JYOTIRLINGA TOUR OF AN OLD COUPLE (13)

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JYOTIRLINGA TOUR OF AN OLD COUPLE (13)

Washing our feet in a small stream near the entrance steps, we entered into the temple complex. There were many doves in the compound and the tourists are feeding them with jowar. A beautiful Sabha Mandapam is there in the compound which appears to have been constructed recently. We entered the Sabha Mandapam and the Sanctum Sanctorium is also part of the Sabha Mandapam. There were many counters selling puja material in the Mandapam. The beautiful Mandapam accommodates more than 300 people and is very neat. We went near the counters and we found that a puja thali with two silver nags is being sold at Rs.251. When enquired it is stated that today was the auspicious day of Naga Panchanmi and performing abhishekam and offering naga padigas to the Lord is very auspicious and one gets rid of all naga doshas. It is similar to Rahu Kala puja in Sri Kala Hasti in Andhra Pradesh. Pleasantly surprisingly and unexpectedly we visited Nageswara Jyotirlingam on a most auspicious day. We purchased a Puja Thali for Rs.251 and proceeded to the Sanctum Sanctorium. There I expressed my wish to perform Abhishekam myself and purchased the ticket for Rs.100. The Priest requested me to wait for sometime as some other devotee is performing a special puja. He provided two chairs, one for me and another for my wife, and we sat witnessing the special abhishekam and puja performed by some other devotees with the assistance of another temple priest.
The Nageswara Jyotirlingam is situated below the Sabhamandapam floor. The Jyotirlingam is moderately big and covered with a silver kavacham with a small opening in front to perform abhishekam. Behind the Jyotirlingam there is an idol of Goddess Parvati. Witnessing the puja being performed to the Jyotirlingam I also started reciting Namakam and recited thrice before their puja is concluded.



NAGESWARA JYOTIRLINGAM WITH SILVER NAG AND RUDRAKSHAS.
GODDESS PARVATI IDOL BEHIND THE JYOTIRLINGAM.


NAGESWARA JYOTIRLINGAM DECORATED WITH SILVER NAG, RUDRAKSHAS, YAJNOPAVEETHAM AND FLOWERS.

In the meanwhile the special puja of the other devotee is over and I along with my wife entered the Sanctum Sanctorium and sat before the Nageswara Jyotirlingam. Another priest came and made us to say Sankalpam. With the Gangajal and Panchamritas available in the Puja Thali we performed Abhishekam to the Jyotirlingam and also Puja. The priest also performed puja on our behalf and made us to offer Naga Padigas with a prayer to make us free from the poisonous effects of snakes and naga doshas. After offering daskhina to the priest and taking tirtham and prasadam from his hands, we came out of the Sanctum Sanctorium. With this we have completed darshanam of eleven out of twelve Jyotirlingas and swayam Abhishekam to 10 Jyotirlingams.

BRIEF HISTORY & FACTS ABOUT NAGESWARA JYOTIRLINGAM.

The Jyotirlingam appears to be made of a stone popularly known as Dwaraka Shila which has small chakras on it. The shape of the Jyotirlingam is more or less like an oval three-mukhi Rudraksha. The Shiva Lingam here is facing South and the Gomukham towards East. It is believed that whoever offers prayers and abhishekam to Nageswara Jyotirlingam is protected against all poisons of snakes and becomes poison-free. The area where the Nageswara Jyotirlingam is situated is known as Darukavanam, a forest area belonged to and ruled by a demon Daruka. As usual with all the Hindu temples in India, the Muslim Ruler Aurangazeb tried to destroy this temple also and when his soldiers tried, thousands of bees came out of the temple and attacked the Soldiers and Aurangazeb. Unable to face the bees, they left the demolition work midway and went away. Later, the devotees rebuilt the partially destroyed temple.

Nageswar means, eswar or adhipthi of nags or snakes. Lord Shiva is fond of naga alnakarams. It is believed that there was a direct path from this area to Patala Lok, the abode of snakes. This area bears the name of Kusasthali and Skanda Purana mentions that King Raivat of Kusasthali was an avatar of Nag Takshak. The Hindu scriptures also narrate that King Yadu of Yadava clan (in which clan Lord Krishna was born) was married to a nag girl. Nag girls were famous for their beauty and Mahabharatam mentions of Arjuna marrying Nag princess Uloochi and Lord Krishna Nagnajiti. Two other sites also enshrine temples to Nageswara Jyotirlingam - one in Aunda in Maharashra and another near Almora in Himalayas. We had earlier visited the temple at Aunda and performed Abhishekam and Puja to Aunda Naga Nath. But the Jyotirlingam situated near Dwaraka appears to be the real Nageswara Jyotirlingam as against claims of Aunda in Maharashtra and Almora in Himalayas. The present temple was renovated by Late Gulshan Kumar. He initiated the renovation work in 1996 and his family completed the work after his assassination. The entire project cost of Rs.1.25 crores, was met by Gulshan Kumar Charitable Trust.

THE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED NAGESWARA JYOTIRLINGA TEMPLE
On enquiry we were informed that the temple opens at 5 am and after puja by Devasthanam priests, it is open for devotees from 6 am onwards for Pujas and Abhishekams by devotees and priests. The devotees are permitted to perform puja and abhishekam by themselves and entry into Sanctum Sanctorium to devotees is said to be closed by 4 pm. Harati and Puja can be witnessed upto the closing time of 9 pm. Special pujas are performed in Sharavan Masam, Kartika Masam, Navaratri, Shivaratri and Diwali. In these days the temple remains open for a longer time to cater to the needs of the devotees. As Abhishekam and Puja to Nageswara Jyotirlingam is over we came out of the temple premises by 11 am and proceeded to the nearby Gopi Tallav place, another important punya kshetram in this area. It is at a distance of about 6 km from Nageswara Jyotirlinga Temple. On the way at two or three places water is still overflowing over the road making it a little difficult for the auto to proceed. Slowly travelling we reached the place Gopi Tallava.

Gopi Tallava is a small lake where Lord Sri Krishna met Gopikas of Brindavanam who came to Dwaraka to see him. Once the Wives of Lord Sri Krishna have entertained a doubt as to who loved most Lord Sri Krishna Gopikas or themselves. They were of the view that the love and affection of Gopikas is not in any comparable to their love and affection. To acquaint them of the adoration of Gopikas towards him, Lord Sri Krishna pretended severe Headache. All the wives of Lord Sri Krishna tried their best to mitigate the suffering of Lord Sri Krishna but of no use. The Raja Vaidyas also could not help in this matter with their medicines. Then Narada came into picture and suggested that if the dust on the legs of an ardent devotee is applied as an ointment to the head of Sri Krishna then the suffering may vanish. None of the wives were prepared to give their Pada Dhuli fearing it as a great sin and allowed Sri Krishna to suffer from Headache. Then Sri Krishna suggested Narada to intimate Gopikas of Brindavanam about his suffering and the medicine required to cure the same. The moment the Gopikas heard of the situation they came running to Dwaraka offering their Pada Dhuli in abundance to remove the suffering of Lord Sri Krishna. When informed of the great sin involved in this act, the Gopikas expresssed that they were prepared to suffer the consequences of the great sin and their only concern was to mitigate at any cost the suffering of their beloved Sri Krishna. Such was their love and affection and the wives of Sri Krishna ashamed of their act in doubting the affection and love of Gopikas towards Sri Krishna.

The pond at Gopi Tallava, where Gopikas met Lord Sri Krishna, is full of yellowish coloured clay and is known as Gopi Chandanam. Lord Sri Krishna said to have had a celestial bath in this pond along with Gopikas. The devotees of Sri Krishna use this sacred clay of Gopi Chandanam to make tilaks on their body. I purchased two pieces of dried Gopi Chandanam for Rs.5/- to use it as a tilkam. There are small temples around the Gopi Tallav and after seeing them, we returned to Dwaraka by 12 noon. On the way we had lunch and returned to our Lodge by 1 pm and took rest till the evening. In the evening we went around the Dwaraka town in our Car and also went to Dwaraka Beach and spent there till 7-30 pm. There was a small Shiva Temple in the Beach. On reaching the Lodge, the good news at Reception was that the way to Somanath was cleared and traffic was restored on the coastal high way from Dwaraka to Somnath. So we decided to proceed to Somanath next day morning. With this good news we retired to bed.

OM TAT SAT OM TAT SAT OM TAT SAT


RAGHAVARAO U.V.G.V. DUGGIRALA,

HYDERABAD, Dt.1st OCTOBER, 2009.

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