Manikaran Shiva Temple - Kullu
Manikaran Shiva Temple is located in the Kullu district of
Himachal Pradesh State.
Lord Shiva is worshiped here
in the form of a Shivalinga that is entirely carved out of black stone.
It is also said that the
demi-gods came down from the heavens to worship Lord Shiva.
A good number of temples,
Gurudwara Manikaran Sahib, and hot springs form the religious pattern of the
place and attract several people. There are three hot springs where one can
take a bath, one being inside the Gurudwara itself and the other two being
privatized by the guesthouses. Different sections for men and women are made at
the bathing place. The water in these springs contains sulphur which is capable
of curing diseases. The hot springs again have religious and spiritual beliefs
connected to them.
Many myths and legends surround Manukaran, both Hindu and Sikh. The place is believed to
have taken its name from the Sanskrit word 'Mani' meaning precious gemstones as the
following Hindu myth suggests
When Lord Shiva and his wife
Goddess Parvati came to this part of the earth, the goddess lost her precious
'mani' or jewel. Shiva sent his army to find it but they couldn't which angered
Shiva. This prompted Tandava - to evoke the destructive forces of Nature. The
serpent deity Sheshnaag then brought up the gemstone Parvati lost.
Another version of the story
tells about Sheshnag deliberately taking the gemstone under the earth, which
angered Lord Shiva, forcing Sheshnaag to come to spew hot water which still exists
in the form of Hot Springs found in the area, and with that the 'mani' Parvati
though lost. The hot springs are known to be throwing jewels since then till
the earthquake of 1905.
Sikh Legend is about Guru
Nanak and his disciple Mardana who have come to this place and felt hungry, due to
which Nanak asked him to set up 'Langar' - a kitchen for all. Mardana collected
food materials from the houses nearby and started making Roti. However as there
was no fire to cook it, Nanak asked him to remove a stone from where a hot
water spring came up. When Mardana put rolled chapattis in the water as per the
instruction of his Guru, they sank. Nanak then told his disciple to pray to God
for the sunken chapattis to come up baked so that donations of these could
alleviate the hunger of the needy. The prayers were answered, making the place
pious for people of the Sikh religion.
Timings
5.00 am to 12.00 noon
4.00 pm to 9.00 pm
How to reach
40 km from Kullu.
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