Jageshwar

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Jageshwar Tourism (Jageshwar Temples Travel Guide)

Jageshwar is religious town having more than 124 temples, dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is situated at an elevation of 1,870 mts above sea level at a distance of 37kms from Almora. Jageshwar is an important tourist destination of Kumaon and receives thousands of visitors every year. It is situated amidst dense deodar forest with a stream flowing at its backyard.

Jageshwar Temples

The cluster of Jageshwar temples depicts the ancient culture and design. The beauty of the place is enhanced by the deodar trees and the Jata Ganga which meanders its way into the temple complex. It is also acts as an important center for meditation because of its tranquility and calm environment.

The main temples of Jageshwar include Dandeshwar Temple, Chandi-ka-Temple, Jageshwar Temple, Kuber Temple, Mritunjaya Temple, Nau Durga, Nava-grah Temple, a Pyramidal shrine, and Surya Temple. Mrityunjaya Temple is the oldest and Dandeshwar Temple is the largest shrine of Jageshwar.

History of Jageshwar Temples

There is no definite dating of the construction of Jageshwar group of temples but according to the ASI, they belong to the post-Gupta and pre-medieval eras and are estimated to be about 2500 yrs old. These temples range in the period from the 8th century (early Katyuri Dynasty) to the 18th century (Chand Dynasty). The temples were renovated during the reign of Katyuri King Shalivahandev. There is an inscription of Malla Kings on the main temple premises indicating their devotion to Jageshwar. The Katyuri Kings also donated villages to the temple priests for its maintenance. The Chand Kings of Kumaun were also patrons of the Jageshwar temple.

Over 25 inscriptions of different periods are inscribed on the walls and pillars of the Jageshwar temples. Most of these belong to the period between the 7th century AD to 10th century AD. The dialect of inscriptions is Sanskrit and Brahmi.

Jageshwar Legend (Mythology)

It is believed that Guru Adi Shankaracharya visited Jageshwar and renovated and re-established many temples before leaving for Kedarnath. The Samsan ghat of Jageshwar is also the cremation ground of the erstwhile Chand Kings. It is possible that sati, the act of self-immolation, may have been performed here. The main temple in the temple complex at Jageshwar Mahadev is dedicated to Bal Jageshwar, or the Child Shiva.

Jageshwar Weather Climate
The temperature of Jageshwar between April and September is around 25-30°C (max) 10-15°C (min). The temperature falls through October and until March there may be cold frosty nights with slight change of snowfall. The monsoon occurs during July-September when heavy rainfall should be expected, heavy prolonged periods of rain are also possible from April-June.