Kamalnath Mahadev Temple Jhadol - Ravana offered his head here, it tells about Kamal Nath Mandir related to Ravana and Maharana Pratap near Jhadol Udaipur.
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We all know that inside Ravana's navel there was an amrit kund, due to which it was almost impossible to kill Ravana. Do you know that Ravana got this Amrit Kund after worshiping Shiva at a place in Rajasthan.
Ravana had obtained this Amrit Kund by doing penance to Lord Shiva for more than 12 years. You will be even more surprised to know that the place where Ravana attained this Amrit Kund by doing penance, that place has also been related to Maharana Pratap.
The Shivling which was worshiped by Ravana is still present inside the Shiva temple built at the same place. The biggest feature of this Shiva temple is that here before Shiva, his devotee Lankapati Ravana is worshipped.
If you do not worship Ravana before worshiping Bholenath, then you will not get any result of worshiping Shiva, that is, your worship will be in vain.
So today let's go to this religious and historical place situated in the dense forest between the mountains, which has been related to Ravana in Treta Yuga and Maharana Pratap in Kali Yuga. So let's get started.
Tour and specialty of Kamalnath Mahadev Temple
Thousands of years old Shiva temple is built in the middle of the dense forest in the Aravalli hills. These hills are known as the hills of Avargarh.
Due to being in the dense forest, wild animals are also present around the temple. In the rainy season, a stream starts flowing in front of the temple.
The temple has changed a lot over time. Shivling is installed in front inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Shivling is not round but has two parts in which one part is big and the other is small.
The statue of Lankapati Ravana is enshrined in one niche of the temple and the idol of Lord Vishnu in the other niche. Both these idols are of black stone.
As we told earlier also that Ravana has to be worshiped before worshiping Shiva in this temple, if you do not do this, then your worship will not be fruitful i.e. it will be useless.
This is the same place where Ravana did penance for this Shivling for 12 years in Treta Yuga. Ravana used to offer 108 lotus flowers to the Shivling and worship it daily.
There is a dhuni in front of the sanctum sanctorum. Some ancient statues of black stone are installed in front, out of which one statue is also of Navagriha. The statue of Hanuman ji is enshrined next to them.
There is a Gomukh Kund near the temple where the stream of water keeps flowing throughout the year. One specialty of this stream is that no matter how much it rains or how much drought occurs, its water flows at the same speed.
This water is very sweet and cool in taste like coconut water. This water is considered similar to Ganges water. Bathing here is considered like bathing in the Ganges.
Here the tribals of this area also immerse the bones of their ancestors. Because of this, Kamalnath Mahadev is also called Haridwar of tribals.
This Gomukh Kund is also called Ganga Kund. There are many ancient idols around this kund. All these idols are made of black stone.
The hills on both sides in front of the temple are called Ravana Tuk and Vanar Tuk. There is a rough way to go up the mountain from behind the temple.
On top of the mountain there is a long wide wooded area called Avargarh. In olden times, the crooked paths of this mountain were called Aaware in the local language.
Later, due to the formation of a stronghold in this area, it came to be known as Avargarh. The ruins of old palaces, temples, stepwells and ramparts are still present in this Avargarh.
There are also some ponds above which are called Kamal Talai due to the presence of lotus flowers. Due to all these things, it seems that there must have been a big city here in the olden times.
Ravana's relationship with Kamalnath Mahadev
It is said that Ravana did severe penance to Lord Shiva by going to Mount Kailash. Pleased with the penance, Bholenath asked Ravana to ask for a boon.
Ravana asked Bholenath for a boon to go with him to Lanka. On this, Bholenath agreed to go to Lanka with Ravana in the form of Shivling but he put a condition that if he kept Shivling anywhere on the way, it would be established at that place.
Ravana left for Lanka with the Shivling from Mount Kailash. While walking, he reached the hills of Awargarh. He got tired of continuously carrying the Shivling.
In this tiredness, he forgot the condition of Lord Shiva and put the Shivling down. According to the condition of Shivji, the Shivling was established here.
Later Ravana realized his mistake. To atone for the mistake, Ravana started doing penance for the Shivling established here. It is said that Ravana did penance at this place for twelve and a half years.
In front of the present temple, Ravana used to do penance by making a yagya kund on the Ravan Tuk mountain. Fearing Ravana's penance, the gods did not want Ravana's penance to be successful, so they went to Lord Vishnu.
On the prayer of the deities, Lord Vishnu tried to break Ravana's penance by creating his leela.
First of all, in order to make the yagya fail, a monkey jumped straight into the yagya kund, due to which Ravana's yagya was broken.
Ravana used to offer 108 lotus flowers daily on the Shivling apart from the Yagya. Lord Vishnu reduced one flower from it once by his illusion. When one flower fell short, Ravana cut off one of his heads instead of that flower and offered it to Bholenath.
Some people also say that Ravana did not offer his head but one of his eyes to Bholenath because the eye is also metaphorically called Kamal Nayan.
In the end, Lord Shiva was pleased and established the Amrit Kund in Ravana's navel as a boon. This place came to be known as Kamalnath Mahadev because Ravana offered lotus to the Shivling and worshiped it for 12 years.
Like Kamalnath Mahadev, the talk of worship and penance by Ravana to please Shiva is also said about Baijnath Dham in Jharkhand and Murudeshwar temple in Karnataka.
Story of severed Shivling of Kamalnath Mahadev
Let us tell you that the Shivling in the Kamalnath Mahadev temple is not round in shape but cut in the middle. There is also a story of cutting through the middle of the Shivling.
It is said that Kamalnath Mahadev used to drink all the milk of a cowherd cow in the form of a calf. One day the cowherd came following the cow and saw the calf drinking the cow's milk.
The cowherd found that calf somewhat elusive, because of this the cowherd hit the calf's head with an axe, which left a cut mark on the calf's head.
Later, when Mahadev came back from the calf in the form of Shivlinga, the marks of the cut by the axe were also visible on the Shivlinga.
Maharana Pratap's relationship with Kamal Nath Mahadev
Maharana Pratap has also had a relation with Kamalnath Mahadev. After the battle of Haldighati, Maharana Pratap was staying in these hills of Avargarh. Maharana Pratap also used to come to worship Kamalnath Mahadev.
The remains of temples, stepwells, palaces, parks etc. of Maharana Pratap's time are still present in the hills of Avargarh.
The injured soldiers of Maharana Pratap were treated in Kolyari village of this Avargarh region. At that time Kolyari village was the main center for the treatment of soldiers.
Maharana Pratap lit Holi at Kamalnath Mahadev
The hills of Awargarh also have a deep connection with Holika Dahan. Maharana Pratap lit Holi on the hill of Avargarh in 1577 AD.
Even today, Holika Dahan takes place here first in this entire area. After Holika Dahan is done here, Holika Dahan takes place in the entire surrounding area.
Places to visit near Kamalnath Mahadev
Talking about the places to visit around Kamalnath Mahadev, if you have time, then you must visit the Avargarh hill above the temple.
To visit Avargarh, you must take a local person with you so that he can show you Ravana Tuk, Holika Dahan place, ruins of Maharana Pratap's palace and temple, Bawdi, Kamal Talai and Parkota etc.
Along with this, you can also see Shani Mandir on the way to the temple. This Shani temple is also very ancient. You have to walk from this Shani temple to Kamalnath.
How to reach Kamalnath Mahadev Temple?
Now we will talk about how to visit Kamalnath Mahadev Temple. The distance from Udaipur to Kamalnath Mahadev Temple is about 65 kms and from Jhadol about 15 kms.
To go to Kamalnath Mahadev from Udaipur, you have to go to Magwas via Jhadol, Gogla. At Magwas, you have to take a left turn and go in front of the Sanwaliya ji temple of Damana.
Next comes a valley which has to be crossed to reach the Shani temple. After parking your vehicle at the Shani temple, you have to cross a rocky journey of about one and a half kilometers on foot till Kamalnath.
If we talk about the condition of the road then there is a four lane highway from Udaipur to Magwas. There is single road ahead from Magwas till Shani Mandir and its condition is also bad.
There is no road in the valley, only stones are laid. Water keeps flowing in the valley on the way up, due to which there is a lot of smoothness on the way.
Two wheelers often slip at this place. You have to cross this valley with some caution.
Vehicles with high ground clearance like Bolero, Jeep etc can go from Magwas to Shani Mandir. Driving a car with low ground clearance is quite difficult. Can be reached by bike.
If you want to visit a historical and religious place with adventure, then Kamal Nath Mahadev is a great place for you.
So that's all for today, hope you have liked this information given by us. Stay connected with us for such new information.
See you soon with new information. Till then thanks and regards.
Map Location of Kamalnath Mahadev Temple
Images of Kamalnath Mahadev Temple
Writer
Ramesh Sharma {M Pharm, MSc (Computer Science), PGDCA, MA (History), CHMS}
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