During Mahashivatri, an auspicious day dedicated to Lord Shiva, the followers and devotees gather near the temple to pay homage to Lord Shiva. The temple can also be approached through a motorable road from Naggar via Jana waterfalls, however, this road is not much preferred by travelers.
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Bijli Mahadev Temple |
|
|
Also
called |
Bijleshwar Mahadev
Temple |
|
Affiliation |
Shaivism (Hinduism) |
|
Deity |
Shiva |
|
Location |
Kullu, HP,
India |
Etymology
The word Bijli means lightning, and te Bijleshwar means 'the god of lightning'. Mahadev is an epithet used for Lord Shiva which literally means 'the god of the gods'.
Legend
It is believed that the wooden pole is holy and attracts the blessing from Lord Shiva in form of lightning every 12 years or so. Lightning burns the wooden pole and due to the heat from the same, the butter-made shivlingam melts down. After such an event, the shivlingam is made again by the temple priest.
Geography & surrounding area
The top of the hill that hosts the shrine is a grassland-like meadow dominated by the continuous cover of grass and sunny days throughout the year, except for the winter months when the snowfall overlays the grounds. The best time to visit Bijli Mahadev Temple is in the summer months (March - June) as during winters the roads leading to the place become highly un-travelable. Along with a small lake-like water body, the hilltop also has small eatery shops where tourists and travelers can get refreshments.
Bijli Mahadev Trek
The 3 km long trek leading to the Bijli Mahadev temple is relatively very easy to cover by anyone. The first kilometer or so of the trek is a bit steeper and rough than the rest. Although, after that, the remaining trek is very comfortable with mesmerizing scenic views next to the trek.
References