Eklingji is the patron deity of the royal family of Udaipur.
Known as Kailashpuri, the abode of Lord Shiva, The Temple is said to have
been constructed in the year 728. The temple is given its grandness and
magnificence by a four faceted image of Lord Shiva, one of the Trimurties of
the Hindu Religion. Bappa Rawal, who is said to have received religious
lessons here from a saint called Harita Rishi, built the Eklinga Temple on
the shore of a small lake bounded by hills.
Respected
as the Guardian deity of Mewar, the deity was regarded as the virtual ruler
and saviour by the Maharajas of Mewar who considered themselves to be just
regents or Dewans under Eklinji. After the name of the deity there is the
town called Eklingji or Kailashpuri where the temple is situated and is
frequented by a large number of Visitors round the year.
Temple Architecture
The temple occupies an area of about 2500 sq feet and is about 65 feet in
height. The architecture resembles like the Jain temples of Gujarat. The
four face of lord Shiva represents Brahma facing west, Vishnu facing North,
Maheswar facing South and Surya facing the east. The top of the idol is
covered with a Yantra, a mystic symbol meaning the ultimate reality. Lord
Shiva is worshipped as a wholesome one as Parabrahma.
Believed to have been founded by Acharya Vishwaroopa, a contemporary of Adi
Sankara the temple is linked with Sharda Math at Dwarka. There is a silver
image of Nandi, the vehicle of Lord Shiva on the entrance door and two other
inside made of black stone and brass. The main entrance to the temple to the
western side welcomes the devotees into a big hall with profusely carved
pillars. Other deities to be found in the temple premise are the image of
Parvati, Ganesh, Ganga, Kartikeya , Yamuna and Saraswathi. In the temple
complex there are smaller temples dedicated to Ambamata and Kalka Mata.
There is also to be found the Nathon ka Mandir dating back to the 10th
century.
Accommodation
Excellent hotels are available in the Mewar region. Some of the Prominent
ones are the five star deluxe hotel Lake Palace with deluxe suites, the
Trident another Five star hotel, Shiv Nivas Palace hotel are all worth
living for a comfortable vacation with relaxed minds.
Nearby attractions
» Jagannath Temple - There is a Vishnu temple
located outside the city Palace of Udaipur. Built by the Maharaja Jagat
Singh-I in 1652, it has a black stone Deity of Lord Vishnu as Jagannath,
commonly called the Lord of the universe.
»
Chamukha Temple - Situated 96 kms away in Ranakpur, the temple interiors
are designed with intricate carvings and the temple dates back to around
15th century. Dedicated to Adinath of the Jain religion it has 29 halls with
144 pillars.
Reaching There
» By Air - The airport is located about 40 kms from
Eklinji at Udaipur and daily flights are available to Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai
and Goa.
» By Rail - The Garib Nawaz Express runs from Delhi
via Jaipur and Ajmer from Udaipur city. The overnight Chetak express takes
20 hours to reach Delhi, the capital of Delhi from Udaipur. Eklingji being
only 12 kms far from Udaipur is well connected to other places via Udaipur.
» By Road - Express buses run from Udaipur to Ajmer,
Ahmedabad, Mt Abu, Mathura, Agra and the road are well developed as well as
connected to all major places. There are taxi services to Eklingji from
Udaipur.
Rajasthan Temples
