North India · Uttarakhand
Jageshwar, Uttarakhand
Sources: open-meteo, wikimedia
Before you go
An ancient Shaiva temple cluster near Almora, regarded locally as a Jyotirlinga; the Shravan mela is the peak.
About Jageshwar
- Hills
- Forest
Where it is
Jageshwar is a temple village in Almora district of Uttarakhand, in the Kumaon hills about 36 km north-east of Almora, set in a narrow valley of deodar forest along the Jataganga stream at nearly 1,900 m.
History
More than a hundred stone temples, most of them dedicated to Shiva, were built in the valley between roughly the 7th and 14th centuries, with later additions, and ascetics of the Pashupata tradition are thought to have been early patrons. Many devotees regard the main temple as the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, a title also claimed by temples in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
People
The villages around Jageshwar speak Kumaoni and Hindi and farm terraced fields in the forested hills, and priests from local families serve the temples. The Shravan festival and Mahashivratri bring pilgrims from across Kumaon, and nearby Almora is known for its bal mithai.
Known for
- The Jageshwar temple complex in a deodar grove
- Dandeshwar Temple
- Vriddha Jageshwar
- The ASI archaeological museum
- The Shravan mela
Did you know?
The Archaeological Survey of India protects about 150 temples in the Jageshwar valley, grouped mainly around the Jageshwar and Dandeshwar shrines.
Shrines and sites
- Jageshwar temple complex
- Dandeshwar Temple
- Vriddha Jageshwar
- Archaeological museum
Traditions
- Hindu
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