People from the Hindu faith regard Lord Shiva as one of the principal deities. Hence, for them, the Shiva temples are places of deep devotion and beauty. In North India, we can witness incredible temples of Lord Shiva. Among those, some are famous for their deep spiritual significance, while some hold various historical and mythological stories. On the other hand, some temples are famous for housing Shiva lingam with unique features. This article is about five such Shiva temples in North India.
Kedarnath Temple:
Embrace of the mighty Himalayas, where the sky seems to touch the Earth, rests this sacred Kedarnath Temple. It is the epitome of spirituality, natural beauty, and architectural marvel. The temple is one of the 12 jyotirlingas and also is one among the four chota char dham.
Kedarnath Temple is situated in the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini River, in Uttarakhand, a state in Northern India. Hindu legends say that initially, the Pandavas built the temple to seek Lord Shiva’s blessings. Further, in the 8th century, it was rebuilt by an Indian Vedic Scholar Adi Shankara.
The temple is beautifully constructed of uniformly shaped grey hunk of stones, linked with iron clamps. No mortar is used in the entire construction. Here Lord Shiva is worshiped in the form of Lingam. The Lingam is of irregular shape with a pedestal 3.6m in circumference and 3.6m in height. It is believed that Lord Shiva dive into the ground leaving his hump at this place.
Timings to visit Kedarnath:
In the winter season, the temple remains closed due to extreme weather conditions. For this particular period, the deity of this temple is shifted from Garhwal to Ukhimath. So, the Kedarnath Temple’s doors are open to the pilgrims only between April and November every year. But to get a darshan of Kedar Baba is not easy. By road, there is no direct access to the temple. Devotees have to take the trek route, which is about 22 km from Gaurikund, to seek blessings from Lord Shiva.
2013 was the most challenging year for Kedarnath. In mid-June of 2013, landslides and flash floods caused significant destruction to the region, including the temple. However, the temple is still able to reflect the efficiency of ancient craftsmen of the region, even after went through that devastating situation. Undoubtly, this is one of the most famous shiva temples in north India.
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Markandeshwar Mahadev Temple, Haryana:
The Markandeshwar Mahadev Temple, one of the famous Shiva temples in North India, holds immense significance for its rich history and mythological ties. The temple is named after Maharishi Markandeya, a great devotee of Lord Shiva.
Mythogical Story:
Maharshi Markandeya was destined to die at the age of 16. On the day of his destined death, he continued to worship Lord Shiva to win over his destiny. It is believed that this is the sacred place where Lord Shiva battled with Yama (God of death) and saved his devotee’s life. Shiva bestowed the young Markandeya with the divine boon of immortality. As a result, the ‘Maha Mrityunjaya Strotra’ is attributed to Maharshi Markandeya.
The Markandeshwar temple is located in Shahabad Markanda town of Kurukshetra district, in Haryana. The Markanda River, a tributary of the Ghaggar, flows beside the town. And the place Kurukshetra, where Shri Krishna delivered the sermon of Gita to Arjuna, is a sacred place for the Hindus. It is said that the original temple was found in the 3rd millennium BC in pre-Mahabharata times. The current temple was supposed to be built in the early 20th century.
Architecture:
The architecture of the temple is a blend of traditional Hindu temple architecture and contemporary elements. The temple is made of marble and an intricately carved towering gate leads to the temple complex. The inner sanctum consists of a Shiva Lingam, idols of Lord Shiva, and young Markandeya. The temple’s walls, adorned with beautiful sculptures, display mythological stories that add an artistic and spiritual touch to the ambiance.
A large number of devotees come here, to offer worship, especially on Sundays and in the month of Shravana (July-August).
Ranbireshwar Temple:
The Ranbireshwar Temple is one of the famous Shiva temples in North India. The temple is located on Shalimar Road just opposite the Jammu-Kashmir civil secretariat in Jammu city. It was built by Maharaja Ranbir Singh, one of the rulers of the Dogra Kingdom, in about 1880 AD.
Besides, being a significant religious site, it is also a great example of architectural brilliance. The temple has three floors. The idols of deities and Lingams are enshrined on the top floor. A statue of Maharaja Ranbir Singh with folded hands faces the sacred temple. This statue was installed much later by Dr. Karan Singh Ji, one of the ancestors of Maharaja Ranbir Singh. Though Lord Shiva is the main deity of this temple, idols of Mahakali, Lord Panchmukhi Hanuman, Ganesha, and Kartika are also seen just outside the main temple.
Main Attraction : 8-foot-tall Shiva Lingam
The chief attraction of the temple is the about 8-foot-tall Shiva Lingam, placed at the center of the main temple. Other 10 Lingams, comparatively small in size, are seen at the four corners of that main temple. These Lingams including the largest one are made of black stone. The sanctum sanctorum of this temple houses the idols of Lord Shiva and Parvati also.
And just in front of them, the rare Ekadash Lingams, made of Safatik (a special transparent white stone) is placed. Apart from these, the temple has around 1,25,000 tiny Shiva Lingams and a huge number of Shaligrams. Most of which are kept in the adjacent halls of the sanctum sanctorum. All the Lingams, Shaligrams, and idols of the deities are brought from various corners of India.
The Ranbireshwar Temple is visited by thousands of devotees throughout the year. But the temple witnessed a great rush during the Sharavana month (July-August). Maha Shivaratri is celebrated with grandeur at this temple, among various other festivals.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple:
Standing on the western bank of the Ganges, Kashi Vishwanath Temple is considered one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Shaivaties. Also, the temple is a part of the 12 Jyotirlinga. It is located in Vishwanath Gali, near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Varanasi is the oldest living city in India and was renowned by the name ‘Kashi’ in ancient times. Hence, it makes the temple famously known as Kashi Vishwanath Temple. And also it is one of the most famous shiva temples in north India.
The founder of this temple remains unknown to all. But the mention of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in a section of Skanda Purana (4th -5th century), named ‘Kashi Khand’, solidifies its historical and religious significance. As the temple went through various invasions and destructions over time, it has been rebuilt and renovated multiple times. The current structure was constructed by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar, a noble queen of the Maratha ruler, in 1780.Here, Lord Shiva known as Shri Vishwanath and Shri Vishweshwara (Lord of the Universe) and is present in the form of a self-manifested Lingam.
The Lingam of 60 cm. tall and 90 cm. in circumference housed within a splendid silver altar. Though Baba Vishwanath is the main deity of this temple, various shrines of other Gods are also seen here. Rangabhari Ekadashi and Maha Shivaratri are the major festivals of the temple.
Mukteshwar Mahadev Temple:
Mukteshwar Mahadev temple (or, Mukesaran Mandir) is a popular man-made cave complex and is considered the most sacred one around Pathankot. Ravi River flows beside this site. The temple is situated near Pathankot city on Shahpur Kandi Dam Road in Punjab, India.
In Sanskrit, the meaning of the word ‘Mukteshwar’ is ‘God of Relief’ or ‘Lord of Salvation’. Hence, the temple is renowned as the ‘Temple of Salvation’. The temple houses a white marble Lingam and a copper Yoni. They are surrounded by the idols of Lord Brahma, Vishnu, Hanuman, Ganesha, and Goddess Parvati.
The temple and the caves have been carved out on one of the rocky hills. The exact foundation date and the founder of the temple remain unknown. But, legends say that these caves served as home to the Pandavas during their Agayatwas (Exile) and some of the caves were made by them.
Numerous devotees come here to worship the idol of Lord Shiva throughout the year, especially on the days of the festivals. Mukesran De Mela, Maha Shivaratri, and Somvati Amavasya are the major festivals of this temple.