MeraPahad Community Of Uttarakhand Lovers

SOME INTERESTING MYTHS:

 THE LORD THAT SPEAKS :
  Tarakeshwar is believed to come in dreams and tell people what they should do. This is interesting because a close watch reveals that the mouth of the deity is open.



 THE SAINT WHO WARNED :[/u][/b]
 There are folk tales about an old saint who lived in the forests of Tarakeshwar and who would come in the dreams of the villagers to warn them of impeding problems. When there was an epidemic which was spreading in various parts of the country the saint warned the people and protected them. The saint would also come in the dreams of people and prevent them from doing wrong deeds. A farmer who used to excessively beat his bulls for ploughing fields was warned not to treat his bull that way. By agreeing to the warning he found that his bulls started ploughing more efficiently.

 RESTRICTION ON ASWALS, MUSTARD OIL AND KANDAR LEAVES :[/u][/b]
 People of the Aswal community do not visit the temple. It is said that in the ancient times the old saint lived in the forest of Tarakeshwar would not allow people to do wrong things. He would come in their dreams and tell them not to plan anything which was wrong. Once, a person from the Aswal Rajput community was planning to do some wrong deed. The saint came in his dream and warned him not to do it. The man got very disturbed on being prevented to do what he had planned and after day break in a fit of anger he went to Tarakeshwar and dared the saint to come in front of him and then say what he had to. On seeing the old saint coming from the forest the man decided to beat him. However, the old saint had a vice like grip and he caught the man by his arm. The man had come prepared to fight and had applied mustard oil on his body because of which he managed to slip from the grip of the old saint and ran away. The saint ran after him but slipped on the leave of a ‘kandar’ tree (also called saal by the locals). Since that day he cursed that no ‘Aswal’ would be allowed to come to Tarakeshwar and if any ‘Aswal’ would dare come he would face dire consequences.

Another story that is told by the old people is that once a Aswal Rajput was going to leave a woman from his village at the house of her in-laws. They rested in Tarakeshwar and ate some food cooked in mustard oil which was wrapped in kandar (sal) leaves. When the old saint of Tarakeshwar came his foot slipped on the sal leaf which had mustard oil on it. He ordered that no Aswal should  come to Tarakeshwar, nor should mustard oil be used nor should sal leaves be brought to Tarakeshwar. Since then the people of the Aswal community do not come to Tarakeshwar. The saint also ordered that people who come to Tarakeshwar should not apply mustard oil on their body or bring anything wrapped in kandar leaves. Since then worshippers who come to Tarakeshwar do not apply mustard oil on their bodies or bring anything wrapped in kandar leaves. 

 
ASSOCIATION WITH JHAL MAHADEV :[/u][/b]
 Locals also believe that the milk and water offered in Tarakeshwar goes through underground capillaries to the Jhal Mahadev which is about 25 km. away. At Jhalaksain there is a pond near the Jhal Mahadev temple where it is said that the milk and water used to surface. Here too a fair is held every year. In the past few decades the Nayaar River which flows near Jhal Mahadev has changed its course. Since then the phenomenon of the milk and water is not seen in the pond of Jhal Mahadev. Folklore Jhal Mahadev is the gateway to Shiva’s abode.

According to 

 
OFFERING OF BELLS :[/u][/b]
Bells are offered at the Tarakeshwar Mahadev Temple. The devotees especially those who stay away on fulfilment of a prayer or after pious occasions like marriages or the birth of a child come to Tarakeshwar and offer a bell at the temple. These bells are stored in the temple premises and when their number becomes sizeable they are hung  outside on the pathways to the temple.

Courtesy - http://tarakeshwar.himalayanchipkofoundation.com

Tarkeshwar Mahadev - Photo by Sunita Lakhera Sharma

TADKESHWAR     MAHADEV   TEMPLE



TADKESHWAR  temple is dedicated to LORD SHIVA ,is situated in a cup shaped valley surrounded by Deodar trees .Located at the height of 1800m is a place of salvation.It is about 12 kms distant from lansdowne . It is about 600 years old sacred shrine refered as Shiva shidh peeth .It is surrounded with beautiful forest of blue pine deodar and oak .One of the ancient Shiva temple is perfect place for trekking ,bird watching and ideal location for nature lover ..Though the road to temple is barely fit for driving . The road is quite narrow and breathtaking and having landslides being constantly repaired still have to be very mentally alert to avert mishappenings. The road to Tadkeshwar is more or less deserted as there is no habitation along the way and neither can we find tea shops .

The environment is serene ,quite filled with vibrant energy. around one km walk to the shrine has narrow paved path . Before we arrive at the shrine ,its really hard to describe the adventure through deodar trees with absolute silence ,only with natural sounds filling  with sense of adventure and bit scary for wild animals .Once we reach the place there is single shop of  offerings like flower ,and pastile and sugar candy's and small  hospice . .Then way to the shrine has big and small bells adding charm and unique identity to the area .Another spectacular feature of this area is that the whole area is surrounded by Deodar trees but amazingly outskirts and whole lansdowne is deprived of them ,not having a single of them anywhere else amongst the pine trees.

The Tadkeshwar shrine is having its popularity for saint Swami Rama who is said to have attained enlightenment here . It is believed Swamiji and his diciples would come for worship and meditation .from the book source 'living with Himalayan masters " by Swami Rama Society ,various legends can be known .Large number of people visit the tiny  hamlet during Mahashivratri .Amazingly the wild animals are quite indifferent to human presence.

Tarkeshwar is famous for three marvellous things that makes our pilgrimage an immemorable one .Firstly amongst huge 1000 Deodars , only one in the shrine compound has Trishul formation .It is said that if we sit /stand under this tree chanting Mahadeva name and a branch falls on you as soon you stand under it ,your family is blessed..Second are the rows of bells starting from entrance give melodious rythm with the cool breeze .becomes a heavenly treat for the  tourist. Thirdly the underground capillaries from Tadkeshwar to jhalsain  about 25kms away where offered milk to Mahadeva by people reaches with same purity and taken home by as sacrament for those who are struck by evil spirits.

Various sagas are associated with the shrine .One goes with Swami Rama , who is still believed to be meditating as the Trishul deodar being himself and rest 999 deodars beings his diciples are still in deep meditation and shall continue .It is stated by the temple priest that the day when Trishul deodar shall shed its trishul shall be the moksha day for all sages and all the deodars will lose their divinity..after this all sorts of other vegetations shall upsurge the area .Second one is associated with Aswal family who are debarried from the temple ,after a curse . Aswals , mustard oil and kaudar or Sal leaves are considered bad omen for the temple as well for the family who has to bear incurable diseases pertaining to sudden death .Third one is that every night whosoever decides to stay in the temple shrine at around 12pm midnight to 3 a.m  the Gandharvaas  visit the shrine  and whole shrine is filled with orangic aroma with majestic affect ., with non stop zingling of bells . but the foriegners who are visiting the site as for their research and love to spend their nights narrate their experience that at this time wind blows very hard and all the bells of the shrine create very scarry  sounds as if they all are reciting some mantras together and the strange scent that envelops the whole area is just rejuvenating and immemorable One gets dumbstuck with vibrant energy that flows in your blood and soul. Fourthly , though  we are safe from wild animals but spending time around the shrine , one must try to avoid sitting on grass or stones as this is the home of leeches who are fond of blood and shall get stuck into your flesh ,which is very hard to be removed.

There is small inn where you can enjoy meditation and tranquility midst the zingling of small and big bells .On Shivratri huge fair is organised by army in lansdowne. Government must spend to develop the area with rest houses for tourist to enhance Pilgrimage sector .As per the local people  ,here people visit for adventure or research and only maintained by army and neighbouring villages. On the whole it is really an adventurous journey with its mystic affect that shall haunt you years together.

Access to the area is from Kotdwar . From delhi the track route is
DELHI -MERRUT -BIJNOR -NAZIBABAD - KOTDWAR - DUGGADA -LANSDOWNE - DENSE PINE FOREST - the TADKESHWAR MAHADEV
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Way to Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple.