Vishnu Mandir

Nagarjun, Suraikhet Road, Dwarahat Range, Uttarakhand

Vishnu Temple ‘Nagarjuna’ of Uttarakhand
Lord Vishnu is present here by the name ‘Nagarjuna’.
The story of eighteen Puranas is being narrated here continuously for 67 years.
Running from 18th August to 25th August 2019
Sermon on ‘Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran’
Information was received from Bholadatt Upreti ji of village Nagarjuna that like every year, in the historical Vishnu temple ‘Nagarjuna’ of Uttarakhand, the story of ‘Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran’ is being preached under the ‘Bhagwat Katha Week’ from 18th August, 2019, which will conclude with The Yagya will be completed on August 25, 2019 with a huge Bhandara. The Vyasacharya of this story week organized by ‘Shri Vishnu Temple Construction and Bhavat Katha Committee’, Village Nagarjuna is the famous storyteller of Chanoli village, Shri Ganeshdutt Shastri, Sahityacharya Visharad, who has been discharging the responsibility of Vyasacharya in the story weeks of Nagarjuna for the last many years. Bhagwatpuran happened, देHe has been narrating the stories of various Puranas like Vipuran, Shivpuran etc. Last year, the story of ‘Vaman Mahapuran’ was preached by him. It is noteworthy that for the last 67 years, the villagers of Nagarjuna have been organizing a religious ‘week’ regularly from the 2nd of the month of Bhadrapada every year. In which a story-discourse on any one of the eighteen Puranas is organized every year.
About 10-11 km from Dwarahat. This very beautiful and grand ancient Vishnu temple of Shri Nagarjuna Dev, situated at a distance of 1500 meters, is counted among the historical temples of Uttarakhand. Which is also called ‘Nagarjhan’ in Kumaoni language. From the point of view of mythological geography of Uttarakhand, this place is the origin of Surabhi river which flows towards the south and meets Nandini river in Vibhandeshwar area. It is believed that Lord Vishnu resides in this holy place by the name ‘Nagarjuna’. According to Skanda Purana, in ‘Manaskhand’, the position of Nagarjuna mountain has been mentioned on the left side of the western Ramganga ‘Rathvahini’ river, where in ancient times, a serpent named ‘Arjuna’ was worshipped, hence it is called ‘Nagarjuna’.
“Tatastu Rathavahinya Vame Nagarjuno Girih.
Yatra Chaivarjuno Naam Nagah Sampoojyate Dwijah.”
-Manaskhand, 27.12-13

According to popular legend, there was a dense forest here in ancient times. A cowherd used to come to this forest every day to graze his cows, but he had one such cow which used to express the milk of its udders on a rock situated in this forest and did not give milk at home, hence the cowherd was very sad with that cow. One day the cowherd followed the cow secretly. Like every day, when the cow spilled a stream of milk on the rock, the cowherd got angry. He hit the stone with an axe, which disintegrated the upper part of the stone.
Later, during the rule of Chandravanshi kings, when King Udyot Chand was marching towards the west to conquer, his camp was camped at a place called ‘Rajatau’ in this village. At night, the king was told in his dream, “O king, there is a statue of Vishnu temple here under a dense bush. You should build his temple here and make arrangements for worship. Your victory is certain.” In the morning the king narrated his dream to his ministers. On searching he saw a broken idol in the bush. The king resolved that if he was successful in his war campaign, he would definitely build a temple here. By providence, King Udyot Chand was victorious in his war campaign. To commemorate this victory, the king built a temple here and got it consecrated. The king appointed his priest Gangoli’s Upreti Brahmins for the worship rituals of Lord Vishnu here. In the Nagarjuna temple, King Udyotchand has got his royal decree written in copper plate, in which some nearby villages have also been donated to this temple and a provision has also been made to give a part of the money from these villages to the priests of this temple.

It is also described in ‘Vibhandeshwar Mahatmyam’ of ‘Manaskhand’ that Lord Shiva placed his head on the Himalayan peaks, his waist on Neel mountain, his right hand on Nagarjuna mountain, left hand on Bhuvaneshwar mountain and feet in Daruka forest. Have kept –

“Shikhareshu Mahabhagaah Sannidhay Shiransi Vai.
Katin Kritva Mahadev: Supunye Neelparvate.
Bhujan Nagarjune Dakshan Vamakam Bhuvaneshware.
Kritva Punye Mahabhagashcharanau Darukavane.”
– Manaskhand, 28.20-21

‘Nagarjuna’ also has a close connection with ‘Vibhandeshwar’ pilgrimage. At a place named ‘Nagarjuna’, ‘Devdhenu’ Surabhi left the form of a cow and started flowing in the form of a river and reached near Vibhandeshwar Mahadev –

“Tatraiva Surbhi Punya Maya Sampreshita Sut.
Saridropen Lokanaam Pavanartham Prayati Hi.
Nagarjunagireh Punyaad Vinisritya Saridvara.
Vibhandeshsthalam punyaam yayou papapranashini.

-Manaskhand, 29.18-19