Eklingji,
the city dotted with temples, is located about twelve miles to the North
of Udaipur in Rajasthan. 22 kms from Udaipur, The temple occupies an
area of about 2500 sq. feet and is about 65 feet in height. Eklingji is
a complex of 108 ancient temples, incised out of sandstone and marble.
The temple, built in AD 734, to propagate the blessings of Lord Shiva,
worshipped as the Ultimate Reality, the supreme power, and the wholesome
one - Parabhrama, is venerated by the Mewar household.
Eklingji
(Shiva) whose temple is located here, is said to be the guardian deity
of Mewar. This deity was regarded as the virtual ruler, by the Maharajas
of Mewar - who considered themselves to be regents (Dewans) under
Eklingji. Ekligji (Kailashpuri) is a town situated in a beautiful valley
and it attracts multitudes of visitors throughout the year.
This
temple is said to have been founded by Acharya Viswaroopa a contemporary
of Adi Sankaracharya and is linked with the Sharada Math at Dwaraka
founded again by Adi Sankaracharya.
The temple area is
fortified and a strong wall runs around it. The main entrance to the
temple on the Western side welcomes visitors into a big hall resting on
profusely carved pillars. In this hall, is a silver image of Nandi.
There are two more Nandis in the temple, one made of black stone and the
other of brass.
Other deities housed in the temple complex
include Parvati, Ganesh, Ganga, Kartikeya , Yamuna and Saraswathi. There
are also small temples dedicated to Ambamata, Kalka Mata and Ganesh in
the temple complex. There is another temple called Nathon Ka Mandir in
the temple complex with inscriptions dating back to the 10th century CE.
No worship is offered here.
There are two tanks situated on the
Northern side of the temple - Karz Kund and Tulsi Kund. Water from these
tanks is utilized for temple services. Temple services are performed in
a very elaborate manner in the Vedic and Tantric styles - everyday
beginninG at 4 in the morning. Shivratri is an important religious
event, when the image of the deity is decked with jewellery.
The
town of Eklingji is full of temples. There are about 70 temples in all.
Mention must be made of the Sas-Bahu marble temple, dating back to the
11th century. It is a fine specimen of ancient art with sculptural
details. The Adbhudji Jain temple is of black marble and it dates back
to the 15th century CE. Other temples in Kailashpuri include those of
Pataleshwar Mahadeo, Arbada Mata, Rathasan Devi, Vindhyavasini Devi.
