Kanra (Lamgara) - My ancestral Home is famous for Unteshwar Mahadev Temple. 
Whensoever extraction of natural resources of Mother Earth reaches its peak, the difficulties of the people living in the earth have increased. This is the cycle since times immemorial. Unteshwar Mahadev Shiv Temple came into being when the mother Earth was excessively exploited. As per the ancient stories, the Gods and the demons had been trying to extract maximum Riddhi (Prosperity) and Siddhi (Perfection) from the Earth and a time reached when they extracted the Riddhi and Siddhi to the unbearable extent.
The Earth was exploited to such an extent that Mother Earth went to Lord Brahma for help, who asked her to accompany him to Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. The Earth told them about her problems. The three Gods tried to look to the problems of mother Earth. At that place a voice from the sky (akashvani) said that when the head of Brahmdev would fall on the Brahma Kapali, exactly at that time, Lord Mahadv would give His Darshan. Simultaneously Shivlings would also appear at different places and then only there would be solace to the mother Earth. As per popular belief when Lord Shiv appeared in Jhankar Hill, many Shivlings appeared at different places on the Earth. Unteshwar Mahadev is one of those Shivlings. This Shivling has appeared as the Tongue of Lord Shiva or as Shiv Jiwha.
There is a story about Kanra’s Shivling. During the period of Chand Kings, there were Ringal bushes spread over the outskirts of the entire village. The villagers used to prepare things of daily use from the Ringal plant. Once a villagers tried to sharpen his sickle on a stone. Suddenly there was a spate of blood which came out from the Stone. The villager ran away crying from their, but on the way he was killed by a Lion. Latter on people decided to establish the Shivling ceremoniously and they started worshipping the Shivling shaped stone. The Ling is seven feet above the surface, and the rest of the length is inside the land. Once the villagers tried to dig the place by the side of the Ling to find out its length, but they could not succeed. Near the Shiv Temple the idol of Panch Muykhi (Five faced) Ganesh is also there. Snakes are normally visible in the vicinity of the temple. Chand Kings constructed the Shiv Mandir and some temples of Sun and Durga.Thus Unteshwar Mahadev Temple is the oldest Temple of the area.
As per villagers, in 1990, there was a great famine and there was no rain fall for a long time. The villagers offered hundreds of Pitcher (earthern pot) water on the Shivling, the water submerged inside the Shiv Jiwha. In fact when so ever the water is offered on the Shiv ling, the water sinks inside the Shiv Jiwha, as it goes inside the tongue of Shivling and from there where actually the water goes is a mystery as on date. Due to the offering of water on the Shiv Ling, the Gods were pleased and there were incessant rains which fulfilled the needs of the people.
A popular fare is held every year on the Shiv Ratri, which has large participation of the people form the adjoining villages and far off places. Special Roat is offered to Lord Shiv and is distributed as Prasad to the devotees.
Kanra is connected by road. It is 40 Km. from Almora. To reach Kanra, my ancestral Home from Almora one has to go to Lamgara then to Chaykhan, from where there is a pucca road, named Chaykhan –Thuwasimal road. From Chaykhan you can go by Car or Bus. The distance of Kanra is about 2 and a half Kms. from Chaykhan, after which one has to go half a Km. on foot and you reach the Untreshwar Mahadev Temple. Kanra is famous for its Basmati Rice and Jhunghra. Please do not forget to bring some Basmati from there. (By:D.N.Barola)
