Koteshwar, Kutch
Encyclopedia
Koteshwar is name of an ancient Shiva
temple located at the western tip of India in Lakhpat
taluka, Kutch District of Gujarat.
The story of Koteshwar begins with Ravana
, who won it as a boon from Lord Shiva
for an outstanding display of piety, this Shiva linga of great spiritual power. But which Ravana, in his arrogant haste, accidentally dropped and it fell to earth at Koteshwar. To punish Ravana for his carelessness, the linga turned into a thousand identical ones, some versions of the story say ten thousand, some a million. Unable to distinguish the original, Ravana grabbed one and departed, leaving the original one here, around which Koteshwar Temple was built. The temple is also known as Kotilingeshwar Temple.
Another version of story says, when Lord Shiva was delighted with the worship and forfeit of Ravana, he gave him a Ling-full of religious power. Lest Ravana should become endless as a result of this advantage, all the Gods united together and conspired to gain the Ling from Ravana through dishonesty and installed it as Kotilengeshwar.
The temple is situated on a high plinth overlooking the sea. Koteshwar Temple is the last outpost of human construction at the westernmost limit of India, is the breaking point of the skyline from the flat brown horizon to the east and the wide blue horizon to the west. From this point, the glow of light from Karachi
, Pakistan
can be seen in a clear night. It is an excellent sunset point. Koteshwar is a tourist-place that is situated in the Kori Creek
of the Arabian Sea on the western end of Kutch just opposite to Karachi-Pakistan.
It is located 215 km away from Bhuj
, District head quarter of Kutch and only 4 km from Narayan Sarovar
, another ancient Hindu
pilgrimage site.
Hiuen-Tsiang mentioned it as “Kie-tsi-fa-lo, situated on the western border of the country close to the river Indus and to the great ocean of Kutch. According to Hieu-en-Tsiang, Koteshwar port was five miles in boundary near the mouth of the river Indus. There were 80 monasteries with about 5000 monks in them. In the middle of the completion were thirteen temples of which Mahesh Mandir was full of good monument.
The temples have been rehabilitated and renovated over many centuries
by various rulers of Kutch, renovation done by local Kutchi karigargs.
Koteshwar at present shows us a few signs of its former greatness. It stands as amazing on the sea-shore, rising courageously from the sea that washes its western parts and temples are enclosed by prepared walls, the gate approached by three flights of steps. Koteshwar, as such, once was an ancient port and now is a fishing village more famous for the Koteshwar Shiva Temple, which stands here.
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...
temple located at the western tip of India in Lakhpat
Lakhpat
Lakhpat fort town is a small town in Kachchh district of Gujarat, India within the fort walls of the 18th-century Lakhpat fort. The literal meaning of Lakhpat is the city of millionaire, however today it is sparsely populated Ghost town, a city of ruins of buildings and a magnificent fort...
taluka, Kutch District of Gujarat.
The story of Koteshwar begins with Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
, who won it as a boon from Lord 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...
for an outstanding display of piety, this Shiva linga of great spiritual power. But which Ravana, in his arrogant haste, accidentally dropped and it fell to earth at Koteshwar. To punish Ravana for his carelessness, the linga turned into a thousand identical ones, some versions of the story say ten thousand, some a million. Unable to distinguish the original, Ravana grabbed one and departed, leaving the original one here, around which Koteshwar Temple was built. The temple is also known as Kotilingeshwar Temple.
Another version of story says, when Lord Shiva was delighted with the worship and forfeit of Ravana, he gave him a Ling-full of religious power. Lest Ravana should become endless as a result of this advantage, all the Gods united together and conspired to gain the Ling from Ravana through dishonesty and installed it as Kotilengeshwar.
The temple is situated on a high plinth overlooking the sea. Koteshwar Temple is the last outpost of human construction at the westernmost limit of India, is the breaking point of the skyline from the flat brown horizon to the east and the wide blue horizon to the west. From this point, the glow of light from Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
can be seen in a clear night. It is an excellent sunset point. Koteshwar is a tourist-place that is situated in the Kori Creek
Kori Creek
The Kori Creek is a creek in the Rann of Kachchh region of the Indian state of Gujarat and the Pakistani province of Sindh. It lies in the Kutch marshland.-Disputes:...
of the Arabian Sea on the western end of Kutch just opposite to Karachi-Pakistan.
It is located 215 km away from Bhuj
Bhuj
Bhuj is a city and a municipality in Kachchh district in the state of Gujarat, India.-History:It was established by Rao Hamirji in 1510 and was made the state capital by Rao Khengarji I in 1549. Its foundation stone as state capital laid formally on Vikram Samvat 1604 Maagha 5th...
, District head quarter of Kutch and only 4 km from Narayan Sarovar
Narayan Sarovar
Narayan Sarovar is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus. It is located in Lakhpat taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat in India at a distance of about 210 km from Bhuj and ancient Koteshwar temple lies only 4 km away from here...
, another ancient Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
pilgrimage site.
Hiuen-Tsiang mentioned it as “Kie-tsi-fa-lo, situated on the western border of the country close to the river Indus and to the great ocean of Kutch. According to Hieu-en-Tsiang, Koteshwar port was five miles in boundary near the mouth of the river Indus. There were 80 monasteries with about 5000 monks in them. In the middle of the completion were thirteen temples of which Mahesh Mandir was full of good monument.
The temples have been rehabilitated and renovated over many centuries
by various rulers of Kutch, renovation done by local Kutchi karigargs.
Koteshwar at present shows us a few signs of its former greatness. It stands as amazing on the sea-shore, rising courageously from the sea that washes its western parts and temples are enclosed by prepared walls, the gate approached by three flights of steps. Koteshwar, as such, once was an ancient port and now is a fishing village more famous for the Koteshwar Shiva Temple, which stands here.