Udaipur : does anyone worship Ravana also? The answer is – Yes absolutely and that too before Lord Bholenath. It will feel strange to hear and you won’t even believe it. But the same thing happens at one place in Rajasthan. There are old beliefs and traditions behind this. There is a Shiva temple in Rajasthan where Ravana is worshiped before Lord Shiva. This temple is situated on the hills of Avargarh in Jhadaul tehsil, about 80 kilometers from Udaipur. There is an ancient temple of Lord Shiva here which is famous by the name of Kamalnath Mahadev. It is believed that if Ravana is not worshiped before Shiva, then all the worship goes in vain. Therefore, Ravana is installed on one side of the temple and Shivlinga on the other side.
Lanka’s ruler Ravana had offered his head
The story is – Once Lankapati Ravana was worshiping Lord Shankar. Ravana used to offer 108 lotus flowers to Lord Shiva at one time. One day, while performing puja, one flower fell short, so Ravana cut off one of his heads and dedicated it to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva was pleased with Ravana and as a boon he established an Amrit Kund in his navel and gave him the boon of ten heads. Later this place was named Kamalnath Mahadev. According to legend, Lord Rama spent some time of his exile at this place.
How to reach the temple
Kamalnath Mahadev Temple is situated amidst the Aravali Hills. To reach here, vehicles go till the temple of Shani Maharaj located below. Beyond that, the journey of two kilometers has to be completed on foot. A fair of devotees is organized at this temple every year in the month of Sawan and Vaishakh. When the wish is fulfilled, Prasad is distributed by offering churma to Mahadev.
bone immersion pool
There is a pond in the temple premises itself. Here a stream of water emerges from underground. Which keeps flowing throughout the year. This is what the nearby tribals do after the death of their family members by immersing their bones.
