja of Mysore came to Kashmir in 1925 and made the electrical installations at the temple.

The Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peetham installed the statue of Adi Shankaracharya in the temple in 1964 CE. The Government of J&K constructed the road to the top of the hill in 1974 CE. The shrine is under the religious control of the Dharmarth Trust. The temple is a nationally Protected Monument under the Archaeological Monument, Sites and Remains Act, 1958 and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Shankaracharya Temple, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir

Shankaracharya Temple, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir

Shankaracharya Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Srinagar City in Srinagar District in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The  Temple is also known as the Jyesthesvara Temple. It is situated on top of the Shankaracharya Hill (Gopadri Hill) on the Zabarwan Range. The temple is situated at about 1,100 feet above the valley floor and overlooks the city of Srinagar. The temple is frequented by pilgrims during the Amarnath Yatra.

Legends

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2021/10/shankaracharya-temple-srinagar-legends.html

History

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2021/10/shankaracharya-temple-srinagar-history.html

The Temple

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2021/10/shankaracharya-temple-srinagar-temple.html

Temple Opening Time

The temple opens in morning 6.00 AM and the cars are allowed inside from then onwards. It is under the protection of the Army and hence the entrance is guarded by the army personnel. Cars aren’t permitted inside the temple after 5.00 PM, but the temple does remain open till 8.00 PM.

Connectivity

The temple is located at about 8 Kms from Srinagar Bus Stand, 18 Kms from Srinagar Railway Station, 20 Kms from Srinagar Airport and 271 Kms from Jammu. The Temple lies across the Nehru Park which is a beautiful island within the Dal Lake. One can either trek to Shankaracharya Temple from the Durga Naag Temple lying in civil lines area or alternatively one can take an automobile up to the footsteps from the Boulevard road. Tourists have to obtain special permission from the army department to visit this temple.

Location

Ranbireshwar Temple, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir

Ranbireshwar Temple, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir

Ranbireshwar Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Jammu City in Jammu District in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The Linga in this temple is considered as one of the tallest Shiva Linga in India. This temple is one of the oldest temples in the Jammu city. The temple is situated on Shalimar road in front of Jammu Kashmir Civil Secretariat in Jammu City.

History

The Temple was built by the king of Jammu Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1878 CE. The Temple is named after its founder Maharaja Ranbir Singh.

The Temple

The temple is facing towards east. The statue of Maharaja Ranbir Singh is found in this temple complex. Nandi can be seen facing the sanctum. It is located near the statue of Ranbir Singh. The idol of nandi is made of brass and weighs around 1000 kg. The Sanctum is situated on the first floor. It can be accessed through flight of steps. The sanctum houses the presiding deity, Ranbireshwar, in the form of Shiva Linga. The Linga is about 7.5 feet tall and made up of black marble stone. It is considered as one of the tallest Shiva Linga in India.

Utsava Idols of Lord Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha are also found in the sanctum. Paintings of Lord Shiva in various manifestations can be seen in walls of the sanctum. There are 12 Shiva Lingas, made of crystal in the temple. These Shiva Lingas are 18 inches high and 12 inches wide. Shrines of Kali, Pancha Mukha Hanuman, Ganesha and Shanmuka can be seen in the temple premises. There is a slab inside the temple on the right and left side which has around 1.25 lakhs Shivalingas brought from Narmada river.

Festivals

Mahashivaratri is the most famous festival celebrated in this temple with much fanfare.

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 1.5 Kms from Jammu Bus Stand, 6 Kms from Jammu Tawi Railway Station, 8 Kms from Jammu Airport and 265 Kms from Srinagar. The temple is situated on Shalimar road in front of Jammu-Kashmir civil secretariat in Jammu City. Jammu is situated on Srinagar to Pathankot route. (NH – 44). Jammu is well connected to rest of India by all means of transport.

Location

Raghunath Temple, Jammu – The Temple

Raghunath Temple, Jammu – The Temple

The temple complex consists of 17 shrines dedicated to various deities of Hindu pantheon and few Samadhis of Dogra rulers of Gulab Singh‘s linage. It is considered as one of the largest temple complex in north India. The temple complex is entered by a double storeyed entrance on the east. Its arches and niches are undoubtedly influenced by Mughal architecture. The entrance of the temple has three entry doors.

The entrance of the temple has a life size image of Maharaja Ranbir Singh, builder of this temple and an idol of Lord Hanuman. The front fascia is 40 feet in width while the main shrine is set 50 feet away from the entrance. There are residential buildings and open cattle yards on its eastern and northern directions within the outer prakara. Seven shrines are considered as major shrines in the temple complex.

It is built on a raised platform of 5 feet height in an octagonal shape. All the seven shrines have gold plated spires. Gods and Goddesses enshrined in the seven shrines are all related to the epic Ramayana. The architectural features of the shrines are typical Dogra style but heavily influenced by Mughal architecture. A distinct feature noted in the entire temple complex is the stucco style embellishments built with brick masonry and finished with plaster.

The motifs crafted are of floral (lotuses) and geometric designs, on the walls, in the niches and on arches. All the spiral-shaped towers have gold plated spires. The niches in the walls of the shrines are decorated with 300 well-crafted icons of gods and goddesses. The Sanctum Sanctorum consists of Sanctum with a circumbulatory path and Maha Mandapa. The Maha Mandapa is supported by four huge rectangular pillars.

The Maha Mandapa has galleries housing 12, 00, 000 Saligramas (fossil ammonite stones specially obtained from the Gandaki river, in Nepal – a Vaishnava (Hindu) aniconic representation of Vishnu) and several Lingas. The Sanctum is facing towards east. The Sanctum houses Lord Rama / Ragunathji, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He is accompanied by Lakshmana and Sita in the sanctum.

The Sanctum is square in plan. It measures 20 feet in length and 20 feet in breadth. It is surrounded by a circumambulatory passage (pradakshina path) of 10 feet width. The interior of the sanctum is gold plated. The shrine has a dome over the sanctum instead of the normal shikara in a pyramidal shape. The wall of the pradakshina path has the sculptures of Rahu, Ketu, Saneeswara, Agni, Kubera, Yama, Indra and Varuna. 

The exterior walls of the sanctum have 15 panels, each of 9 feet height. These panels houses the Jammu School of painting depicting the legends from Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavad Gita. It also houses few paintings relate to secular aspects, like Kabir, a saint, engaged in weaving and army personnel of Dogra and Sikh communities. The paintings also reveal the type of attire and the weaponry prevalent during the period of temple building.

There is a shrine for Karaneswara in the temple premises. It houses a Spadika Linga. Nandi can be found facing towards the shrine. It also houses idols of Parvati, Ganesha and Nataraja with his consort Shivagami. It is said that the main Linga was gifted by a German national. There is replica of all four Char Dham (Rameshwaram, Dwarkadhish, Badrinath and Kedarnath) in a room in the temple premises. It is placed in such a way that it can be seen from one direction.

Shrines and idols of Ganesha, Hanuman, Valmiki, Tulsidas, Vaishno Devi, Krishna, Brahma, Vishnu, Satya Narayan, Sesha Narayan, Lakshmi Narayan, Shiva, Dharmaraja, Surya, Badrinarayan, Drona, Krupa, Ashwatthama, Manu, Kartikeya, Virat, Dattatreya, Lakshmi, Parvati, Chamundi, Sarasvati, Kali, Gayatri, Indra, Yama, Vali, Sugriva, Yama, incarnations of Lord Vishnu, Dasharatha, Lakshman, Bharata, Vibhishana, Nakshatra and several Shiva Lingas can be seen in the temple premises.

The temple houses a Sanskrit library containing 6000 rare Sanskrit manuscripts and sacred scriptures in many Indian languages, with a notable collection of Sarada script Sanskrit manuscripts. This library was established during the reign of Dogra ruler Ranbir Singh. These are mostly copies made from manuscripts not available for sale, in Devanagari from Sarada originals, by scribes employed by the library in the nineteenth century. 

The library added to its collection, in the 19^th century, a dozen rare Sanskrit birch bark codices in the Sarada script as an object of curiosity. The collection as indexed by Stein, included Sanskrit manuscripts (predominantly Devanagari) of Vedic literature, grammar, lexicography, prosody, music, rhetoric, Kavya, drama, fables, Dharmasutras, Mimamsa, Vedanta, Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Jyotisha, Architecture, Medicine, Epics, Puranas, Bhakti and Tantra.  

The Dogra rulers funded a translation centre and included an effort to translate texts in Arabic and Persian languages into Sanskrit. The temple remains a significant scholarly source of Sarada script manuscripts and one of the largest collection of Hindu and Buddhist texts of the Kashmir tradition. The temple has been an early promoter of digitization initiative of the manuscripts it houses, and has started the e-Gangotri initiative to digitize ancient manuscripts from other parts of India.