Importance of Shri Hatkeshvar Mahadev:
The Nagar community and Shree HATKESHVAR Mahadev are considered to be synonyms. inseparable. Wherever a Nagar family or community settles, there will invariably be The HATKESHVAR temple nearby.
There are many legends popular for the origin of Shree HATKESHVAR.
Once Lord Shiva, feeling lonely due to separation from Parvati, was moving nude. With his ” Kapalpatra ” ( begging bowl ) he came in the hermitage of Saints. The wives of Saints got attracted towards him and followed him. Knowing this, the Saintsgotvery upset and cursed Lord Shiva that his organ should fall off from his body. It so happened and the organ went into the deep earth. Many disturbances took place. Saints had not recognized Lord Shiva. So INDRA and other Godscameand prayed to almighty Lord Shiva to bear and attach the organ back to his body. Lord Shiva replied, ” I can do so if the world worships it. Lord Brahma worshipped the organ and established one gold organ there ( HATAK means Gold ). This temple was later known as the HATKESHVAR temple. Legend has it that, the place where Lord Shiva had traveled for the reclaiming the organ, produced a river flow which later was brought to earth by the efforts of king Bhagirath & was known as Ganga.
As is mentioned in Skundpurana, a man gets many benefits and spiritual advantages when he worships and prays Lord HATKESHVAR with devotion and faith. It is said that during winter when there is heavy snowfall in the Himalayas, the Lord Kedarnath comes to the Hatkeshvar temple of Vadnagar. There are many facets of Lady Parvati also, established in and around Vadnagar.
When Shukhdevji, son of Lord Vyas, left this world soon after birth, Shree Vedvyas and his wife Chetika had performed a difficult penance in the HATKESHVAR region to get a son and got Kapinjal as a son due to the blessings of Lord HATKESHVAR.
The holy place of Pushkar in Ajmer also had its origin in the HATKESHVAR temple. Due to a request from a Saint Narad, Brahma desired to throw a lotus flower in such a place that is the most sacred and where Kali has not entered. The Lotus after moving all around the world fell in the HATKESHVAR place. So this region is famous as the second Pushkar area also.
The three best holy places of India are, Prabhas temple, the Kurukshetra and HATKESHVAR temple.
Saint Durvasa had established one Shiv-ling in the HATKESHVAR region andSaint Gautam had performed penance for 100 years to make the holy homage of HATKESHVAR for his son and wife.
Once there was a competition amongst eleven Saints of Kashi to have the first sighting of HATKESHVAR. All ran in the direction of Vadnagar to lead and come first. Lord HATKESHVAR felt happy and gave this sight (Darshan)
to all the eleven Saints simultaneously.
HATKESHWAR based NAGARS have a boon from LORD HATKESHWAR that, whatever they speak will happen. ( However, no NAGAR family is able to permanently settle in Vadnagar. )- due to a curse from LORD HATKESHWAR.
In the olden days, some Muslim kings attacked Vadnagar. This went on repeatedly. So people of Vadnagar decided to build a fort around the town to save themselves from the invasions. The senior and older citizens of the town advised building the fort in such a way that the temple of LORD HATKESHWAR will be inside the fort and remain protected. For some reason, this could not materialize. So the temple ended up being outside the fort. Hence, LORD HATKESHWAR gave a curse to the Nagar community, ” Just as you have kept me out of the town, you also will always be out of the town forever. Even today, the temple of LORD HATKESHWAR is situated outside the town. It is said that no NAGAR family has been able to permanently settle in Vadnagar.
Nagars, are, though a sub-caste of Brahmins, much different in many ways. While people of other castes worship other GODS, Nagars and Brahmins – intellect oriented as they are – worship LORD SHIVA. Even LORD SHIVA has two faces in his worship. (1 ). One face of SHIVA surrounded by ghosts – a frightful one, and (2 ) A perfect Tandav based beautiful face of LORD SHIVA. Even in this beautiful face of LORD SHIVA, two interpretations are available. One is destruction and
the other new creation from destruction. SHIVA does not have any births – as LORD SHIVA is omnipresent and his idol is absolute. Even amongst these facets, LORD SHIVA’s complexion of beauty and new creation is more positive. Nagars, in order to live nicely with their original cultural values, have started devotion to this lustrous and creative beautiful complexion. Only as a result of this, the lifestyle of Nagars is more culture-oriented and illustrious – much different from that of other communities.
Sri Hatkeshwar Mahadev Temple Address:
Nadiol Gate,
Near Railway Station,
Vadnagar.
Gujarat.
Phone: 02761-222500 | 02761-223901
mail:hatkeshwarmahadevvadnagar@gmail.com
