Acquire Solace and Serenity at Nagheshwar
Situated between Gomti Dwarka and Bait Dwarka, the Nageshwar temple is one the major holy places for Hindus in Gujarat. It houses one of the 12 Jyotirlingas dedicated to Shiva.
Devotees believe that a person who prays over here obtains freedom from worldy pleasures, poisoning and snake bites. The distinctive feature of this temple is that the Linga here faces the southern direction. There is an interesting story behind it.
Once a devotee named Naamdev was singing bhajans in front of Shiva. Other devotees told him to step aside and allow them to view the deity. To this Naamdev asked them to tell about a direction where God didn’t exist.
Enraged, the other devotees carried him away and left him in the southern direction. But they were surprised to see the lingam facing the south.
Some interesting facts related to the temple are mentioned below-
Mythology
Once there was a demon named Daaruka who attacked Supriya, a devotee of Shiva and imprisoned him with others. The prisoners were kept in an underwater city which was infested with sea-snakes.
On the request of Supriya, the captives started praying to Shiva who appeared and killed Daaruka. Since then, he resides in the form of a Jyotirlinga here.
Supriya worshipped the Jyotirlinga regularly. It soon acquired an iconic status and was named Nagheshwar. Parvati, the consort of Shiva is also known as Naagheswari.
Shiva had promised that he would show the divine path to everyone who would worship him with sincerity. People who come here for worship have the sole aim to gain freedom from the materialism of the world and break the frame of Maaya (Illusion).
The temple draws devotees from all walks of like who come here in search of peace and to gain freedom from the endless cycle of life and death.
Architecture
The temple has a simple structure and as in the case of other Hindu temples has a red and brown color. The temple is more popular among devotees because of its rich spiritual history rather than architectural beauty.
Compared to other Shiva temples in the region, it has greater significance as it has a Jyotirlinga. In the ancient shoklas mentioned in Rudra Samhita, Nagheshwar is called ‘’Daarukaavane Naagesham” which is the name of a forest in India.
The temple has a main gate, an entrance porch, prayer hall, and a sanctum. Idols of Ganesha and Hanuman which are embedded in Gokhlas with exquisite carving are visible on both sides of the entrance porch.
The temple structure has three levels. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is below the ground level while the rangamandapa is above it and the Antarala on the intermediate level. Nandi is based in the Antartala. The temple’s sanctum sanctorum has a tall shikhara at the top.
Best Time to Visit Nagheswar
The best time to visit the temple is during the autumn season when the weather remains pleasant.
How to Reach Nagheswar
The temple is located at a distance of 17 km from Dwarka. The nearest airport is in Jamnagar, which is 146 km from here. Buses and trainers to Dwarka are available from all parts of Gujarat.
