Credit: Harsh Tiwari
Overview of Jwaleshwar Temple
Jwaleshwar Temple is a famous temple that is situated on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. The renowned temple is dedicated to the Shivaling, which itself is believed to have been established by Lord Shiva himself. Considered a sacred place by locals, the temple is situated at the birthplace of the Johila River.
Maha Rudra Meru
We found a temple mentioned in the Puranas, where Sri Jwaleshwar temple is considered one of the two “Maha Rudra Meru” places in India, while the other is located in Varanasi. Lord Shiva and Paravati have spent time here due to the resplendence of the place. In another text, Vindhya Vaibhav, it is mentioned that Lord Shiva established a Shivling here.
The Legend of Banasura
There are many mythological stories attached to the Jwaleshwar temple. Once upon a time, Banasur was doing penance to obtain a boon for his city so that it would become divine and invincible. But once he got the boon his ego got the best of him and he started creating chaos. To safeguard the people, Lord Shiva attacked the Banasaur with a bow in his hand named Pinaka and an arrow named Aghor. In response, Banasaur started praising Mahadev by holding his revered Shivling on his head. Pleased by the praise, Shiva’s arrow turned Banasaura into three sections and fell into the water of the Narmada. From there, a shrine named Jwaleshwar appeared, and the Shivalinga was called Banalinga.
Birthplace of Johila River
Jwaleshwar Temple is the origin of the Johila River. It is believed that offering water to the temple is equivalent to offering Gangotri water to Rameshwar. There are many other rivers that originate in the area, like the Narmada and the Amarkantak.
Importance to locals
The temple is of immense importance to locals, who believe that all their wishes will be fulfilled by offering Narmada waters to Jwaleshwar Mahadev. During the month of Sawan, a huge crowd of devotees gathers to offer Narmada water. People from far and wide come with their wishes and get blessings from Mahadev.
The temple is very important to the locals. People come from all over the region to fulfill their wishes by offering the Naramda River to the Jwaleshwar temple. In the month of Savan, a huge crowd offers the Narmada River to get the blessing of Mahadeva.
How to reach Jwaleshwar Temple
By car: To reach Sri Jwaleshwar Temple by car, one can take the National Highway 30 which connects Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh to Raipur in Chhattisgarh. The temple is located about 10 km from the town of Kotma, which is also accessible by road.
By Train: For those traveling by train, the nearest railway station is Anuppur Junction, which is located about 28 km away from the temple. Anuppur Junction is well-connected to major cities in India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai.
By air: The nearest airport to Sri Jwaleshwar Temple is Jabalpur Airport, which is located about 189 km away. From the airport, one can hire a taxi or take a bus to reach the temple. Another option is to fly to the Raipur Airport, which is located about 270 km away, and then take a taxi or bus to reach the temple.