Jageshwar Dham, Almora

Jageshwar Dham, Almora – Timings, History, Darshan Timings

Jageshwar is a Hindu pilgrimage town in Uttarakhand’s Almora district, 37 kilometres from Almora. It is situated on the banks of the Jataganga River at an elevation of 1870 meters.

Lakulish Shaivism (Lakulish is the 28th Avatar of Shiva) was formerly centred in Jageshwar. Lakulish (Shiva with a wooden stick) has its origins and history in the Gujarat region of modern-day India. The temple city is made up of 124 temples, both big and small, many of which have been preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India. These include the temples of Dandeshwar, Chandi, Jageshwar, Kuber, Mritunjaya, Nanda Devi or Nava Durga, Nava-grah, a pyramidal shrine, and Surya. The oldest of these is Mrityunjaya Temple, and the largest is Dandeshwar Temple.

History of Jageshwar Dham, Almora

Although the exact date of the Jageshwar group of temples’ creation is unknown, the ASI believes they were built during the post-Gupta and pre-medieval periods. These temples date from the early Katyuri Dynasty in the eighth century to the Chand Dynasty in the eighteenth century. During the time of Katyuri King Shalivahandev, the temples underwent renovations. The Malla Kings’ devotion to Jageshwar is indicated by an inscription in the main temple. For the upkeep of the temple, the Katyuri Kings also gave the priests villages. The temple of Jageshwar was also patronised by the Chand Kings of Kumaon. During the Gurjara Pratihara period, many Jageshwar temples were built or renovated.

The walls and pillars of the temples of Jageshwar have more than twenty-five inscriptions from various eras. The majority of these date from the seventh to the tenth centuries AD. Inscriptions are written in Brahmi and Sanskrit dialects. Before departing for Kedarnath, Adi Shankaracharya is said to have visited Jageshwar and restored and reopened numerous temples. In addition, the former Chand Kings are buried in Jageshwar’s Samsan Ghat.

The temple’s architecture is in the Nagara style, which is distinguished by a tall, curved spire that is topped with a kalasha crown and an amalaka (capstone). The majority of temples house a stone lingam encircled by sculptures of different gods. Jageshwar pilgrimage was regarded as sacred as the well-known Char dham yatra.

Places to visit in Jageshwar Dham, Almora

Bal Jageshwar, also known as Child Shiva, is the subject of the main shrine inside the Jageshwar temple complex. It is thought that Lord Shiva visited this location to meditate. As a result, the males became enraged and tried to control the situation until the village’s ladies learnt of this and gathered to see Lord Shiva. Since transforming into a kid, Shiva has been revered in his child form. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is divided into two halves, the bigger of which depicts Lord Shiva and the smaller of which depicts his spouse Parvati. The temple faces west.

Mrityunjaya Temple is another fascinating temple inside this complex. The temple, which is thought to be the earliest in the complex, has a massive lingam inside its unusual eye-shaped aperture. The temple is orientated towards the east, and the lingam is revered as a death-savior.

Another well-known temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is Dandeshwar Temple, which is roughly two km from Jageshwar. One of the largest and tallest temples in the Kumaon area is thought to be Dandeshwar Temple. The temple features a large, uncut natural rock that is revered as Shivaling and is architecturally distinct from all other Nagar-style temples in the area.

Another well-liked must-see destination in Jageshwar is the Archaeological Museum. The Archaeological Survey of India is in charge of the museum, which has about 174 sculptures from the ninth to the thirteenth centuries AD. Among the museum’s notable sculptures are Uma-Maheshwar, Surya, and Navagraha, and it has two galleries.

Festivals Celebrated at Jageshwar Dham, Almora

An major celebration in the Kumaon region is the yearly Maha Shivratri Mela, which takes place in the spring, and the Jageshwar Monsoon celebration, which takes place at Jageshwar from July 15 to August 15 during the month of Shravan.