MahaShivRatri

Nestled in the valley surrounded by the majestic Sahyadri mountains is Khopoli, my hometown. In my childhood my father would take us to the centuries old Shiva temple and the nearby Gagangiri Maharaj ashram. The Patalganga river flowed by these sites and we kids would get to play in the waters under supervision. 

The Shiva temple in those days had an old world charm. The temple itself and its adjoining lake (तळं)were built out of solid stone. Unlike the paint on it in the present day the stone was black in its natural state. The lake would have water to the brim all year long. Inscription on the temple dates this back to 1758 when Nana Phadnavis the famed minister of the Maratha Empire under the Peshwas commissioned its construction. For years there have been rumors, so far unsubstantiated, about a secret tunnel under the temple that was meant for the Peshwas and their men to escape or hide. Some even said that the tunnel led into the interiors of the Shaniwar wada in Pune! In the monsoons everywhere you turn to look is green and the surrounding mountains are adorned with waterfalls. A couple of waterfalls are at walking distance from the temple.

 Every year on Maha Shivratri day they have a big celebration at this temple. Bhajans and keertans are conducted for 24 hours from midnight to midnight.

For me this was a place to seek peace and inspiration since a very young age. The beautiful Nandi has its own pedestal and shrine and is just as inviting as the main shrine. We were taught to first pay respect to this Nandi with a pradakshina before entering to worship Shiva. After climbing the stone stairs we entered the temple main hall and our father would pick us up to ring the brass bell. There is a beautiful carved tortoise on the floor just below the bell and beyond that on either side are carved sculptures of Ganapati and Hanuman. Then another small stone entrance leads into the inner shrine which is at a lower level housing the Shiva linga. You have to descend a few steps to get near the linga. The sense of peace that automatically engulfs the mind once you are inside this room is hard to express in words. To a fair extent it returns even today when I meditate on it sitting here miles away. 

Today  I can understand the wisdom that was behind the architecture of this ancient monument.

The Nandi or Bull is the Mind and Ego. For a seeker of God Consciousness ( Brahman) the mind must be subdued and controlled and ego must be surrendered and left outside before reaching the goal. Once the mind is subdued you can proceed forward but the walk is slow like the tortoise. Just like the tortoise retracts it’s limbs and head into its shell, a seeker must withdraw his sense organs within himself. One must tread on the path with determination and faith seeking the blessings of Ganesh for the necessary knowledge and protection of Hanuman to avoid distractions before entering the inner sanctum. Once you cross this middle chamber and descend into the inner chamber you have left everything outside. You essentially become one with the Shiva of the inner sanctum. 

The teachings of the Upanishads were so beautifully incorporated in our ancient architecture. Today from miles away I could worship Shiva on this holy occasion of MahaShivratri and feel at home and connected  with my roots 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Saree is a khadi cotton from Udupi in Karnataka. Paired with a jamdani blouse.