“Van Khandeshwar Mahadev – Shiva Temple”

There was nothing but the stretched forest when Prithiviraj Chauhan and his army passed by the area which is now known as Bhind (a small town, situated in Madhya Pradesh) when Prithviraj Chauhan was moving along with his army towards the battlefield, he decided to stopover this place rest a bit and during the stay, he built this temple. 

It is a saying that he was a devotee of Lord Shiva and whenever he went for any battle, he worshiped him for the victory. So, during the stay, he decided to build lord Shiva’s temple and gave the name Van Khandeshwar (Van + Khand = Forest + land) Mahadev. He also lighted the flame at the very same time and prayed for his victory and said that “if won the battle, I would keep the flame eternal (Akhand Jyoti)” and which is believed to have been burning since. 

Now the temple is the epitome of faith and that land now became a very dense livelihood. 

136 kms from Agra and 79 kms from Gwalior, the temple is situated in district Bhind, Madhya Pradesh. It is believed that if the devotee offers “Ghee” to the Shiva Linga and do prayers, their desire (Manokamna) would be fulfilled. 

Like every other Shiva temple, every Monday the Van Khandeshwar Temple celebrates the Shiva day and offers Maha Arti in the evening but when it comes to Mahashivratri or Savan Somvar, then this locus is worth watching. As thousands of Kanwariye holding the Gangajal to offer to ‘Shiv Ling’ and enchanted devotion song. You can see kilometers long barefooted reverent. 

Shiv Barat–

                 

Very popular among the locals. The Shiv-Sati Vivah ceremony happens on every Mahashivrati at the Vankhandeshwar Mahadev Temple. The pujaris and locals prepare palanquin and decorate it with flowers, gold, and use the red sign of VIP status (Laal Batti). The whole city comes together and participates in the Barat ceremony and circling the city with joy and reverence. Now, this wedding ceremony is a symbol of the city, wherein thousands of devotees come together and enjoy the faith which is an amazing experience to watch and participate in. 

(Image Credit: Ranjit)