Kaleshwar
Encyclopedia
Shri Kaleshwar Mandir is a large Hindu temple
in Nerur
, Sindhudurg district
, Maharashtra
. It is dedicated to the village deity, Shri Kaleshwar, who is also called Kaloba. The temple dates back 700 to 800 years, when, according to legend, a brahmin
dug into the ground and discovered a natural lingam
, an emblem of Shiva
. The temple was founded on that spot, and the lingam is now enshrined in the temple's sanctum sanctorum
.
The most important festival at Shri Kaleshwar Mandir is the five-day Maha Shivaratri Utsav, in which the idol of Kaleshwar is drawn out of the temple in its chariot. The festival is accompanied by a fair and attracts visitors from great distances. Other festivals include Maghi Ganesh Utsav, celebrated in the month of Magh
, and Navratri Utsav.
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
in Nerur
Nerur
Nerur is a town of Kudal Taluka of Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra in India. It is one of the smaller towns in the district having 32 wadis.The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation has taken up the development of industrial areas. The Malvani dialect of Konkani is spoken here. There...
, Sindhudurg district
Sindhudurg district
Sindhudurg is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India, which was carved out of the erstwhile Ratnagiri District. The district headquarters are located at Oros . The district occupies an area of 5207 km² and has a population of 868,825 of which 9.47% were urban...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. It is dedicated to the village deity, Shri Kaleshwar, who is also called Kaloba. The temple dates back 700 to 800 years, when, according to legend, a brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
dug into the ground and discovered a natural lingam
Lingam
The Lingam is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples....
, an emblem of Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. The temple was founded on that spot, and the lingam is now enshrined in the temple's sanctum sanctorum
Sanctum sanctorum
The Latin phrase sanctum sanctorum is a Latin translation of the biblical term: "Holy of Holies" which generally refers in Latin texts to the Holiest place of the Tabernacle of Ancient Israel and later the Temples in Jerusalem, but also has some derivative use in application to imitations of the...
.
The most important festival at Shri Kaleshwar Mandir is the five-day Maha Shivaratri Utsav, in which the idol of Kaleshwar is drawn out of the temple in its chariot. The festival is accompanied by a fair and attracts visitors from great distances. Other festivals include Maghi Ganesh Utsav, celebrated in the month of Magh
Maagha
Maagha is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Maagh is the eleventh month of the year, beginning in January and ending in February....
, and Navratri Utsav.