Ekling Ji
Ekling Ji: The actual ruler of Mewar!
In India, royalty doesn’t get more dazzling than it does in Rajasthan. Yet the royals of Mewar have never really considered themselves kings. Despite their title of ‘Maharana’ (‘King of Kings’), the Mewar royals consider themselves ‘custodians’, ruling their territory only on behalf of their family’s presiding deity, Shree Eklingji.
Around 20 km north of Udaipur in Rajasthan, the Shree Eklingji Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and has been drawing devotees to its scared portals for centuries. The current temple dates back to the 15th century but its story goes back 1,400 years, to the origins of the Mewar kingdom itself.
Brief of the Diety:
The Shiva lingam is five faced and of the deity it is made of black stone and an inscription of the south wall of the temple shows that the idol was established and its pratistha bestowal of life was performed by the then Maharana Raimal ji (1473-1509) . The west wars face is that of Lord Brahma. Northward is that of Lord Vishnu, Eastward is of Lord Surya the Son god, southward is face of Rudra and the upraised top is Shiva lingam, which is an embodiment of Sadashiva with Amba his consort.
The early history of the temple is found in a 15th century Sanskrit text known as Eklinga Mahatmya, composed by a poet, Kanha Vyas, under the patronage of Maharana Kumbha (r. 1433-1468) of Mewar. It tells the story of Bappa Rawal, the founder of the House of Mewar. Apparently, Bappa Rawal, a Prince of the Guhilot clan, was living in exile after his family was killed in a war with a rival clan. He met a saint named ‘Harit Rashi’, who became his spiritual guru and initiated him to the Shaivite order.
Religious aspects of temple:
The Glorious narrative of Shri Eklingji tells us that Shri Eklingaji has been in existence since Sat yuga. In that age Indra , the King of Goddess Nandini worshiped Eklingaji. In the Treta age, the Kamdhenu came running to Shri Eklingji as she was afraid of Vishwamitra. She Prayed to Eklingji and the armies of Vishwamitra were defeated to the delight of Guru Vashistha. In the Dwapar age when Janamejaya performed the sacrifice of snakes, the Takshaka serpent was mortally afraid and he came to the shoulder
Festivals & Fairs in Temple (Main Events):
Navratras, both of Chaitra and Ashwin attract multitudes of people here. Throughout the year on every Saturday night and Sunday, the faithful devotees visit the temple for removal of their distress.
| Timings For DARSHAN: | |||
| Morning Time: | 4.30 am to 7.00 am and 10.30 am to 1.30 pm | Evening Time: | 5.00 pm to 7.30 pm |
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TheIndianGuy 