Udaipur: Devotees from far and wide throng Eklingji Mahadev temple in Udaipur on Mahashivratri where unlike other shrines Lord Shiva is worshipped as the Maharana (King) of Mewar.
As per a tradition associated with temple, the King of Mewar worked as the Diwan and performed administrative work and this has been the norm for the last 1.500 years. Even now, when the king is no longer the ruler, the belief persists among locals. The shrine is situated at Kailashpuri on NH-48, 22 km from Udaipur. A team of ETV Bharat reached the temple where scores of women who had come from far and wide were seen chanting the praise of Lord Ekling Nath.
Lord Ekling Nath is the family deity of the former Maharajas (king) of Mewar. Historian Chandrashekhar Sharma said the kings never failed to visit the shrine before leaving for a battle. When the kings of Mewar won a battle, the slogans of 'Mewar Jai Swami Bhagwan Ekling Nath' echoed on the battlefield. Sharma said that Ekling Nath is considered the king of Mewar since the time of Bappa Rawal. In letters written during monarchy, the kings referred to themselves as the Diwan of Mewar. Ashok, a local said a large number of devotees from within the country and abroad visit the temple. It is believed that the wishes of the devotees are fulfilled just by having darshan of the Lord. Ashok said the temple has a four-faced idol which depict Lord Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh and Surya.
Eklingji Mahadev temple is opened at 4 am and darshan can be had from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. Darshan in the evening is from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm during which Lord Trikal Puja is performed at the shrine.
