The temple that devotees fear to pray

Shiva is one of the famed trinity of Hindu Gods, the other two being Vishnu and Brahma. If Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the giver and Shiva the destroyer.

Though there are thousands of temples to Shiva and Vishnu, there are only a handful of temple to Brahma. If Madhwas and Iyengars  flock to Vishnu temples, Smarthas, Iyers and Lingayats believe in the supremacy of  Shiva.

But did you know that people of all faiths and even locals of Bithoor fear to come and worship at a temple in Bithoor. This is the Shiva temple located amidst thick vegetation.  

Bithoor, near Kanpur, which is located on the bank of the Ganges has temples dedicated to all the three-Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva or Maheshwara. A horse shoe is worshipped in a small temple at the Brahma Ghat in Bithoor. This horse shoe is believed to have been left behind by the horse that Brahma rode when he performed Ashwamedha Yagna here.

There are also temples to Vishnu and Shiva here.

People of all faiths come to Bithoor. Among Hindus, almost all classes of people make a bee line to bathe in the holy Ganga and then pray to the Gods who are consecrated in the many ghats that ring Bithoor.

But what is surprising is that people from all the sub castes be it Madhwas, Iyengars, Smarthas, Lingayats or any other denominations tale care to avoid the Shiva Temple that is located behind the Dhruva Teel.

Dhruva Teel is the exact spot where Dhruva meditated. It is marked by a small water pond. Just behind this is a temple dedicated to Shiva.

This temple is given a miss by almost all pilgrims and even by locals. The temple is called Shiva Sadhana. There is a Linga in the ancient temple.

The Shiva Sadhana Temple is on a small hillock that is about 120 feet high. The single tower structure dominates the surroundings for miles.

The structure was damaged but the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has taken up its repair  along with two other structures- Tikait Rai Baradari and the Rajmahal.

Both these structures long with the Shiva Temple are believed to be more than two centuries old. Of all the three, the Shiva Temple has an interesting tale.

The temple always presents a deserted sight and the doors are generally closed. This is because there are only a handful of visitors and even lesser number of devotes. There is a strange reason for this phenomenon.

The locals of Bithoor and the priest of the temple says that if a man or woman come and worships the Linga or prays here, he or she has to continue doing it for a month. Thus, the pooja has to be done for a longer duration.

The locals arn that of this practice is not followed or adhered to, the person and his or her family will suffer. There has been many incidents when harm has come to the family of a person who disregarded this legend and never came back to worship the linga here, says the priest.

Another reason why the temple is not visited is because of its location. The path behind the Dhruva Teel is tough to negotiate. There is dense vegetation and a hill to negotiate along with a drain before you can reach the temple. All said and done, the fact is that devotees, even Shaivaites, fear to visit and pray at the temple.    

Bithoor is near Kanpur in the State of Uttar Pradesh and it is approachable by road and rail. Stay back at Kanpur and take a taxi or autorickshaw to Bithoor.  

The place where Brahma commenced the process of creation

It is a very small village, 24 kilometers from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Located on the banks of the Ganga, it has a hoary past and it is associated with the story of creation.

Our Puranas and even Shastras pinpoint this small town as the very place that Brahma performed a yagna and commenced the exercise of creation of humankind.

The locals also lay claim to Valmiki having written the Ramayana at this very spot. As evidence, they show several spots in and round the holy town associated with Rama, Sita and the Ramayana.

This place is also associated with the legend of Dhruva and his Dhruva Nakshatra. It is here that Dhruva stood on one leg and meditated on God.

One of the most unique things in this place is a small ancient metal shaft, which is supposed to date back to the times of human creation. The shaft, our Puranas say, goes all the way to the core of the Earth.  

This is Bithoor, also known as Bithur, a small town of  many holy Ghats.

Bithoor is ringed by several ghats. In fact, there are 30 of them.  It is one of the most holy pilgrim centres of the Hindus. Some of the structures here date back to  several centuries and they play a vital role in Hindu religion and mythology.

The Brahmaghat is the main Ghat here As the name goes, it is named after Brahma. The small temple here is dedicated to Brahma who commenced the process of creation at this very spot.

There is a piece of a horse shoe sticking put of the earth. The horse shoe is said to belong to the horse of Brahma which he rode while performing Ashwamedha Yagna here.

The horse shoe is supposed to be the axis on which the Earth is rotating.   

When the Ashwamedha Yagna was completed, the forests of Utpalarnya came to be known as Brahmavarta or Brahma Theertha.

Another legend is that the iron shaft was a nail in the wooden slippers or Paduke of  Brahma.  It came away here and, hence, it is known as  Brahmavart Ki Khoonti.

The Patthar Ghat is built  of red stone and it has a unique architecture. There is an old temple of Shiva here and the linga is made of Kasauti or philosopher’s stone. The Linga is believed to be consecrated by Brahma and it is, therefore, also known as Brahmeshwara.

The Lakshman Ghat has a mosque built by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Some of the other ghats are Tuta Ghat, Patkapur Ghat, Khanderao Ghat, Ganesh Ghat, Kalvari Ghat, Hanuman Ghat, Dhruv Ghat, Jhansi Rani Ghat, Pandava Ghat, Haridhan Ghat and  Kapileshwar Ghat 

The Valmiki Ashrama atop a small hill is another landmark. The steps leading to the ashrama are called Swarg Dwar or gateway to heaven. There is a small pool inside the ashram called  as Sita Kund. Nearby is the Sita Rasoi  or Sita's kitchen which is still preserved.

The small temple of Valmiki was built by the last Peshwa, Baji Rao.

The Swarga Naseinee or Deepa Malika Stambha (tower) has several  niches for lighting lamps. This tower has about 48 steps leading to the top. Climb up this tower and get an exhilarating view of the beautiful surroundings.

You cannot miss the Dhruva Teel. It is here that Dhruva stood on one leg and prayed to god. It is at this Teel that God came to him and made him a shining star.

Other places of interest in and around Bithoor include temples of Ram-Janaki, Luva and Kush,  the Haridam Ashrama-the abode of Hari- and a monument dedicated to Nana Saheb, the Maratha warrior.

Bithoor is also the place where Rani Lakshmi Bai and Nana spent their childhood. It is at this place that the last Peshwa was exiled. It is closely associated with the 1857 war of Indian Independence.

Since Kanpur is the nearest city, you can make it your headquarters. Kanpur is well-connected by all forms of transport-road, rail and air. There are a variety of hotels in Kanpur depending on your budget.

Apart from Kanpur, Bithoor is 109 kilometres from Lucknow, 103 kms from Kanauj, 224 kms from Allahabad and 252 kms from Ayodhya. Delhi is 430 kms away.

If you are taking  a train then Kalyanpur is the nearest station but it is  serviced only by passenger trains. Therefore, Kanpur junction is ideal to alight. There are plenty of taxis, autos and other forms of transport available from Kanpur to Bithoor.