There are a number of wonderful temples of Lord Shiva in India. However, one of the most ancient and beautiful is found in Kullu of Himachal Pradesh. Situated on high mountain near the confluence of Beas and Parvati river in Kullu city, the history of the temple is related to Lord Mahadev.
It is believed that a demon, named Kulanta, used to live in the Kullu valley. He took the form of an enormous snake and reached Mathan village of Lahaul-Spiti. Driven by evil intentions, Kulanta wanted to flood the whole village. Therefore, the demon snake stationed himself in a way that he obstructed the flow of the Beas river.
Lord Shiva took note of this, and immediately set out to deal with him. After engaging in a fierce battle with Kulanta, Shiva slayed the demon. After the snake’s death, his entire body turned into a huge mountain. Perhaps, that is why the valley came to be known as Kullu after Kulanta’s death.
Another legend has it that this site is related to the puranic incident that involved Lord Shiva killing the invincible demon Jalandhar. This temple is unique because the ‘Shiva-Lingam’ in the temple is occasionally struck by lightning and it shatters into pieces. The acting priest then uses butter as an adhesive to put the lingam together.
The temple is named after this natural phenomena, where”Bijli” refers to lightning and “Mahadev” is one of the names for lord Shiva.
A panoramic view of Kullu and Paravati valleys can be seen from the temple. The 60 feet high staff of Bijli Mahadev temple glistens like a silver needle in the sun. In this temple of lightning, it is said that the tall staff attracts the divine blessings in the form of lightning.
Pathway leading up to the temple offers drop-dead landscapes. A huge trident marking a Lord Shiva temple on one side is seen while a grazing horse and some cattle on the other. The path is saddled with the oh-so-common selfie-clicking fixtures.
Thousands of devotees visit the temple every day for blessings.
Agencies
