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Uttaranchal Madhyamaheshwar Temple
Location | Mansuna, Uttrakhand, India |
Built by | |
Also known as | |
Primary deity | Lord Shiva |
Important Festivals | |
Attraction |
Madhyamaheshwar is a popular Hindu Temple which is devoted to Lord Shiva, based at a height of 3497 m. This temple is the 4th shrine of the 5 shrines which are called Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit. These Panch Kedars have five Shiva Temples. It is said that the pilgrim must visit Kedarnath, Tunganth and Rudranath before visiting Madhyamaheshwar while at the end he must visit Kalpeshwar. The middle or the belly part of the bull is considered as the divine form of Lord Shiva and is greatly worshipped at this temple while it is believed that the Pandavas built this temple.
The surroundings of the temple are blessed with unblemished and numinous view. This place also has an interesting legend associated to it.
History
Madhyamaheshwar Temple was built by the Pandavas. It is said that the Heros of Mahabharata, Pandavas soon after the war wished to seek forgiveness from Lord Shiva for all the sins that they did in the war. However Lord Shiva did not want to meet them and so he took the shape of bull. Bhima, who was the second Pandava, tried his best to hold the tail and legs of the bull however the bull jumped and disappeared at the place which is now called the Guptkashi. Lord Shiva then reappeared in five forms:
- Jata at Kalpeshwar
- Stomach and Naval at Madhyamaheshwar
- Head at Rudranath
- Bahu (meaning arm) at Tungnath and
- Hump at Kedarnath
Discovery of Temple
The temple was discovered after the Great War Mahabharata ended. This temple has principal deity as Lord Shiva.
How To Reach
By Air
The nearby airport located is Jolly Grant Airport which is 93 kms far from Madhyamaheshwar. This is a domestic airport which connects the city Dehradun to different other parts of the country.
By Rail
Rishikesh is the only nearby railhead which is 76 kms away from Madhyamaheshwar. There are regular trains available from Rishikesh to different major cities of India.
By Road
Guptkashi is the nearby town which is located 25 kms away from Madhyamaheshwar. There are taxi and buses which are available from some major cities like Delhi and Uttaranchal to Guptkashi.
Important Shrines
Other nearby shrines apart from Madhyameshwar includes Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath and Kalpeshwar.
Significance Of The Temple
Madhyamaheshwar is one of the closest religious places in Uttrakhand. This Madhyamaheshwar Temple is devoted to Lord Shiva while has its association as the place where Lord Shiva’s body fell when Bhima stopped him from vanishing. A visit to this temple is not as easy as it seems since the temple is located at elevated height of 3490m. Even then there is flock of devotees that visits the temple all round the year.
It is said that Bhima built this temple so as to worship Lord Shiva. The temple has a small temple to its right where an image of Saraswati Mata is installed.
Weather And Time To Visit
Madhyamaheshwar has cool and pleasant climate all throughout the year. Summers are pleasant with moderate temperature and are ideal for sightseeing and paying homage to this temple. The monsoon season experiences scanty rainfall while there might be a slight drop in the temperature also. It is advised to avoid visiting to this temple during monsoons as the roads and paths become very slippery.
Winters are chilly as the temperature might reach the freezing point also. Snow fall is common during these months.
Accomodation
There are plenty of accommodations facilities which one can find at Madhyamaheshwar. The accommodation facilities can range to luxury hotels to low budget hotels that provide basic amenities and comfortable stay. There are Dharamshalas also that offer comfortable stay.
Tips For Devotees
Since the temple is located at such elevated height that it is must for the individuals to have strong breathing capacity and healthy body and mind so that they don’t have problem while climbing up. The level of oxygen might get low as one reaches the top, so be prepared for that also.
Rules And Rituals Of The Temple
As per the rules and rituals, one must visit the temple only after visiting the three shrines of Kedarnath, Tungnath, and Rudranath while Kalpeshwar must visited after Madhyamaheshwar.
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