Jageshwar Dham Temples, Almora. It is around 35km drive from Almora, almost 3.5 hrs ride from Nainital and 10 hrs from Delhi.
One of the finest examples of architecture in Uttarakhand, Jageshwar Dham is a group of temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are 124 big and small temples that look simply beautiful with a gorgeous backdrop of rolling green mountains and a gurgling Jata Ganga stream. As per ASI (Archaeology Survey of India), the temple dates back to post Gupta and pre-medieval era and said to be 2500 years old. Stone lingams, stone sculptures and carving on altars are the highlight of the temple. The temple’s location is ideal for meditation as well. In recent years, a red sandstone pillar has also been discovered here with engraved figures of humans and spiritual figures. The pillar is said to be built in 1st century BC. A gorgeous backdrop of rolling green mountains & a gurgling Ganga stream. Also known as the ‘Valley of Gods’, Jageshwar Dham offers a truly unforgettable experience.
Jageshwar is considered as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva because Because of the words in the Dwadsa Jyotirlinga Stotra” नागेशं दारुकावने nāgēśaṃ dārukāvanē” as this temple is in the middle of DarukavanVan i.e. Deodar tree forest. A peaceful and enchanting place where you have both ancient history and religion in the midst of enchanting forests with Ganges flowing. It lies on the ancient route of Kailash.
The story told about this Jyotirlinga is the same – as Pandavas building it during their Vanavas and demons Daruka and her husband Daruk after whom the forest is named as Darukavan. However when I went there the old priest who performed my Pooja told another special story also about this Shivalinga.
After Kinning Daruka and her husband Daruk, lord Shiva manifested as Sivalinga here and gave a boon that who so ever worships this Sivalinga will get their desires fulfilled. Every one starting getting their wishes fulfilled, irrespective of good or bad. Adi Shankaracharya visited this temple and worshipped, on his way to Kailash. He realised that it is very powerful and if every wish is fulfilled – good or bad – its not good. So with his divine power he prayed Lord Siva and pressed the Sivalinga down and it went under till the Yoni part went bellow the earth and only the Linga part remained above, there by reducing the power of the Sivalinga. You can see in the picture above only the Linga part can be seen.
The Nageswar Jyotirlinga place is disputed by 3 places.
One in Nageshwar Gujrat
Another in Aundha Nagnath Temple Maharastra
This one near Nainital in Uttarakhand is the third one. Visiting this place was one of the most memorable one.
Because of the words in the Dwadsa Jyotirlinga Stotra” नागेशं दारुकावने nāgēśaṃ dārukāvanē”. The forest(Vane) mentioned could also be associated with a demoness named Daruka and her husband Daruk, after whom the forest is named. The demoness Daruka, an ardent devotee of Parvati, was granted a boon that allowed her to create and control the forest. She and her husband, Daruka, terrorized the forest and its inhabitants, including Shiva devotees like Supriya. So Shiva appearing to save Supriya and other devotees from the demons, and the Shivalinga that manifested at that spot is now the Nageshvara Jyotirlinga.
The other interpretation of DarukavanVan is Deodar tree forest (Cedrus deodara) so the Siva temple Nainital in Uttarakhand claims it is the real Nageswar Jyotirlinga. So the other two are:
How to reach:
By Air
The nearest airport to Almora is at Pantnagar, the seat of a famous agricultural university, about 127 KMs From Almora.
By Train
The nearest railway station is at Kathgodam situated around 130 KMs away. Kathgodam is connected by rail directly with Delhi, the capital of India, Lucknow, the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Dehradun the capital of the state of Uttarakhand.
By Road
Jageshwar is well connected through road network. Since air and rail connectivity in Uttarakhand is limited, road network is the best and easily available transport option. You can either drive to Jageshwar or hire a cab/taxi to reach Jageshwar from Delhi or any other nearby cities.
