Nageshwar Jyotirlinga
The tenth Jyotirlinga of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva is famous as Shri Nageshwar. This holy pilgrimage is located near the Gomti River and the Arabian Sea in the Devbhoomi Dwarka district of Gujarat state. This place of Nageshwar Mahadev is also known as “Darukavan”, because in the ancient scriptures this region has been described as Darukavan. This place is considered very sacred and auspicious for the devotees. It is believed that worshipping Lord Shiva here gives freedom from fear, sorrow, sin and the negative energies of life.
According to the glory described in the Shiv Purana, Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is such a divine form of Lord Shiva, where the devotees experience spiritual peace and amazing spiritual power. Thousands of devotees visit this holy place every year to have darshan and receive the blessings of Lord Nageshwar.
The Mythology of Nageshwar Jyotirlinga
In ancient times, there was a powerful demon named Daruka, who received a special boon from Mother Parvati. Her husband Daruk was also an extremely powerful and cruel demon. Together, they started torturing the sages, saints and innocent people in the Darukavan area. Their atrocities spread fear and unrest throughout the region.
The people prayed to Maharishi Aurva for protection. The Maharishi cursed the demons that if they destroyed the yagna, havan or religious activities, they would die immediately. To escape from this curse, Daruka established his Mayavi forest inside the sea and started kidnapping people from there and imprisoning them.
Once, a Vaishya merchant named Supriya was traveling by sea with his companions. Demons captured him and imprisoned him. Supriya was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. Even in captivity, he started chanting the mantra “Om Namah Shivaya” and inspired others to worship Lord Shiva.
When the demon Daruka came to know about this, he got angry and ran to kill Supriya and his companions. At that time, Supriya prayed to Lord Shiva with all his heart. Hearing the pitiful cry of his devotee, Lord Shiva appeared there. A magnificent temple appeared with a divinely bright Jyotirlinga and Lord Shiva killed the demons with his Pasupatastra and protected the devotees.
Then Lord Shiva blessed him to reside at that place in the form of a Jyotirlinga. This divine Jyotirlinga is today world famous as Nageshwar Jyotirlinga.
Religious significance of Nageshwar Jyotirlinga
Nageshwar Mahadev is considered the lord of serpents and serpent power. It is believed that worshipping here with devotion gives freedom from snakebite, fear, enmity and negative forces. This pilgrimage site is famous as a place that provides spiritual power and peace of mind.
The sight of Lord Nageshwar removes the sins of life and brings happiness and prosperity into the life of the devotee. Special pujas and abhishekam are performed here especially during the month of Shravan and Mahashivratri.
Architecture of Nageshwar Temple
The grand and attractive architecture of Nageshwar Mahadev Temple attracts devotees a lot. A huge statue of Lord Shiva is installed in the temple premises, which is visible to devotees from a distance. The peaceful and spiritual atmosphere of the temple is considered very conducive to meditation and devotion.
Mantra of Nageshwar Mahadev
To obtain the grace of Lord Nageshwar, devotees chant the following mantra:
“ओम नागेश्वराय नमह॥”
Places of interest near Nageshwar Jyotirlinga
Near Nageshwar Jyotirlinga are many holy places like Dwarkadhish Temple, Rukmani Devi Temple, Gomti Ghat, Gopi Lake and Bhadkeshwar Mahadev. During the Dwarka Yatra, devotees complete their journey by visiting all these places.