Madhureshwar/Nageshwar Nath Mandir Ayodhya

Nageshwar Nath Mandir-Ayodhya

Nageshwarnath Temple is dedicated to God Shiva who was also known as Nageshwar Nath or Lord of Snakes located at Ram Ki Paidi in Ayodhya. Lord Shiva is also the presiding god of this temple. The temple houses one of the twelve Jyotirlingams in its sanctum sanctorum.

King Chandragupta Vikramaditya restored this temple during the Gupta period. People from across the nation visit this sacred place dedicated to Baba Nageshwaranath, seeking divine blessings.

Architecture

The Nageshwar Nath Temple is divided into five sections, each representing a different part of the human body. The main gate (Mahadwar) represents the feet, the entrance porch between Lord Hanuman and Lord Ganesh represents the hands, the prayer hall represents the abdomen and chest, Antarala is the worship area for Lord Shiva’s chariot (Nandi), and the garbhagriha houses the primary deity, the Shiva Linga, which represents the head.

History

According to legend, Kush, Lord Rama’s son, built the Nageshwar Nath Mandir temple. While taking a bath in the Saryu River, Kush lost his amulet. He searched for it, but all his efforts were in vain. He believed that a bad omen had befallen him, which was why he could not find the armlet. He became depressed. But he had no idea the armlet had been picked by a Nag Kanya who loved him. Nag Kanya gained Kusha’s respect by giving him the armlet back. As a result of Nag Kanya’s sincere devotion to Shiva, King Kusha built the Nageshwarnath Temple in Ayodhya. The Nageshwarnath Temple is believed to have remained intact during the reign of Chandragupta Vikramaditya, despite the rest of the city being reduced to ruins. However, it was later rebuilt in 1750 by Naval Rai, who worked for Safdar Jang.

Rendering Rudrabhisek here is very fruitful. The old Shivlingam got worn-out so it is covered now with a new one. On every Trayodashi of Krishna Paksha (13th day of new moon), thousands of people come here from nearby places for abhishek. Most of the temples are open over night that day to provide the pilgrim’s a convenient stay.
The festival of Shivratri is celebrated here in a big way, and Shiv Barat procession is taken out during these celebrations which is particularly significant. During the festival time of Mahashivratri the temple receive thousands of devotees.