Virupaksha Mahadev Mandir Bilpank Story

There is a Shiva temple in Bilpank village of Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh which is called Bhool Bhulaiya wala Shiva temple. Yes, its name is Virupaksha Mahadev Temple. This temple was established before the Middle Ages, it was built by the Parmar kings and named after the fifth Rudra incarnation of the eleven Rudra incarnations of Lord Bhole Nath, this temple was named Virupaksha Mahadev Temple. Four pavilions have also been built in the four corners of this temple in which the idols of Lord Ganesha, Mother Parvati and Lord Surya have been installed.

This temple is also called the Shiva temple with maze because it is not possible for anyone to count the pillars in this temple correctly in one go. The carvings done on all the 64 pillars of this temple are worth seeing. Inside this ancient Virupaksha Mahadev temple, there is a mandap of 34 pillars and at all the four corners, the number of pillars becomes 14-14 while 8 pillars are inside the sanctum sanctorum. In such a situation, it is difficult to count these pillars correctly at one go. Due to which people also call this temple Shiva Temple with Bhool Bhulaiya.

Every year a fair is organized here on the occasion of Mahashivratri and devotees come here from far and wide to have the darshan of Lord Virupaksha. It is believed that no devotee leaves the door of Baba Bhole Nath empty handed. The special thing is that the kheer prasad distributed after the havan organized in this temple, also fills the empty laps of the mothers, for which a large number of women come from far and wide to have darshan of Virupaksha Mahadev. This Mahayagya is being organized here every year for the last 64 years in which people come from every corner of the state and country for the Prasad of Kheer. Here children are also weighed with sweets on their birth anniversary.

The administration has also declared the Virupaksha temple of Sameer Bilpank of Ratlam as protected. From the point of view of architecture, there is a lot of similarity between Oon and the Shiva temple of Udayeshwar. Here, in the 5.20 square meter sanctum sanctorum, a 4.14 meter circumference water tank covered with a brass sheet and a 90 cm high Shivalinga is installed. In the 64 pillared auditorium, one pillar is also from the Maurya period. Maharudra Yagya is performed here on every Shivratri for 75 years in which a large number of childless couples come from far and wide to receive the Kheer Prasad.

The temple has 64 pillars, sanctum sanctorum, assembly hall and four subsidiary temples. There are dancing nymphs with musical instruments in the assembly hall. Subsidiary temples are also present around the main temple. In the north of the former assistant temple, the meditating idol of Hanumanji, in the east-south, Jaladhari and Shiva Pind, in the north-west, Lord Vishnu is seated on Garuda. There is a statue of Lord Ganesha with right trunk in the west. Lakhs of people come to the temple on Shivratri to have darshan of Mahadev.