350 साल पुराना शिव मंदिर, दर्शन करने का भी टिकट: खुदाई के दौरान महाराजा को मिला था दुर्लभ शिवलिंग, केले के पेड़ से रखा गया नाम

Today is the first Monday of Sawan. On this special day, we take you to a rare Shiva temple in Rajasthan. Rare because the history of this temple is 350 years old.

The special thing is that devotees have to buy a ticket of 130 rupees to visit this temple established in a dense forest spread over 29 square kilometers. This temple was not covered with any gold. The dome was built on stone slabs. The Shivling is about two and a half feet below the ground.

The legend behind the construction of this Shiva temple is also very interesting. It is said that on the orders of the Maharaja, an attempt was made to dig out the Shivling. They wanted to get it installed in their fort, but this could not happen.

The temple was also named after the banana tree. Bhaskar team reached Bharatpur, about 180 km from Jaipur, to know the story of the recognition of such a unique temple. After all, why do the devotees have to buy tickets for darshan in this temple? Why did the Maharaja, who wanted to build a temple in the palace, have to get the temple built there? Let’s know…

The journey to reach the temple is full of adventure

Can’t take car or bike to reach this temple. Keoladeo National Park can also be seen in the cost of the ticket for darshan in the temple. After taking the ticket, one has to walk about 7 kilometers. If you want, you can also take a cycle or an e-rickshaw. Very few devotees are able to reach here due to inaccessible roads, tickets and being in the middle of forests.

The way to reach the temple passes through dense trees.

We also started the journey for this temple and decided to walk on foot. We bought a ticket for Rs 130 from the counter inside the National Park. Walked 7 kilometers in the forest on foot. The experience of passing through this forest gives immense pleasure. While passing through the trees, one can observe herds of deer, stag and exotic birds very closely. Jackals (jackals) are also easily visible to you. Large turtles can also be easily seen in the small and big ponds of water falling in between.

Reached the temple in 70 minutes

We reached the temple in about a quarter of an hour. The atmosphere around this temple, established in the midst of nature in lush green forests, becomes very pleasant during the month of Sawan. There is an energy experience as soon as you enter inside the temple. A different relationship with nature starts to be felt. The chirping sounds of hundreds of birds in the whole environment make the heart happy.

The entry fee for Keoladeo is Rs 130.

Due to being inside the National Park, there is no attraction of devotees in this temple. Except Sawan, mostly those devotees come here, who reach the National Park to see foreign birds. Due to very less human activities, the path here is clean and tidy.

Here we met Pandit Jagpal Nath Yogi. Jagpal worships by staying in this temple from morning till evening. He is a member of the third generation to follow the tradition of serving the temple and offering prayers to the devotees. Pandit Jagpal Nath Yogi told us about the interesting beliefs related to the temple….

The cow goes to the forest and the milk becomes empty… and the matter reaches the Maharaja

Yogi told that his family has been associated with this temple since the time of his grandfather and great grandfather. He was allowed by the Bharatpur royal family to serve, since then his family has been serving here generation after generation. He told that there is a belief associated with the discovery and construction of this temple, which has been narrated from great-grandfather to grandfather and father.

The temple can be reached after going inside about 7 kilometers from the main gate of Keoladeo.

Recognition related to the establishment of the temple

A herdsman used to leave his cows for grazing in this dense forest. All the cows used to return, which they milked. But his most favorite one cow always returned with her udders. Means the udder of that milch cow was always empty in the evening. After this happened continuously for a few days, Gopalak followed the cow out of curiosity. He followed his cow deep into the forest.

Gopalak saw that a huge banana tree was standing in the middle of the forest. The cow reached there just before evening. She went to that place and stood. Milk started flowing from her teats on its own. Gopalak could not believe his eyes. He chased the cow several times. Got the same every time. So he told this at his home. After this the word spread in the whole village.

Rare Shivling installed in the temple.

Maharaja was shocked, got the excavation done, which did not end

Yogi told that when the news of cow’s udder getting empty near the banana tree reached Maharaja Surajmal, he too could not believe it. He himself went to see the incident and when he saw it, the next day he got the place near the tree excavated, where milk started flowing from the udders of the cow on its own.

Now only two feet of digging was done that a Shivling was seen. Maharaj thought that he would get this Shivling consecrated in his palace by building a temple in a good direction. Maharaj ordered to continue the excavation and said that this Shivling should be brought out. It is told that then the laborers engaged in digging were digging, but despite digging several feet, the end of Shivling was not visible.

When this thing was told to Maharaj, his mind changed. He ordered to fill the soil back there and build a Shiva temple at the same place. The temple was built here on the orders of the Maharaja. It was named Shri Keoladeo Shiv Mandir because of the banana tree.

After the construction of the temple, people started coming from far and wide to ask for darshan. Taking water from Maa Ganga, hundreds of kilometers away, Kanwar yatras started coming in Sawan. According to the priest, when the National Park was not built here, there used to be so much crowd that there was no place even to step foot. The queues of devotees could be seen for several kilometers.

Shivling is 3 feet inside the ground

The construction of this temple is 350 years old. The dome has been built on huge boulders made of stones. The Shivling is installed two and a half to three feet below the ground. This temple is completely pagoda, where the idol of Shivling, Nandi and Shiva family is present.

The Shivling in the temple is about 2 to 3 feet inside the ground.

It would be better if tickets are free for devotees

Jagpal Nath Yogi told that due to National Park and World Heritage, no construction can be done here as per rules. Whatever is here, will remain the same. Had this temple been outside the National Park, a grand temple would have been built by now. Nevertheless, I demand from the Forest Department that it would be better if the fees are not taken from the devotees.

On the question of taking tickets for those who visit the Shiv Temple….. Assistant Conservator of Forests Jatan Singh said that there are rules of the Supreme Court that whoever comes to visit the National Park will have to pay the entry fee. If you do not take a ticket to enter the forest, then you will come under the category of illegal entry.

Robbery of e-rickshaws for those visiting the temple

Those who do not want to come on foot or cycle to reach Keoladeo Shiv Temple, can take the help of e-rickshaws. But here the e-rickshaw charges Rs 1200 for a person’s travel. It is not easy for the devotees to pay this rent. The journey to reach the temple is up to 14 kilometers, so the fare is very high.

In this matter, the Forest Department says that earlier pedal rickshaws were used to tour the entire forest, which used to charge Rs 1,200 per person. Now e-rickshaws have come here, but the fare is the same. Sources said that the Forest Department has sent the file for fixing the rate to the head office, after that the fixed fare will be implemented, which will not be heavy on the pockets of the people.

Maharaj’s hunting ground, the British killed 4,273 foreign birds in one day

In this temple, from Maharaja Surajmal to Bharatpur’s former royal family members, Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh also comes here to worship. Keoladeo National Park has previously been the hunting ground of kings and emperors. A lot of hunting was done here even during the British rule. After the construction of the temple, whenever Surajmal went hunting and returned, he used to proceed only after worshiping this temple.

Assistant Conservator of Forests in charge of Keoladeo National Park Jatan Singh told that the British made this forest their hunting ground. So much destruction was done that foreign birds started being killed everyday. The British used to play hunting fiercely for entertainment. Lord Curzon’s visit in the year 1902 is recorded in the pages of history. He started duck shooting. By the year 1964, it had become a very attractive place for duck shooting. At that time, high status Britishers, kings and emperors used to come and do duck shooting.

There was a nest of 372 types of birds here.

He told that 372 types of birds live in the forest from the beginning. In those days, duck shooting in this jungle was a charming point. At that time hunters used to have heavy guns. Instead of bullets, there were such explosives, which came out of the gun in the form of shrapnel with the help of gunpowder. The hunters used to target large groups of birds. Because of this, more and more birds used to die in hunting.

Keoladev is called the heaven of birds.

In the case of hunting, between the years 1902 to 1964, the record of hunting the highest number of birds in a day was also made in a year. In the year 1938, the highest record of one day is the death of 4,273 foreign birds. This hunt was done by Lord Linlithgow, who was the Governor General of India at that time.

He told that after this this forest was declared a protected area in 1956 and in the year 1972 the Wildlife Act was enacted, after that it all stopped. It was declared a World Heritage Site in the year 1985. Now more than 1.25 lakh domestic and foreign tourists come here in a year to see birds and other animals.