The Nageshwar temple, also known as the Nageshvara temple, is located on the coast of Saurashtra in Gujarat. The presiding deity is Lord Shiva and is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in Shiva Purana. The Jyotirlinga is in an underground sanctuary. The is a meters statue of Lord Shiva near the temple with large garden and a pond surrounding the statue.
Here the Shiva Lingam is an oval Rudraksha with three faces. Rudrakhsa is said to be the tears of Lord Shiva. The importance of the Nageshwar temple is that this powerful Jyotirlinga protects the devotees from all kinds of poison. Devotees also believe that whoever prays to the Lord is freed from poison, that is, from the negative energy. The Nageshwar lingam is unique because it consists of a stone known as Dwarka stone.
Nageshwar Mahadev Sivalingam is oriented to the south, while Gomugam is oriented to the east. There is a story behind this position. There was once a devotee named, Naamdev. He was a ardent saint who used to dedicate songs to Lord Shiva.
One day, while he was singing bhajans before the Lord, the other devotees asked him to leave and not to hide from the Lord. For this, Naamdev asked them to suggest a direction in which the Lord does not exist, so that he can stay there. Enraged devotees took him and left him in the south. To their amazement, they discovered that the Linga was now facing south and the Gomugam was facing east.
If you want to view the temple in all its splendor, you can visit it on full moon nights. Maha Shivaratri also sees many special activities in the temple for which the temple remains open all day and night. This is the best time to visit Nageshwar and offer Puja after Darshan.
Nageshwar Temple Darshan Timings:
Morning: 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Evening: 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Abhishekam: 6:30 AM to 12:30 Noon
Devotees can pour milk on Shiva linga and perform abhishek in the morning hours.
Nageshwar Temple Pooja & Aarti Timings:
Shringar Darshan: 4:00 PM
Shayan Aarti: 7:00 PM
Sandhya Aarti is the most beautiful time in the evenings.
Nageshwar Jyothirlinga Temple History:
According to the story of Nageshvara temple, there are two stories behind this Jyotirlinga. The two legends are linked to the existence of this numinous temple. The first story goes back a hundred years in the Shiva Purana, about a couple of demons called Daruka and Daruki.
Now known as Dwarka, the city got its name from the Asura couple and was called “Darukavana”. Daruka’s wife, Daruki, was a follower of the goddess Parvati. But, Daruka was a cruel demon who found the joy of disturbing the people around him.
One day, Daruka imprisoned Supriya an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, along with several others. Daruka abused the blessings bestowed on him and continued to plague the local population in one way or another. In captivity, Supriya advised everyone to chant the mantra “Om Namaha Shivaye” aloud.
Supriya told the villagers that this mantra is powerful enough to protect them all from the demon King. When Daruka found out, he became furious and went to kill her. It was then that Lord Shiva appeared in the form of Linga on earth. Shiva could not kill the demon because of the blessing granted by his wife, Parvati. Therefore, he assured Supriya and everyone else that he would protect them all in the form of Jyotirlinga.
Second Story:
According to another legend, a group of dwarf sages called “Balakhilyas” worshiped Lord Shiva in Darukavana for a long time. To prove their perseverance and dedication, Lord Shiva went to them naked using only nagas, ie, snakes on his body.
All the wives of the sages were drawn to him and went after him, leaving their husbands behind. This action angered all the sages and they cursed Shiva for losing his linga. Therefore, Shiva Linga fell to the earth and the whole earth trembled.
Then Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma appeared and asked Shiva to save the planet from destruction and recover his linga. After comforting the sages, Lord Shiva resumed his linga and forever promised his divine presence in the form of Jyotirlinga in Darukavana.
How to Reach Nageshwar Temple:
By Air:
Porbandar Airport is the nearest Airport to Dwarka which is just 116 km to Nageshwar Temple.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport is just 452 km to Nageshwar Temple.
By Rail:
Dwarka Railway station is near the Nageshwar temple. It is about 15 km from the temple. You can easily board a rickshaw or hire a private taxi after reaching Dwarka station to reach the Nageshwar Jyothirlinga Temple.
By Road:
There are government buses and also private luxury buses from the main cities of Gujarat to Dwarka. From Dwarka, however, you need to board another public transport to get to the Nageshwar temple.
Places near Nageshwar Temple:
Siddeshwar Mahadev Temple
Swaminarayan Temple
Sudama Setu
Dwarkadhish temple
Gopi talav
Bhadkeshwar Mahadev Mandir
Gomti river
Rukshamanee Mandir
Bet Dwarka
Nageshwar Temple Address:
Daarukavanam,
Gujarat – 361345.
Other Jyotirlinga Temples are:
1) Somnath Temple in Gujarat
2) Mahakaleshwar Temple in Madhya Pradesh
3) Omkareshwar Temple in Madhya Pradesh
4) Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand
5) Bhimashankar Temple in Maharashtra
6) Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Uttar Pradesh
7) Trimbakeshwar (or) Tryambakeshwar Shiva Temple in Maharashtra
8) Ramanathaswamy Temple in Tamil Nadu
9) Grishneshwar Temple in Maharashtra
10) Vaidyanath Temple in Jharkhand
11) Srisailam Mallikarjuna Swami Temple in Andhra Pradesh
