Bijli Mahadev Temple in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh India s Location : Built by : Built in : Dedicated to : Best time to Visit : 14 KM from Kullu, Himachal Pradesh India Maharaja Bahadur Singh 1552 Lord Shiva. May to October Bijli Mahadev is one of the most renowned temples in the Kullu region and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is quiet known for the high staff that occasionally draws lightening to it. The lightening destroys the Shivalinga here. However, the priests rejoin it with the help of butter. Devotees need to take a climb up to the temple. Two statues of the bull, nandi ( Lord Shivas vehicle ) adorns the door of the temple. The door frames themselves have exquisite carvings. Bijli Mahadev is one of the sacred temples of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located at an altitude of about 2,438 m in the Kullu Valley. Bijli Mahadev is one of the excellent temples in India. Located 10 km from Kullu across the Beas river, it can be approached by a rewarding trek of 3 km. A panoramic view of Kullu and Paravati valleys can be seen from the temple. The 60 feet high staff of Bijli Mahadev temple glistens like a silver needle in the sun. In this temple of lightning it is said that the tall staff attracts the divine blessings in the form of lightning. It is believed that the priest of the temple has to restore the Shiva linga placed inside the temple using butter and sattoo after every lightning as it shatters to pieces with flash of lightning. bijli-mahadev-temple History Bijli Mahadev Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is located in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. It is at a distance of 11 kilometers from the Kullu valley. Situated on a Himalayan hilltop, the temple site offers a panoramic view of the Kullu and Parvati valleys below. The temple is renowned for its 60 feet high flagpole that sparkles like a silver needle while basking in the glory of sunlight. The flagpole is visible even from Kullu. This high structure draws divine blessings in the form of lightening and it is said that with every flash of lightening, the Shiva linga is shattered to pieces. Each time this phenomenon occurs, the Shiva linga is replaced by the priest by covering it with sattoo ( a paste of roasted gram and wheat powder ) and butter. It is due to this legend that the temple has been name Bijli ( lightening ) Mahadev ( another name for Lord Shiva ). Another legend associated with this shrine at Kullu narrates that Vashishth muni prayed at the temple site to Lord Shiva and requested him to absorb the energy of the lightening in order to save the world. His prayers were answered by the lord. This miracle took place at the confluence of the Beas River and Parvati River. To mark this incident a temple was constructed here and named Bijli Mahadev, connoting the `Temple of Lightening.` Moreover, according to popular beliefs while the linga breaks down a lot of energy is emitted from it. This energy is absorbed by Lord Shiva, thus, preventing the universe from destruction. Built by following the Pahari idiom of temple architecture, there is an impressively carved image of the Nandi bull at the entrance of Bijli Mahadev temple. bijli-mahadev-temple1 Legends of Bijli Mahadev Temple Legends about this Temple States, Rishi Vashista prayed to Lord Rudra to absorb lightning and save humanity from probable destruction. Lord Rudra granted his wish. A temple was later constructed on the site where this event took place and named as Bijleshwar Mahadev. bijli-mahadev-temple2 Importance of Bijli Mahadev This Place is full of mystery and miracles. The name comes from the fact that, the lightening ( Bijli ) strikes the Shiva linga inside the temple and breaks into pieces. The Shiva ling ( Mahadev ) will be joined together and installed in a special occasion using a locally made adhesive. One can witness the charred part ( especially on the walls ) inside the temple which is due to the flames resulted during lightning. Devotees can give offerings in the Hundi only kept inside the temple. Some puja articles are available inside the temple without any additional cost. Photography is not restricted anywhere in the place. valley view from Bijli Mahadev temple Opposite to the temple there are small stone statues situated and one can perform pooja there too. A 20mtr tall pole is installed which has got some interesting story. The pole is made of Deodar tree in a nearby forest area. Once in a while during special occasions the pole will be replaced by another one made from the tallest Deodar tree found in the forest. The local villagers and people from surrounding places come together to replace the pole and is a festival celebration for all of them. The tree is carved in the square shape and fixed firm in the place. People feel that this is an opportunity for getting blessing from Lord Shiva and consider this activity as serving God. bijli-mahadev-temple3 How to Reach There One can reach Kullu first and then get a bus from the bus stand for Bijli Mahadev which goes up to the nearby Chansari village. Otherwise one can book a private cab from the Kullu taxi stand near bus stand and go. One has to climb stairs from Chansari, the distance being about 3 km uphill. The road is now extended to more than 5 km which lessen the stairs climbing to one half. By personal vehicle or the booked vehicle one can now approach to village Halleni.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 08:25:25 +0000
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