Jageshwar is a small town near Almora in Uttarakhand, which is famous for its ancient temples. There are around 125 temples in Jageshwar, and all of them are very close to each other. Jageshwar temple is the most famous temple in this Jageshwar group of temples. The jyotirlinga is also known as Nagesh Darukabane and is one of the famous twelve jyotirlingas in India. Legends about the Mahabharata say that Pandavas stopped here to perform the last rites of their brothers before going to the heavens. Hindus still perform the last rites of the deceased members of their family here at Jageshwar.
Jageshwar temples are around 2500 years old, and they are all dedicated to different gods and goddesses of Hindu mythology. The temples are located in a picturesque mountain valley and tall deodar forests. Jatganga River flows very close to these temples and the flowing waters make the temples even more scenic. Pilgrims going to Kailash Mansarovar Yatra stopped en route at Jageshwar Dham to view the beauty of these temples.
You too can go for Jageshwar Dham Yatra and have a wonderful Jageshwar sightseeing tour. Jageshwar tour packages by Shrine Yatra give you a unique opportunity to visit all these temples and also go to Jageshwar sightseeing places. You can further extend your tour to include all Uttarakhand hill stations. In all our Uttarakhand holiday packages, you will see all the famous places in Uttarakhand. You can also include Jageshwar in Uttarakhand sightseeing packages. To help you plan a great tour of Jageshwar, here are some top Jageshwar tourist places.
1. Dandeshwar Temple
Dandeshwar Temple complex is a temple of Lord Shiva, who is worshipped here as Dandeshwar (the staff bearer, or one who rules over this place). This is a group of 14 temples, which were built in the classic Nagara style of architecture. Dandeshwar temple is built out of natural rock, and its temple architecture is fabulous.
2. Jageshwar Archaeological Museum
One of the top places of tourist interest in Jageshwar is the Jageshwar Archaeological Museum. The museum has a huge collection of sculptures. There are over 174 sculptures that were found in this region and they all date back to the 9th century to the 13th century. There are sculptures from nearby temples also. The most spectacular sculptures are that of ‘Dancing Ganesha’ and ‘Uma-Maheshwar sitting on Nandi’. These sculptures are intricately carved out of stone, and some other beautiful sculptures are Lord Surya holding a lotus and a bronze statue of Pona Raja.
3. Jageshwar Mahadev Temple
Out of the many temples in Jageshwar Dham, the most famous one is Jageshwar Mahadev Temple. This temple is also known by the names of Bal Jageshwar or Tarun Jageshwar. This is a temple of Lord Shiva, and the shiv linga here is a Swayambhu Shivlinga (self-originated Shivlinga). There are various inscriptions on this temple, and there are two shivlingas. The bigger one represents Lord Shiva and the smaller one represents Goddess Parvati.
4. Jhankar Saim Mahadev Temple
Another famous temple to visit in Jageshwar is Jhankar Saim Mahadev Temple. This temple is to the south of Jageshwar, and according to a mythological legend, Lord Shiva got angry when the demons tried to disturb the meditation of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva opened his third eye and Jhankar Saim Mahadev appeared. This temple is dedicated to this divine incarnation of Lord Shiva.
5. Lakulisha
Lakulisha is another temple that you can visit in Jageshwar. This temple is in ruins, but you can see a small shiva linga in this temple. This temple is also dedicated to Lord Shiva and here, Shiva is shown holding a staff. Lakulisha is said to be the last incarnation of Lord Shiva.
6. Vriddha Jageshwar
In Jageshwar Dham, the Vriddha Jageshwar temple is said to be of the same time as the Jageshwar temples. You will have to trek 1.5 km to reach Vriddha Jageshwar Temple. Jatganga River also originates from this temple. There is spectacular natural scenery surrounding this temple. The peaceful environs of this temple relax everybody who visits this temple.
7. Mirtola Ashram
Mirtola Ashram is one of the spiritual places to visit in Jageshwar. This ashram is a peaceful retreat where you can experience utter peace and tranquillity. Yashoda Ma and her disciple Krishna Prem set up this ashram in 1930.
8. Maha Mrityunjaya Temple
Maha Mritunjaya Temple is one of the most ancient temples in the Jageshwar group of temples. Here, Lord Shiva is worshipped as one who saves from death. Maha Mritunjaya Temple has a shiv linga which is considered very sacred and auspicious. Reciting the Maha Mritunjaya Mantra here is said to free oneself from all evils. This is also the only temple where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of Mritunjaya Mahadev.
9. Kuber Temple
Kuber Temple is one of the Jageshwar tourist places. It gives you the best view of Jageshwar Temples. Kuber temple complex is opposite to Jageshwar temples and these temples are situated on a hillock. Kuber Temples are all devoted to Lord Shiva, and these temples are also best for architecture lovers.
10. Airawat Gufa
Airawat Gufa is a cave which is very close to Jageshwar temples. It is one of the Jageshwar tourist places that you can visit on your tour of Jageshwar Dham. Patal Bhuvaneshwar cave is another cave which you can visit when touring Jageshwar.
11. Vinayak Kshetra
This is the place from where the cluster of Jageshwar temples begins. Vinayak Kshetra lies between Jhanker Saim Temple, Vridhh Jageshwar Temple, and Koteshwar Temples.
12. Jagannath Temple
Another famous temple in Jageshwar is the Jagannath Temple. There are magnificent sculptures in this temple, and the carvings are worth watching. The sculpture of Lord Ganesha and the dwarpalas (guardians) are particularly impressive.
13. Pushti Devi
The temple of Pushti Devi is one of the many temples in Jageshwar. Here in this temple, Pushti Devi is the main goddess, which is also worshipped as Pushti Bhagwati Maa. The temple has the same beautiful architecture like that of the other temples in the region.
