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/Shri Eklingji Temple, Kailashpuri
State Temple
Shri Eklingji Temple, Kailashpuri
श्री एकलिंगजी मंदिर, कैलाशपुरी
Location
Kailashpuri (Eklingji), Rajasthan
Darshan
–
Deity
🪔Shri Eklingji (Lord Shiva as Chaturmukha-linga — four-faced linga)
Entry
Free entry
Eklingji is one of Rajasthan's most important Shiva temples and one of India's oldest continuously worshipped Shiva sites. The complex contains 108 small temples (an auspicious number in Hinduism) surrounding the main shrine. Historical features: 1. **Founded ~734 CE** by Bappa Rawal — among India's oldest continuously worshipped temple complexes 2. **Mewar kuldevta** — for over 1,400 years 3. **Pashupata-Lakulisha tradition** — foundational Shaivite lineage 4. **Chaturmukha-linga** — distinctive 4-faced linga iconography 5. **108 surrounding shrines** — the complete temple complex 6. **ASI-protected monument** — preserved as historical heritage The deity is dressed daily in seasonal clothing similar to Pushtimarg haveli traditions; this borrowing reflects the Mewar–Pushtimarg religious-political relationship.
History
**Bappa Rawal Foundation (~734 CE):** Bappa Rawal, founder of the Guhila/Sisodia dynasty of Mewar, established the temple after receiving Shiva's blessings through his guru, Sage Harit Rishi (also called Harit Rashi or Harit Risi). According to tradition, Harit Rishi gave Bappa his ashram and the deity, charging him with the custodianship of Mewar in Eklingji's name. **Subsequent Reconstructions:** The original 8th-century structure was damaged or destroyed in subsequent centuries. **Maharana Mokal (r.1421–1433)** reconstructed the temple in white marble, which is largely the structure that stands today. Subsequent additions and restorations through the Sisodia Maharanas (Kumbha, Pratap, Raj Singh I, etc.) created the 108-temple complex. **Mughal Era:** Despite Mughal pressure on Mewar, Eklingji was never significantly damaged. Maharana Pratap (r.1572–1597), legendary for his resistance to Akbar, regularly visited the temple. After Pratap's victory at Dewair in 1582, he came to Eklingji to give thanks. **Modern Era:** The temple is administered by the Eklingji Temple Trust, headed by the Maharana of Mewar (the current head is Maharaj Mahendra Singh Mewar of Udaipur). The ASI co-manages preservation. The Maharana continues to visit Eklingji on important Hindu festivals and family occasions.
Mythology
**Bappa Rawal and Harit Rishi:** According to Mewar tradition, the young Bappa Rawal (originally a cowherd boy) was tending cows when he encountered Harit Rishi, a great Shaivite sage. Recognising the boy's spiritual potential, Harit Rishi initiated him and granted him the kingdom of Mewar — but with the condition that Bappa and his descendants rule "in the name of Eklingji." This is the origin of the unique Mewar political theology. **Eklingji as Sovereign:** The Mewar Maharana ruled with a sword carrying the inscription "Sri Eklingji" — invoking the deity's presence. State documents bore the deity's seal alongside the Maharana's. The Maharana would visit the temple to receive blessings before any major military campaign or coronation. **The 4 Faces of the Linga:** - **East (Surya)**: The sun face; representing Shiva as the source of cosmic light and time - **West (Vishnu)**: The Vishnu face; representing Shiva-Vishnu unity - **North (Brahma)**: The Brahma face; representing Shiva as creator - **South (Rudra)**: The fierce Rudra face; representing Shiva as destroyer The central upward axis is Sadashiva — the eternal, transcendent Shiva.