Daksha Mahadev Temple Haridwar

Haridwar, one of the globally renowned centers of pilgrimage and entrance to the devbhoomi (the land of the gods)—Uttarakhand, is a city of temples. There are numerous places here which endure the footprints of one god or the other and which have been sanctified by their divine activities which called as Lilaas and far ahead on their temples were constructed to dedicate their memories. The most well-known temple of the holy city, which is one of its uniqueness markers, is the Daksheshwar Mahadev Temple Kankhal, about 6 kms from Har-Ki-Pauri, at the southern edge of the city. Praveen jha, a prominent priest and researcher of the Hindu scriptures, says that this divine place is the source of all the 52 shakti peeths (centres of elemental energy) in the world.

Haridwar is one of the most primeval cities in the world. Its former name was Mayapuri which was derived by the name of Goddess Maya and it is revealed in all our ancient Vedas and Puranas. The small area of Kankhal is very close to main Haridwar city and it has a gorgeous temple dedicated to Lord Shiva which is acknowledged as the Daksha Prajapati Mandir or Daksha Mahadev Temple.

History of Daksh Mahadev Temple

The beginning of the temple exist in the epic story described in the Shiv Purana. As response to the request of Brahma, one of the trinity of the Hindu gods, Jagdamba or Bhagwati (the ultimate power) took birth as Sati. Sati was born as the daughter of Brahama's son, Daksh Prajapati who had his kingdom at Kankhal. Agree to legends, Sati accomplished tough and long Austerity (tapasya) to please Lord Shiva to marry her. At last, the Lord agreed to marry her. However, later on anxieties developed in the relationship of King Daksh and his son-in-low Lord Shiva. Shiv Purana describes how once King Daksh well thought-out a big yajna at Kankhal and invited all the gods, saints and munis to the ceremony, but disregarded his son-in-law. When Sati came to know of this ritual, she conquered on Lord Shiva to permit her to visit there. During the ceremony, her father spoke offensive words for Lord Shiva. At this, Sati was so furious that she condemned herself to the flames of the yajna. As the heartbreaking news reached Lord Shiva, he sent Veerbhadra, one of his bravest warriors to Kanakhal. Veerbhadra sliced off the head of King Daksh and crushed it in the fire of the yajna. On the humble request of all the devtas (gods), including Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva looked there as the self-created linga. The generous Lord Shiva, in order to complete the yajna that had been interrupted, give back King Daksh to life by setting the head of a male goat on the shoulders of his dead body. King Daksh regretted his misdeeds. Then Lord Shiva affirmed that every year during the month of Sayan, the month that is precious to the Lord, Kankhal would be his house. After this, the grieving Lord Shiva roamed across the universe, carrying the dead body of his spouse.

The legends tells the past incident that Lord Vishnu, with his opportune weapon that is sudarshan chakra, cut off the parts of Sati's body after her death in order to disconnected it from Lord Shiva and free him from his weighty sorrow. The places where the detached parts body dropped on the ground later on became shakti peeths and came to be esteemed. Temples came up at the abode at Kankhal where this noteworthy occasion exposed itself. Well onward on in 1810, the king of Landhora state, who had lawful rights on the land, built an enormous temple here. This temple was repaired in 1963 by the Mahanirvan Akharas Kankhal, which now looks after the running of the temple. Mahant Ravindra Puri, the secretary of the akhara said HP that the shrine signified the rich ancient traditional culture of the country which needs to be conserved. The chief Daksheshwar Temple, along with some other temples in the area, such as Hanuman Temple Dasham Vidya Temple, stands on the peaceful bank of a tributary of the Ganga at the slopes of the Shivalik Ranges.

One portion of the Temple comprises of the Yajna Kund, while in the other portion, a Shiv Linga has been mounted, which is worshipped by believers by the proposing of water. The complete story of the yajna of King Daksh and the subsequent episodes have been brightly portrayed on the walls of the temple. A very old banyan tree, which is thought to be thousands of years old and is reflected blessed, is also the cynosure of all the eyes in the boundaries of the temple.

The temple appeals lakhs of believers from the country and overseas, round the year. However, there is a weighty haste of Lord Shiva followers in the month of Sayan. On Shivratri, a huge number of enthusiasts assemble here to pay respect to the Lord and pursue his blessings and approval. "If a devotee pays religious offerings to Lord Shiva here with a genuine heart, he is blessed by the Lord and all his aspirations are fulfilled," says Pradeep a renowned priest and astrologer of Kankhal.

How to reach Daksha Mahadev Temple

Its simply 05 km faraway from Haridwar railway station, 35 km apart from Rishikesh, 210 km away from Delhi, 55 km from Dehradun, 30 km distant from Jolly Grant Airport Dehradun, 90 km from Mussoorie. You can take the Rickshaw to the Temple.

Places to Visit in Daksha Mahadev Temple

Just reverse to the yagnashala of shrine there is an age old tree. In fact it's a combination of three dissimilar trees whose roots are interacted in such a way that it is next to impossible to picture them as a distinct unit. Standup next to the chief temple is the Das Mahavidya temple, devoted to the Mahavidyas.