Sundarnarayan Temple

Maharashtra, Nashik, Mumbai

Located on the elevated west bank of river Godavari at the corner of Ahilyabai Holkar Bridge, Maharashtra, Sundarnarayan temple is a famous temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Along with Lord Vishnu, Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Lakshmi are also worshipped here. The temple was built by Gangadhar Yashwant Chandrachud in 1756. One of the specialty of this temple is that it is erected in such a way that the first rays of the sun fall exactly on the idol on 21st March and thousands of devotees visit the temple during this time to witness this grandeur.

Legend

According to the legends, it is believed that once a demon named, Jalandar, who was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva started doing penance in order to get blessings from Lord Shiva. Impressed by the devotion of Jalandar, Lord Shiva blessed the demon with a boon of immortality. Soon, Jalandar started creating destruction in the area and challenged the Gods including Lord Shiva. Gods approached Lord Vishnu to help them to kill Jalandar. Upon knowing that, it was the chastity and piousness of Jalandar’s wife, Devi Vrinda, is acting as a shield to Jalandar's life, Lord Vishnu disguised himself as Jalandar and started living with Devi Vrinda. The chastity of Devi Vrinda was lost and Lord Vishnu killed Jalandar. After knowing about this, Devi Vrinda cursed Lord Vishnu to turn black and lose his charm, glamour and beautiful looks. The curse of the Devi Vrinda made Lord Vishnu dark and he had to take a holy dip in River Godavari to regain his original form. After regaining his original form, Lord Vishnu was called as Sundar Narayan. Later, when the temple was built the legend of Vishnu was associated in naming the temple as Sundar Narayan Temple.

Architecture

The architecture of the temple is a masterpiece and perfect example of the temple art culture of India. The temple which faces towards the east has three porches provided with balcony seating and globular domes. The walls of the temple are decorated with beautiful carvings of Lord Hanuman, Lord Narayana and Indra. The most striking aspect of the temple is that the finely sculptured stone temple is erected in such a way that the first rays of the sun fall exactly on the idol on 21st March. The pillars of the temple are decorated with various carvings and it also has two mandaps and a well decorated corridor. The temple has a pond.

Darsan Info

06:00 AM to 12:00 PM (All days of the week)
05:00 PM to 08:00 PM (All days of the week)

Darsan Dresscode

Avoid shorts, skirts, tank tops and do not expose legs

Culture

Nashik is home to many temples and religious sites of the Hindu and Muslim religions. It is situated at the foothills of Western Ghats, on the banks of River Godavari. The city hosts numerous religious pilgrimages and festivals, including the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha, which is one of four Kumbh Mela fairs.