Bhadeshwar Nath Mandir Kakraee,Basti
Unique history of Baba Bhadeshwar Nath temple, the size of this Shivling is increasing even today
Baba Bhadeshwar Nath Temple, which contains many mythological stories in itself, is the identity of the entire Basti Mandal. There is a Shivalinga of Lord Bholenath in Bhadeshwar Nath village, at a distance of 6 kilometers from the district headquarters. Which contains in itself the history of an era. It is believed that this Shivalinga had spontaneously appeared with a divine light in the dense forest of Bhadeshwar Nath village. This is such a sacred Shivalinga situated in the middle of the Shiva-shaped river. Which is described in the second couplet of the 18th chapter of Shiv Purana, Kupavahani Shivdhanuva Akare, Ta Taate Base Bhadranath. Meaning, this Shivalinga is the only Shivalinga in the whole world which is situated in the middle of a river in the shape of Shiva’s bow. This Shivalinga has been worshiped by Lord Ram and even Lanka’s husband Ravana. Guru of Lord Ram whose residence was Basti district.
Guru Vashishtha used to come here regularly to perform puja. People also know this Shivalinga by the name of Jharkeshwar Baba.
Temple priest Jai Prakash Giri told that this Shivalinga was originated about 7000 years ago i.e. in Dwapar era. Earlier there used to be a port here. One day at night people saw a divine light here. Just out of curiosity, people started coming here to see and then started digging at that place. As soon as the digging was done, poisonous bees, snakes, scorpions etc. started coming out from here. The people who were digging started running away and died near Hattiyarwa drain located nearby.
Shivalinga shown to the king
The king of the village went to the forest to hunt. When he saw the Shivalinga, he started filling it with mud. As he poured soil into it, the Shivalinga kept rising up. Then in 1728, Basti Raja brought his ancestors from Prasadpur village to Bhadeshwarnath to worship here.
Bhadeshwar Nath is situated on the banks of Kuwano River, about 5-6 km from the district headquarters. There is a famous temple of Lord Shiva. It was believed that this temple was established by Ravana. A fair is organized here on the occasion of Shivratri, in which many people from different parts of the state participate. The great Shiva Linga has been installed in this temple. The name of this Shiva Linga and Bhadreshwar Nath is also written in Shiva Mahapuran.