In the lush green valley, surrounded by the Himalayan peaks,
in the small hamlet of Madhyamaheshwar, stands the temple where the Lord's
navel is said to have materialised. The journey to this temple is strenuous.
19kms of trek path through the forests, river sides, steep slopes and valleys
have to be passed to reach this Panch Kedar shrine. The Pandavas, especially
Bhima is credited with the creation of this temple. Adi Shankaracharya is
believed to have visited the temple.
Location Uttarakhand , Rudraprayag, Dehradun
Legend
The Pandavas after the war of Kurukshetra, went in search of
Shiva to ask pardon for the sins of fratricide. Shiva, avoided them, took
disguise of a bull and went into hiding in Guptakashi. The Pandavas chased him
there. Shiva's body in the form of bull materialised at five different spots
where the Pandavas built the temple in his honour. Lord's navel was
materialised at Madhyamaheshwar.
This Temple is part of famous Panch Kedar Yatra.
Architecture
Situated in the lush green meadows, Madhyamaheshwar temple
is constructed in the north Indian style of architecture and is made of stones.
The roofs are made of stone slabs and have a wooden stage on the top with arch
openings around it. The older, Vriddh-Madmaheshwar, temple is a tiny blackened
shrine on the ridge. The idol is a navel-shaped Shiva-lingam, made of black
stone. There are two other smaller shrines, one of Parvati and the other
dedicated to the Ardhanarishwara. There is also a small Saraswathi shrine.
Picture Courtesy : "Madhyamaheshwar Temple,
Uttarakhand" by Bodhisattwa - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via
Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Madhyamaheshwar_Temple,_Uttarakhand.JPG#/media/File:Madhyamaheshwar_Temple,_Uttarakhand.JPG
Culture
The locals of Garhwal regions are very cordial helping the
pilgrims and trekkers in any way they can. Some of them, acting as coolies,
help to carry the luggages. The people living in the hamlet in Madmaheshawar
gather in the shrine for the evening aarti. They provide homestay and food to
the visitors.
Darsan Info
Madhamaheshwar Temple timings: 6.00 AM to 8.00 PM
Temple is closed in the winter during months of November to
April
Darsan Dresscode
Devotees are advised to wear clean and conservative attire.
Famous Festival
May - Opening of Shrine
November - Diwali. Closing of shrine
Temple Rituals
Priests at this temple are Jangamas of the Lingayat cast who
hail from Mysore in Karnataka. They perform various pooja and aarti.
Special Rituals
The water in the temple vicinity is considered so sacred
that even a few drops are enough for ablution.
Additional Info
Small eateries and local shops available of the trek path to Madhyamaheshwar.
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