Source : Garhwal Post,
http://www.garhwalpost.com/index.php?mod=article&cat=Uttarakhand&article=1516By Pramod Joshi
ALMORA, 8 July: Jageshwar is counted among the 12 jyotirlingas in the country situated amidst a beautiful forest of Deodars. The sacred tourist spot attracts lakhs of devotees and tourists because of its mythological importance and the cluster of temples situated, here, which has been preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India as they have historical significance because of the fine architecture.
The holy place, popularly known as Jageshwar Dham, is 38 kilometres from Almora and 1870 meters above sea level. The temple city is surrounded by deodar forests and houses many temples that include Mahamrityunjay, Pushtimata, Kedarnath, Navdurga, Surya, Kuber, etc. The Jageshwar mela, which is held in the month of Shrawan, which is going to be held from 14 July this year, attracts a number of tourists. The tourism department also grants money for the conduct of the fair.
The month long Shrawan mela is attended by devotees, who offer prayers to Shiva and, as it is organised by the administration, it is managed well.
The legend about the construction of the Jageshwar groups of temples is that they were build in a night by the Katyuri dynasty, for which an enormous number of soldiers worked the entire night. Another legend states that when Shiva went across the deodar forests carrying the mortal remains of Sati, his wife who burnt herself in the agnikund, then some parts of her body had also fallen in these forests, just as they fell in 11 other places. It came to be known as the 12th or Dwadashjyotirling. Since then, poojas and rituals have been performed to please Mahadeva.
