By: Sharda Lal
It is believed that Jalabhishek and Rudrabhishek at the unique Eka-Mukhaling Shivji Temple at Mandaei Village (Mahalla Tehsil) in Doda District on Shivratri Day fulfill the prayers of devotees for their prosperity and peace of mind.
Swayambhu or Aap-Shambhu Temple of village Mandaei
Himalayas are the preferred abode of the Omnipresent, Omniscient and Omnipotent Bhagwan Shivji! Himalayas are also the most sought after and frequented destination of the devotees of Bhagwan Shiv. Its latest evidence has come to light from a very ancient temple in village Mandaei, about 20 kms from headquarters of District Doda. The temple is located close to the headquarters of tehsil Mahalla and is dedicated to a unique, superb and graceful Eka Mukhaling Shivji idol. The Mukhaling is about 2.5 ft. in height from the base, in black stone and could be one or two feet under the ground as well. Similar idols of Shivji's consort, Mother Goddess Parvati along with their divine sons Swami Kartik and Shri Ganesh adore the sanctum-sanctorum of the temple.
It is said that such Eka-Mukhaling Shivji idols are not found anywhere else in the Union Territory of J&K. To find these rare and beautifully carved idols in a remote mountainous village of Doda district, inaccessible by road till a couple of years back, is really amazing.
Graceful features of Eka-Mukhalinga Shivji at Mandaei village
The face of Eka-Mukhalinga Shivji at the temple appears in high relief. He wears his hair piled on his head like a bun, while longer hair flow over his shoulders. The Eka-Mukhalinga also wears earrings and a necklace and has the crescent moon on his head and the third eye on the forehead. The face of Shiv Ji is carved from the ear onwards, emerging from the linga.
The highest quality engravings on the Eka-Mukhaling appear similar to those of the magnificent idols of Vasuki Nag Temple at Vasuki Dera in Bhaderwah and Ashtadash Bhuja Mata Temple at Sarthal in Kishtwar district.
Iconological version
Inhabitants of the village call it Swayambhu or Aap-Shambhu Temple thereby implying that the idol has emerged from the ground at its own, but iconological version is that the Shivling and other accompanying idols are carved out and man-made.
History of Eka-Mukhaling Shivji Temple at Mandaei
The temple has remained hidden from media galore and general public since long, but for the last couple of years, it is catching an unprecedented attention and attracting innumerable pilgrims, particularly on the day of Maha Shivratri.
Aged residents of the area say, they have seen their parents and grandparents also paying obeisance before the Shiv-Mukhaling and other idols of gods and goddesses inside the temple, which obviously means that the idols are there for more than 150 years.
Legend however has it that the Pandavas of Mahabharat era had visited this place during Agyat-Vaas and the temple at Mandaei has existed since time immemorial.
In 1841 A.D., the principality of Bhaderwah had become a part of Jammu and Kashmir. When Maharaja Pratap Singh was crowned the King of Jammu and Kashmir, he gifted Bhaderwah to his younger brother Raja Amar Singh as ‘jagir'. Raja Amar Singh is believed to have recorded the temple land in the name of ‘Shivji Maharaj' in the year 1861 A.D. (Bikrami Calander 1917).
Presently, the daily pujan and other mandatory services are being performed at the temple by the family of Dev Dutt Sharma, son of Late Pt. Hari Krishan of Mahalla village with active support from other devotees. The local population has been organizing the Shivratri festival here with ever-growing enthusiasm and making every possible attempt within their means to make the visit of pilgrims comfortable and memorable.
Shiva Dal & Paanch Pandav
Beside the unique Eka-Mukhaling Shivji Temple at Mandaei is another village with the name Shiva. Unprecedented public attention and reverence is growing for this area also owing to the beautifully and meticulously engraved procession of the Holy Nandi Bull and others on large boulders along the River Chenab. These sculptures, and a small cave housing five Shiv Lings called Paanch Pandavas standing just atop a small lagoon (locally called Shiva Dal), on the right bank of Chenab under the newly constructed motorable bridge connecting Kishtwar – Batote Highway with tehsil Mahalla, are as much fascinating as amazing. It is a tribute to the workmanship of the sculptors who did it.
Brief about Mukhaling Shivji
The omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient God Siva for facilitating the individual souls to worship him has manifested Himself into different forms. Among them the formless form of Sivalinga is classified as “Nishkala”. The Shivalingas with the head of Shiva on their face are called as Mukhalinga and are classified as “Sakala nishkala” form.
Geographical Spread of Mukhalingas
Shiv-Mukhalingas are said to have been consecrated in the temples throughout India and Nepal. These are one to five faced and appear in the former Champa kingdom, presently in Vietnam as well as Cambodia and Borneo in the south east Asia and Afghanistan to the west of India. One of earliest specimen of a Mukhalinga is a five-faced one in Bhita, which is dated to second century BCE, but the Eka-Mukhaling Shivji of Mandaei village is perhaps the only one in J&K.
May Lord Shivji bless all the humanity on the auspicious occasion of Maha-Shivratri!
(Photo and inputs from
Dev Dutt Sharma & Seva Ram Parihar)
