Daksha Mahadev Temple
Daksh Mahadev Temple is also known as Daksheshwar Mahadev Temple. It is one of the oldest temples in Kankhal and is just 6 km from Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Sati. Kankhal is considered to be the in-law house of Lord Shiva.
The temple was named after the father of Goddess Sati, the son of Lord Brahma and one of the fourteen Prajapati kings, Daksha Prajapati. The Daksha Mahadev Temple is the place where Daksha Prajapati in Kankhal conducted a very popular and huge Yagya.
This is one such temple where Lord Shankar, as well as King Daksha, is worshipped in the form of a torso. Whoever performs Jalabhishek here in the month of Sawan, all their wishes are fulfilled. It is said that God resides here in real form.
A major portion of the important points of Daksha’s Ashwamedha Yagya (horse sacrifice) is found in the Vayu Purana.
Inside the Temple Daksha Mahadev Temple
In front of the main door of the Daksh temple, there is a huge statue of Lord Shiva and Sati Mata, in which Lord Shiva has raised the dead body of Mata Sati in his hands.
The footprints of Lord Vishnu are made in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple to see which devotees keep pouring in here.
There are two big lion statues on both sides. Looking at them, it seems that these two lions welcome the devotees coming to the temple.
In the main sanctum sanctorum of this temple, Sati Kund, Shivling, and Nandi sit right in front of Shivling. It is said in the Puranas that whatever devotees speak their wishes in Nandi’s ear, it soon reaches the ears of Lord Shiva, and the wishes of the devotees are fulfilled.
There is a small pit in this temple. It is believed that this is the place where Mata jumped into the fire of Yagya.
History of Daksha Mahadev Temple
Sri Daksheshwar Temple was originally built in AD 1810 by Queen Dhankaur. However, the temple was rebuilt again in 1962 by the Mahanirvan Akharas Kankhal, which now looks after the management of the temple. This is one of the oldest temples in Haridwar.
Ravindrapuri, president of Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad, says that this temple symbolized the rich ancient cultural heritage of the country which needs to be preserved. Shivling of Daksheshwar Mahadev temple is situated in the underworld along with the earth. Daksheshwar Mahadev Shivling is the only Shivling in the world, which is not Akashmukhi but Patalmukhi.
The idol of Lord Shiva is enshrined in the middle of this temple, in which he has lifted Mata Sati in his arms. This idol depicts the incident after Mother Sati took Samadhi in Havan Kund.
One part of the temple complex has the Yagya Kund, where Goddess Sati immolated herself and the other part has a Shivling installed, along with a thousand-year-old banyan tree. This is not a single tree. Actually, these are three different trees, whose roots are combined in a unique way that they look like a large single tree. Lord Shiva’s vehicle “Nandi Maharaj” is seated in the main sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
Daksha Ghat is situated on the banks of the Ganges near the Daksha Mahadev Temple, where Shiva devotees take a bath in the Ganges and enjoy seeing Lord Shiva.
In this temple, Lord Vishnu’s footprints are made (Virajit), to see that there is always an influx of devotees in the temple.
Mythology
According to the scriptures of Sanatan Dharma, Jagdamba Param Shakti took birth as the daughter of Daksha Prajapati, who had a kingdom in Kankhal. She was named Sati; she did austere penance to please Lord Shiva. Finally, Lord Shiva agreed to marry her.
After their marriage, King Daksha did not respect Lord Shiva. Daksha Prajapati had invited all the gods and sages to the yagya but neglected Lord Shiva to insult them. Although Sati had come during the Yagya without invitation, King Daksha had insulted Lord Shiva in the presence of all the deities. Sati could not bear the insult of her husband, Lord Shiva, and she threw herself into the fire of Yagya.
Hearing this information, Lord Shiva became very angry and sent his demi-gods Virbhadra and Shiv Ganas to fight Kankhal. Virbhadra went and destroyed the grand yagya and beheaded King Daksha. At the request of all the deities, Lord Shiva gave life back to King Daksha and put a goat’s head on him. Seeing this, King Daksha repented his mistakes and apologized to Lord Shiva with folded hands.
On the request of King Daksh, Lord Shiva had said that by offering Gangajal and worshipping here in the name of Daksheshwar Mahadev, all wishes would be fulfilled. He will reside in Kankhal Daksheshwar Mahadev Temple for the entire month of Savan.
Lord Shiva then declared that Kankhal would be his abode every year in the month of Sawan.
Lord Shiva being very angry, picked up the dead body of Sati and went round the whole universe, due to which the parts of the burnt body of Sati fell at different places on the earth. Wherever the parts of Sati’s body fell, all those places became “Shaktipeeth”.
A Daksha Ghat is built on the banks of the Ganges near the Daksheshwar Mahadev Temple, where the devotees take a bath and visit Mahadev, and this is where the feet of Mother Ganga are.
This is one such temple where Lord Shankar, as well as King Daksha, is worshipped in the form of a torso. Whoever performs Jalabhishek here in the month of Sawan, all their wishes are fulfilled. It is said that God resides here in real form.
Highlights of Temple
- The sacred idol of Lord Shiva, in the form of a linga, is present in the centre of the Sri Daksheswara temple.
- Daksha Ghat and Nileshwar Mahadev Temple are the other two attractions near this temple.
- Shivratri is the best time to plan a trip here. On the day of Maha Shivratri, the day of the marriage of Shiva and Shakti, devotees perform special rituals.
- The Das Mahavidya Temple, dedicated to Goddess Kali, is located right next to the temple.
- You can also take a bath in the holy water of Daksha Ghat, located on the left side of the main temple.
The architecture of Daksha Mahadev Temple
The architectural style of the temple is Nagara style architecture. There is only one shikhara in the centre of the temple, which is surrounded by small domes. This place is one of the five holy places of Haridwar. A huge Shivalingam, a form of Lord Shiva, is installed in the centre.
The Das Mahavidya Temple is located next to the main temple dedicated to the Mahavidyas. Das Mahavidya temple is dedicated to Kali, Tara, Shodashi, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamala. There is also a temple in the complex dedicated to the river Ganges.
Right behind Daksheshwar Mahadev, there is a small temple dedicated to Sheetla Mata. Sheetla Mata is generally considered to be the goddess of infectious diseases like smallpox and chicken pox. It is also said that it is the birthplace of Goddess Sati.
There is a ghat called Daksha Ghat on the river Ganges where devotees take a holy dip, and close by is the Nileshwar Mahadev Temple. It is a place for devotees of the Goddess for special worship during Navratri celebrations.
There is an ancient Sanskrit school, but now it is not in operation you can perform many rituals here with the help of Shastriji, an expert in Sanskrit. There is a small temple named Brahmeshwar Mahadevji, which is situated next to Das Mahavidya Temple, where Lord Brahma worshipped Lord Shiva.
Timings of Daksha Mahadev Temple
You can visit the Daksha Mahadev Temple every day from 6 A.M. to 8 P.M.
Ticket Price of Daksha Mahadev Temple
There is no ticket price for Entry into Daksha Mahadev Temple.
Daksha Mahadev Temple Address
Daksheshwar Mahadev Temple, MK Gandhi Road, Ahead of Chowk Bazaar, Kankhal, 6 Km From Haridwar, Uttar Pradesh, 249407, India
Daily Activity in Daksha Mahadev Temple
- Daily Darshan
- Rituals and Natural Environment
- Holy dip in River Ganga
Best time to visit Daksha Mahadev Temple
The best time to visit Daksha Mahadev Temple is from October to March, especially in the holy month of Sawan and Mahashivratri.
Summers here are very hot, and walking is difficult in summer, so devotees should avoid travelling during April and May.
Nearby Points of Attraction
In front of the temple is an ashram called Shri Maa Anandamayi Ashram and a Parad Shivling temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Shivling is made from mercury. This Shivling is installed inside the Harihar Ashram located in Kankhal.
Shree Yatra Mandir, Maa Anandmay Ashram A large number of devotees come every year to have a darshan of this Shivling weighing about 150 kg. Apart from this, the Rudraksha tree is the main attraction of this ashram.
How To Reach
By Bus:- Haridwar is easily accessible by road. The roads are well-connected to every major city in India. Taxis, buses, and private vehicles can be used to reach here.
By Train:- Haridwar has a well-connected railway system. Trains are available in many cities. From the railway station, there are many taxis available to take you wherever you want.
By Air:-There is no airport in Haridwar. The nearest airport is in Dehradun, Jolly Grant Airport. Taxis and buses are easily available from there to Haridwar. Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, is 37 km from Haridwar.
NOTE:- In this article, we cover all the important details regarding Daksha Mahadev Temple, Haridwar, like the best time to visit and Activities you can do in this place, Still If you have any other queries, you can visit the official gov website of Uttarakhand Tourism. And If you want to know the best places to visit in Uttarakhand, then visit our website, uttarakhandeyes.com.
