Kailaasarana Shiva Chandramouli Phaneendra Maathaa Mukutee Zalaalee Kaarunya Sindhu Bhava Dukha Haaree Thujaveena Shambho Maja Kona Taaree
(Oh, Lord Shiva, who is seated on Mount Kailas, whose forehead is decorated with the moon and the king of serpents as a crown, who is the Ocean of Mercy and the remover of delusion, you alone can protect me. I surrender to thee.)
Jageshwar temple town, a site known for its twelve jyotirlings, is a Hindu pilgrimage town situated at a distance of 37 kms from famous Kumaon hill station of Almora. At the height of 1870 mts above sea level, the existence of Jageshwar temple cluster (comprising of 124 stone temples) dates back from 9th to 13th century AD. The temples are particularly dedicated to god Shiva, along with god Vishnu, goddess Shakti and Surya devta of the Hindu belief system.
The legend is that King Vashrat, the father of Parvati-Shiva’s wife, organized a hawan in which he invited all but his son-in- law, Shiva. Parvati retorts in anger and inquires about the insult. King Vashrat replies that the one "who lives in jungle is not worthy enough to be invited". Parvati unable to bear the offense caused to her husband offers herself to the Hawan-Kund and thereby kills herself in front of the gathering.
Lord Shiva, morose and devastated after losing his wife, wanders off from place-to-place and withdraws himself from his ‘worldly’ responsibilities. He reaches Jageshwar, where the women of Rishi Sapt-Rakeshwar witnesses him in his naked form in the jungle and get scared. When Rishi comes to know about this indecent encounter among his female followers and Lord Shiva, he gets angry and makes Lord Shiva to be distributed in varied lings as a punishment. As consequence, the cluster of stone-lingas becomes the origin of the temple cluster comprising the famous ‘Mrityunjaya Temple’ and ‘Dandeshwar temple’.
The site is major religious attraction due to its importance laid down in the Hindu texts dating back to 10th century as a tirtha dhaam or the pilgrimage site. Besides the religious sanctity, Jageshwar temple town is also known for its immensely intricate architecture which is illustrated in Dandeshwar Temple, Chandi-ka-temple,Jageshwar Temple,Kuber Temple, Mrityunjaya temple,Nau Durga Temple, a pyramidal shrine and Surya temple. The ‘Ekmukhalinga’, which is one of the rarest in North India can also be seen here. The carved doorways, tall curvilinear spire shikhara, ashtadhatu or eight metal alloy images add to the beauty of the stone lingam temples. The site is protected and maintained by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
