Divodaseshwar Temple

Legend

The establishment of Divodaseshwar Ling at Varanasi has a story behind it. it is also mentioned in Kashi Khand. While Lord Shiva remained in Mandarachal, Divodas, a very holy and pious King, reigned over Kashi. Everyone in his kingdom was content and prosperous all around. He and Lord Brahma had come to an agreement that Devas and other heavenly creatures should avoid Kashi and not cause any trouble there while he was in power.

On the condition that King Divodas prove to be a superb administrator and that all residents and visitors to Kashi be treated properly in their religious endeavors, Lord Brahma more or less consented to it. The King concurred and provided superb leadership as a result.

Lord Shiva sought to make King Divodas make errors since he was furious over spending so much time away from Kashi. As a result, he dispatched 64 Yoginis to cause some mayhem, but they were mesmerized by the beauty and tranquility of Kashi, which seemed to be a portion of heaven. They finally made themselves at home there.

When the Yoginis didn’t come back, Lord Shiva despatched Lord Surya with the mission to stir up some trouble in Kashi to break King Divodas’ resolve. As an astrologer, skilled scholar, religious propagandist, trader, brahmin, etc., Lord Surya arrived in Kashi. However, he was unable to criticize any resident of Kashi or King Divodas’ administration.

Lord Surya was likewise extremely drawn to Kashi and the city’s splendor. Lord Surya reasoned that Lord Shiva would become furious if he returned to Mandarachal without granting his requests. In Kashi, Lord Surya finally made his home. Lord Shiva then dispatched Lord Brahma to Kashi for the same objective.

King Divodas was visited by Lord Brahma, who was posing as an elderly Brahmin. King Divodas honored him with his presence and inquired of the visitor (Lord Brahma) what might be done to make him more comfortable. The elderly Brahmin begged that the King give him all the necessary supplies and make the necessary arrangements because he want to conduct the Aswa Medha Yagna. King Divodas assisted Lord Brahma in performing not one but 10 Aswa Medha Yagnas.

Then Lord Shiva dispatched his Shiv Gans, who were likewise enchanted by Kashi’s splendor and wanted to reside there. Installing a Shiv Ling in Kashi is exceedingly auspicious, and the Shiv Gans did so by placing different Lings throughout the city. These Shiv Lings become recognized by their given names. (Chapter 53 of Kashi Khand). one of them is Divodaseshwar Ling.

Finally, Lord Shiva called his son, Lord Ganesha (Vinayak), with the express purpose of causing disruptions in King Divodas’ rule. When Lord Vinayak arrived in Kashi, he pretended to be an elderly astrologer.

He gave folks something to dream about, then he saw them the next morning and explained how dreams affected people. He also began evaluating the positions of the planets in distinct horoscopes for different people. He forced several individuals to leave Kashi by making such minatory forecasts.

He eventually obtained access to the King’s palace and was successful in gaining the respect of the women there. As time passed, he continued to impress the Queen, who informed the King of the old astrologer’s eminence and recommended that the King pay him homage. The Queen requested his approval before sending it to the veteran astrologer. The King graciously greeted the astrologer, who performed the customary blessing on the King.

The King requested a future forecast from the astrologer. After giving it some thought, the astrologer revealed several things about the monarch and his realm. He said that a Brahmin will arrive starting on that day and give the King some important advice that should be heeded. Following his remarks, the astrologer exited the castle.

In one way or another, Vinayak honored his father’s desires and made Kashi his home in a variety of different ways and locations. On the eighteenth day after being dispatched to Kashi, Lord Vishnu contacted King Divodas while posing as a Brahmin.

The King has treated him with the utmost respect, and Lord Vishnu has preached all the wonderful things to the King while posing as a Brahmin. The inhabitants of Kashi, according to the King, were incredibly content during his rule, and there was a palpable feeling of religious zeal. The Brahmin recommended King Divodas build a Shiv Ling at Kashi, which is seen to be highly lucky. today, it is known as Divodaseshwar Ling.

The Brahmin further predicted that on the seventh day following the construction of Shiv Ling, a heavenly plane will descend from Heaven and transport the King to Lord Shiva’s residence. This made King Divodas quite delighted, as you may imagine. He constructed a Shiv Ling that became known as Divodaseshwer, granted the kingdom to Rajkumar Samaranjayan, and began worshipping Lord Shiva.

The heavenly aircraft arrived on the designated day, and the King was then transported to Lord Shiva’s residence. People who worship Divodaseshwar will always be joyful, will have all of their sins forgiven, and will triumph in battle. This might be interpreted as winning any competition in the slang of the day.

By Train: Trains are always a better option. these days Varanasi junction is keeping the way all good. Divodaseshwar temple is just few km away from Varanasi junction.

By Air: Book your tickets to the Gorakhpur airport, which is a few km away from the temple. as Varanasi airport is well connected to other city Airports.

By Bus: One can travel directly to the temple. various local and private bus services are available for visiting Varanasi.