Features of Nageshwar Jyotirlingam

Male devotees can enter the sanctum sanctorum wearing only dhoti, that too only when they have to perform abhishekam.

The abhishek is performed only with the water of the Ganges.

The Puranas narrate this story in connection with this Jyotirlinga.

Supriya was a great devotee and virtuous Vaishya. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. He was constantly engaged in their worship, adoration and meditation. He dedicated all his works to Lord Shiva. He was completely engrossed in thought, word and deed. A demon named Daruka was very angry with his devotion to Shiva.

He did not like this worship of Lord Shiva in any way. He constantly tried to disrupt the worship of that beloved. Once Supriya was going somewhere on a boat. The evil demon Daruk, seeing this opportune moment, attacked the boat. He captured all the passengers in the boat, took them to his capital and imprisoned them. Even in jail, Supriya started worshipping Lord Shiva as per her daily routine.

He also began to inspire other captive travellers to the devotion of Shiva. When Daruk heard the news about Supriya from his servants, he came to the prison in a rage. At that time Supriya was sitting with both eyes closed while meditating at the feet of Lord Shiva. When the demon saw this posture of his, he scolded him in a very fierce voice and said, ‘O wicked Vaisya! What mischief and conspiracy are you thinking of at this moment with your eyes closed? “Even after he said this, the samadhi of Dharmatma Shivbhakt Supriya was not broken. Now the demon became very mad with anger. He immediately ordered his retainers to kill Supriya and all the other prisoners. Supriya was not at all disturbed or frightened by his order.

He prayed to Lord Shiva for the release of him and the other prisoners. He had full faith that my beloved Lord Shiva would surely deliver me from this calamity. Hearing his prayer Lord Shankar Ji immediately appeared in that prison in the form of Jyotirlinga sitting on a shining throne in a high place.

He thus gave Supriya darshan and also gave her his Pasupata-astra. With this weapon the demon killed Daruk and his assistant and went to Supriya Shivdham. According to the order of Lord Shiva, the name of this Jyotirlinga was Nageshwar.