Karkotkeshwar Mahadev (10/84) Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
Karkotkeshwar Mahadev Temple (Karkotkeshvar Mahadev Mandir) is in the courtyard of the famous Shri Harsiddhi Devi temple located in Mahakalvan. Almost all the devotees who visit Harsiddhi temple take advantage of the darshan by worshiping Shri Karkoteshwar Mahadev (Karkotkeshvar Mahadev Pujan Labh).
According to religious and mythological stories, once in ancient times, Kadru, the mother of snakes, cursed all her son snakes for breaking their promise that all her sons and the snakes born from them should be burnt to ashes in the yagya of the mighty Janamejaya.
Fearing the curse given by their mother, some snakes went to the Himalayan Mountains and some to the underworld to do penance, the snake named Kambal went to seek refuge in Lord Brahma and Shankhachud hid in the state of Manipur. A great serpent named Kaliya went to live in the river Yamuna, a great serpent Dhritrashtra went to the saints in Prayagraj, a serpent Elapatraka went to Brahmalok and the remaining serpents went to a place called Kurukshetra and started doing penance.
Elapatraka prayed to Lord Brahma and said, ‘O Lord Brahma, please tell me some solution by which we can be freed from the curse of our angry mother and the snake race can be saved. Then Brahmaji said that all of you should go to Mahakaal forest and please Mahamaya by worshiping the divine linga of Mahadev, the Lord of Gods, and doing penance to Mahamaya.
As soon as he came to know about all this, a great snake named Karkotak, of his own free will, sat in front of a very divine Shivling situated near Mahamaya and started praising Lord Shiva. Pleased with his praise, Mahadev said happily that he cannot break the curse of the mother because it is not in accordance with the provisions of the law, but he can definitely tell a path which will bring welfare to everyone and Lord Shiva said that whatever The snake will behave properly and will not be destroyed by my blessings. Other snakes and gods named this Linga as Karkotkeshwar and then according to the trend it is known as Karkoteshwar.
According to the Puranas, just by seeing and remembering this divine Shivalinga, poison becomes ineffective and disease gets cured. According to the pundits, those who worship this divine linga remain free from the fear of snakes and their hundred generations also stay away from the fear of snakes. Rudrabhishek is done on this Shivling mainly on Sunday, Panchami or any Chaturdashi, that person does not suffer from the pain of snake birth.
