Aundha Nagnath Temple
Aundha Nagnath Temple is an ancient temple of Shiva located in the district of Hingoli, Maharashtra, India. It is also considered one of the Jyotirlinga.
The total temple campus is spread over an area of 60,000 sq. ft, the temple height is 60 ft, and covers an area of 7200 sq. ft. There are many other things to witness apart from its religious significance. The unbelievably beautiful carvings present in the temple are worth seeing. The architecture which the temple is presently made of is Hemadpanti architecture style. On the pious occasion of Vijayadashami and Maha Shivaratri, a large number of pilgrims come to visit this place.
History
Located at Aundha Nagnath in the Hingoli district of Maharashtra, India, this temple is said to be the eighth Jyotirlinga of the twelve Jyotirlinga present in India. It is also considered to be one of the important places of pilgrimage in India. The temple is reckoned to have been built by Seuna or Yadava Dynasty which dates back to the 13th century. It is also said that the very first temple belongs to the time of Mahabharata which was built by Yudhishthira who was the eldest of the Pandavas. He built the temple when all 5 Pandavas were sent into exile for 14 years from Hastinapur. Before Aurangzeb attacked this temple, it was said to be a seven-storied building.
Architecture
The temple is built using stones from the period of the Pandavas.
The Aundha Nagnath Temple structure is strong as it consists of stones from the Pandavas period. Therefore, the temple is nearly 3000 years old.
The Garbhagriha and Linga are in the basement level and devotees have to climb down to worship the main deity. The Linga faces the South and the Gomukha faces the East. The corridors of this temple are huge and are supported by eight pillars in an oval shape. The Garbhagriha consists of the Nagesh Lingamurthi inside.
One of the shrines inside the Aundha Nagnath Temple complex houses the Runomochan Teerth as is also famous as Saas Teerth and Bahu Teerth (Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law). Interestingly, the Saas Teerth has brackish water while the Bahu Teerth has sweet water. Once every 12 years during Kapila Shashti, the water from Kashi Ganga is offered here and the water of the Teerth would turn crystal clear.
