North India · Rajasthan
Eklingji, Rajasthan
Sources: wikimedia
Before you go
Family deity of the Mewar royal house; ~22 km from Udaipur, usually a half-day with Nagda.
About Eklingji
- Hills
Where it is
Eklingji is a temple complex in the village of Kailashpuri in Udaipur district of Rajasthan, in a narrow valley of the Aravalli hills a short way north of Udaipur.
History
Tradition credits Bappa Rawal, founder of the Mewar dynasty, with the first temple here in the 8th century. Damaged during the Delhi Sultanate's invasions, it was restored by Mewar rulers including Rana Kumbha in the 15th century, and Rana Raimal gave it its present form and four-faced image of Shiva late in that century.
People
Kailashpuri's people speak Mewari, and families of priests and flower sellers serve the temple, whose worship follows centuries-old rites. Eklingji remains the family deity of the Mewar royal house, and Mondays and Mahashivratri draw worshippers from across Udaipur.
Known for
- The Eklingji complex of 108 shrines
- The four-faced black-stone image of Shiva
- The Lakulisa temple
- The Sas-Bahu temples of nearby Nagda
Did you know?
The Maharanas of Mewar ruled as the diwan, or minister, of Eklingji, regarding the god as the true sovereign of their kingdom.
Shrines and sites
- Eklingji Temple complex
- Nagda's Sahastra Bahu temples
Traditions
- Hindu
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