Kalpavriksha Temple
Kalpavriksha Temple -Bilara
Kalpavriksha Temple is at Bilara in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan.
This tree is also known as “Devtaru” and “Kalpataru”. According to legends, it was brought from heaven by Asur King Raja Bali before thousands of years. From that time, this holy tree is located in same position. It is said that the tree fulfills our wishes. Here, at Kalpvriksh Teerth, the main temple is of God Shiva.
The ‘Kalpavriksha’, in ancient Hindu mythology, is the ‘wish fulfilment’ tree, which held the power to grant every wish of man. Its branches bore every kind of fruit and flower one wished for, and the apple of the tree was believed to have the virtue of conferring eternal life upon him that tasted it.
When Indra – king of the Gods – lost his kingdom, he went to Lord Vishnu for help to regain it. Lord Vishnu advised him to churn the ocean to bring out amrita (ambrosia) so that Indra and the devas could partake the amrita which would make them immortal and help them regain their lost kingdom.
Fourteen treasures came out of the ocean during the churning, the most important being Kalpavriksha – the wish-fulfilling tree, Kamadhenu – the wish-fulfilling cow, and Dhanvantari – the physician, an incarnation of Vishnu, the enemy of disease, who brought with him Ayurveda, the science of healing.
Along with the kamadhenu, or ‘wish-giving cow’, the kalpavriksha originated during the Samudra manthan or “churning of the milk ocean”, and the King of the gods, Indra returned with it to his paradise. kalpavriksha can figuratively refer to a source of bounty because of its ability to amply provide for human needs.
This is tree with 8-9 feet wide stem and 5 leaves on each stalk. This tree looks full of green leaves only once in a year and that is in the month of Saawan (July-August). In the remaining 11 months of the year, tree become leafless. Another wonder about this tree is that you will find Deity naturally embossed on the sten and branches. In the month of Saawan (July-August), special worship is organized here by the people from various parts of Rajasthan.
