Bhavnath is a locality in

Junagadh Junagadh () is the city and headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located at the foot of the Girnar hills, southwest of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar (the state capital), it is the seventh largest city in the state. It i ...

city of

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It sits near the

Girnar Girnar is an ancient hill in Junagadh, Gujarat, India. It is one of the holiest pilgrimages of Jains, where the 22nd Tirthankara, Tirthaṅkar, Lord Neminath attained omniscience, and later nirvana at its highest peak (''Neminath Shikhar''), ...

mountain range, close to Girnar Taleti, the place from where pilgrims have to ascend on foot to get to temples on Girnar hills.

History

The Bhavnath Mahadev temple is a shrine ensconced in myths and legends of the Puranic era, at the base of Mount

in Bhavnath village. The Shiva ling here is said to have emerged of its own divine intention. Reportedly, when Shiva and Parvati were traveling over the Girnar Hills their divine garment fell over the present Mrgi Kund, making this place an auspicious site for lord Shiva worshipers. Even today, the naga bavas aked sadhusbathe in the holy Mrgi Kund before joining the Mahashivaratri procession. The fair itself is so ancient that its precise origins are unknown. History of Bhavnath at GujaratTourism.com Girnar_1

There are two main annual festivals:

Maha Shivaratri Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually to worship the deity Shiva, between February and March. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is observed on the fourteenth day of the first half (night start with darkness - ...

and Girnar Lili Parikrama. Bhavnath Festival, Mahashivratri The Bhavnath fair is a five-day occasion in the Magha month of the Hindu calendar, in the month of February-March, culminating with the most auspicious worship of God Shiva, at midnight of

, which is thronged by hundreds of Naga Sadhus aked Sadhusof Dashanami Sampradaya, taking dip at Mrgi kund and offering their prayers at the temple. People believe that God Shiva himself visits the shrine here on this holiest day. Devotees go around the holy hills of

, before the fair. Lakhs of pilgrims from

Mewar Mewar, also spelled as Mewad is a region in the south-central part of Rajasthan state of India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Pirawa Tehsil of Jhalawar District of Rajasth ...

, Kutch and

visit the temple at this time, as also foreign tourists, enchanted by the rosaries and sacred statues sold on stalls, by sellers from far

Ayodhya Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...

and

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...

and elsewhere, and not to miss display of the Naga sadhus'

Hatha yoga Hatha yoga (; Sanskrit हठयोग, International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''haṭhayoga'') is a branch of yoga that uses physical techniques to try to preserve and channel vital force or energy. The Sanskrit word ह� ...

and such occult practices. The whole place resounds with music and blowing of auspicious conch shells, tungis, and turis, with the Naga Sadhus on their elephants, holding Hindu religious flags in their hands, preceded by a decorated statue of Lord Dattatreya, in a palanquin.

References

{{reflist Junagadh district Junagadh