Koteshwar Mahadev Temple (

Devanagari Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the a ...

: कोटेश्वर महादेव) is a

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hi ...

dedicated to lord

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...

, and is located approximately from the centre of the Rudraprayag district of

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in the North India, northern part of India. It is often referred to as t ...

, a little above the Alaknanda River.

Legends

The location is presumed to be the spot where Lord Shiva had stopped for meditation on his way to Kedarnath. According to local mythology the temple has existed since the time of

Bhasmasura In Hinduism, Bhasmasura ( sa, भस्मासुर, ) is an asura or demon, who was granted the power to burn up and immediately turn into ashes (''bhasma'') anyone whose head he touched with his hand. The asura was tricked by the Vishnu's f ...

. This was the demon who turned to ashes anyone whose head he touched. Lord Shiva went into hiding to escape this threat, resting in various places before coming to the cave at Koteshwar Mahadev. Shiva rested here for some time, meditating, before confronting and defeating the demon. A similar legend is associated with

Shrikhand Mahadev Shrikhand Mahadev is a Hindu pilgrimage site in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, India, considered to be an abode of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati. It is considered to be one of the toughest treks in India. The 75 feet Shivalingam at the top ...

and

Kinner Kailash The Kinnaur Kailasha (locally known as ''Kinner Kailash'') is a mountain in the Kinnaur district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Kinnaur Kailash peak has a height of 6050 meters and is considered sacred by both Hindu and Buddhist ...

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peak ...

Hospital

A modern 60-bed hospital is attached to the temple and serves the local population. This hospital is managed by the Jyotishpeethadheeshwar Jagatguru Shankracharya Swamy Madhavashram Charitable Trust.
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References

{{Reflist Hindu temples in Uttarakhand Rudraprayag district Shiva temples in Uttarakhand