Kayavarohan

Kayavarohan
Kayavarohan
village
	Kayavarohan Location in Gujarat, India Kayavarohan Kayavarohan (India)
	Coordinates: 22°04′01″N73°15′00″E / 22.067°N 73.2500°E
Country	India
State	Gujarat
District	Vadodara
Languages
• Official	Gujarati, Hindi
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	GJ-06
Website	gujaratindia.com

Last updated January 25, 2025

Kayavarohan or Karvan is a village in the Vadodara district of the state of Gujarat, India. Kayavarohan is popularly known as Karvan. It is 11 km from the National Highway 48 and 30 km from Vadodara. Kayavarohan is considered as the birthplace of Lakulisha, the second century C.E. Shaivite revivalist, reformer and propounder of the pashupata doctrine. It is an important religious place on account of its Lakulisha temple.^[1]

History

Kayavarohan (Karvan) is an ancient town believed to have existed through each of the Four Ages. As per Shaivite mythology, Lord Shiva in the Lakulish manifestation appeared at this place. According to mythology and puranas, from here Lord Shiva transmigrated into the form of a Brahmin child. Thus the place came to be known as Kayavarohan [Kaya (Body) + Avarohan (Descent) = Where the body of the Lord has descended].

A number of copper coins and a stone quern have been found from here. A beautiful head of Tapas, the image of Kartikeya and an idol of Uma Maheshwara are some of the archaeological specimen discovered from here that are preserved locally in a museum.

Religious Significance

Kayavarohan is one of the sixty-eight ‘teerthas' (Pilgrimage) of Lord Shiva as mentioned in the Shiva Purana. However, Kayavarohan is not among the 12 Jyotirlingas as mentioned in the Shiva Purana.

It is of great significance to the Pasupatas (Followers of the Pashupati), those in the spiritual following of Lakulish, for it is considered to be the place of Shiva's appearance on earth in that incarnation. Lakulish is considered to be the 28th birth of Shiva. Shiva had come to the earth in the form of Lakulisha through Kayavarohan, literally meaning ‘Descent of the form’.

Kayavarohan harbours the Brahmeshwar Jyotirshivlang temple, claimed to have been founded by Maharshi Vishwamitra. It has been held that the incarnation of Shiva in Lakulish has merged with the linga in Shambhavi Mudra^[2].

The Kayavarohan lingam represents the "formless" but a unique, exceptional iconic form of Shiva bearing the image of a meditating yogi, who holds parchments in one hand and citron (Matulinga) in the other.

It is believed the main place of pilgrimage was Ichhapuri in Satya Yuga, Mayapuri in Treta Yuga, Meghavati in Dvapara Yuga, and Kayavarohan in the present Kali Yuga. This temple has a Lingam of Lord Shiva, made up of black stone. It is believed that Maharshi Vishwamitra had installed this Linga of Lord Shiva during the Ramayana period.

In the Vedic times, Kayavarohan/Karvan was a popular centre of learning and education and used to house numerous Vedic Universities, Yajna Shalas and the temples of many Hindu Gods.

The myth has it that during the barbarian invasion of Mahmood of Ghazni, the luminous jyotirlinga with Lakulish merged the light of all of the other 12 jyotirlingas into its form and disappeared.

Presently, there is an underground meditation cave at the Kayavarohana temple used for seclusion and meditation.

There is a Swaminarayan Hindu temple built by Haricharandas Swami in Vikram Samvat 1971 which falls under the Vadtal Gadi. It is located by Kayavarohan Tower near Gam panchayat.

Maha Shivratri is most famous festival in Kayavarohan. During the sacred day, hundreds of men wear Lord Mahadev's attire and appear at the temples.

Archaeological Significance

The village and its surrounding areas are of great archaeological significance. Ancient sculptures and relics belonging to the second century have been excavated from this place.

The Shiva temples at Karvan are said to have been destroyed during invasions of 11th-17th century. However, the Shiva Lingas of the destroyed temples survived and remained at the site.

The temple of Lakulish and temples of Karvan were rebuilt and restored during the late twentieth century by the Hindu spiritual leader Kripalvanand.^[3]

Numerous Hindu icons, number of copper coins and a stone quern have been found from Kayavarohan. A grand head of Tapasvi, the image of Kartikeya and an idol of Uma Maheshwara ^[4] are some of the rare and unmatched archaeological specimen discovered from Kayavarohan. Kayavarohan is a place of great archaeological importance and the A.S.I. Archaeological Survey of India has listed Karvan as a heritage site and has set up a special museum for the remains found around this site. Karvan is one of the major sites of Indian Heritage.

Related Research Articles

Shiva, also known as Mahadeva or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism.

Parvati, also known as Uma and Gauri, is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. Along with Lakshmi and Sarasvati, she forms the trinity, known as the Tridevi.

Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple is an ancient Hindu temple in the town of Trimbak, in the Trimbakeshwar tehsil in the Nashik District of Maharashtra, India, 28 km from the city of Nashik and 40 km from Nashik road. It is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and is one of the twelve jyotirlingas where the Hindu genealogy registers at Trimbakeshwar, Maharashtra are kept. The origin of the sacred Godavari River is near Trimbak.

The Srikalahasti Temple is located in the town of Srikalahasti, in Tirupati district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. According to regional tradition, it is said to be the site where Kannappa was ready to offer both his eyes to cover blood flowing from the Shivalinga before Shiva stopped him and granted him moksha. The inner temple was constructed around the 5th century CE and the outer temple was constructed in the 11th century by the Rajendra Chola I and other Chola emperors such as Rajaditya Chola, Rajaraja Chola I, Rajadhiraja Chola I, Kulottunga Chola I, Kulottunga Chola III, and Reddi kingdom,Vijayanagar Empire. The 120 feet (37 m) high main gopuram and the hundred pillared hall with intricate carvings was commissioned during the regime of the Vijayanagara Krishnadevaraya during 1516 CE. Shiva in his aspect as Vayu is worshipped as Kalahasteeswara. The temple is also regarded as Rahu-Ketu kshetra and Dakshina Kailasam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dakshinamurti</span> Aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as a guru

Dakshinamurti is an aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as a guru (teacher). He is regarded to be the personification of the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding, and knowledge. Dakshinamurti represents Shiva as a teacher of yoga, music, and wisdom, offering an exposition of the Shastras. He is worshipped as the god of wisdom and meditation.

Markandeya is a rishi (sage) featured in Hindu literature. He is the son of the sage Mrikanda and his wife, Manasvini. The Markandeya Purana, attributed to the sage, comprises a dialogue between Markandeya and a sage called Jaimini. A number of chapters in the Bhagavata Purana are dedicated to his conversations and prayers. He is also mentioned in the Mahabharata. Markandeya is venerated within all mainstream Hindu traditions.

Lakulisha was a prominent Shaivite revivalist, reformist and preceptor of the doctrine of the Pashupatas, one of the oldest sects of Shaivism.

Shiva Puja in Hinduism is the way by which one worships Shiva through traditional and ancient rites with the use of mantra, tantra, yantra, kriyas, mudras, and abhishekam.

Ramanathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva located on Rameswaram island in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, the sacred sites glorified by the Nayanars, Appar, Sundarar, and Sambandar, with their songs. According to tradition, the lingam of the Ramanathaswamy Temple was established and worshipped by Lord Ram before he crossed the bridge called Rama Setu to the island kingdom of Lanka, identified with Sri Lanka. It is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites. The temple was expanded during the 12th century by the Pandya Dynasty, and its principal shrine’s sanctum was renovated by Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan and his successor Gunaveera Cinkaiariyan, monarchs of the Jaffna kingdom. The temple has the longest corridor among all the Hindu temples of India. It was built by King Muthuramalinga Sethupathy. The temple is considered a pilgrimage site for Shaivites, Vaishnavites, and Smartas.Especially to be remembered are the immense sums that were spent during the tenure of Pradhani muthu irulappa pillai towards the restoration of the Pagodas which were falling into ruins and the splendid Chockattan Mantapam or the cloistered precincts of the temple at Rameswaram that he finally completed.

Baidyanath Temple, also known as Baba Baidyanath Dham, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. It is located in Deoghar, in the Santhal Parganas division of the Indian state of Jharkhand. The temple complex comprises the central shrine of Baba Baidyanath along with 21 additional temples. It is significant to the Hindu sects of Shaivism as this temple is referred to as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.

Kotipalli also known as Koti Theertham is a village located in K. Gangavaram mandal of Ramachandrapuram revenue division in Konaseema district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple town is also known as Kumararama of the Pancharama Kshetras, and is located 15 km from Amalapuram. Every year festivals such as Maha Sivaratri, Vaisakha Suddha Ekadasi, Aswayuja Suddha Padyami to Dwadasi and Ksheerabdi Dwadasi Teppotsavam are celebrated in this village.

A Banalinga is a stone of a type found in the riverbed of parts of the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh state, India, formed by natural processes of erosion into a shape resembling a lingam, an aniconic form of the Hindu deity Shiva. They are smooth ellipsoid stones that are regarded as manifestations of the deity, based on either the scriptures or cultural traditions among the Hindus, particularly of the Shaivas and Smarta Brahmins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nageshvara Jyotirlinga</span> Hindu temple, in dwarka, Gujarat, India

Nageshwar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva located on Dwarka, Gujarat, India. one of the legendary temples mentioned in the Shiva Purana and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Nageshvara jyotirlinga is situated in a forest called Daarukavanam In Gujarat

The Char Dham, or the Chatur Dhama, is a set of four Hindu pilgrimage sites in India, consisting of Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameswaram. Badrinath, Dwarka, and Puri are shrines of Vishnu, whereas Rameswaram is a shrine of Shiva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mallikarjuna Temple, Srisailam</span> Hindu temple in Andhra Pradesh

Sri Bhramarambika sametha Mallikarjuna swamy Devasthanam or Srisailam Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deities Shiva and Parvati, located at Srisailam in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is significant to the Hindu sects of both Shaivism and Shaktism as this temple is referred to as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva and as one of the eighteen Shakti pithas, centres of the Hindu goddess. Shiva is worshiped as Mallikarjuna and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Bhramaramba.

Indralatha Temple is dedicated to Shiva and is situated in Bangomunda block near Ranipur-Jharial in Balangir district. It was supposed that Indra first worshipped lord Shiva here and erected a temple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jyotirlinga</span> Devotional representation of the Hindu deity Shiva

A Jyotirlinga or Jyotirlingam is a devotional representation of the Hindu god Shiva. The word is a Sanskrit compound of jyotis ('radiance') and linga ('sign'). The Śiva Mahāpurāṇam mentions 64 original jyotirlinga shrines in India.

A lingam, sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. The word lingam is found in the Upanishads and epic literature, where it means a "mark, sign, emblem, characteristic", the "evidence, proof, symptom" of God and God's power.

Sri Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Temple is located in Bangalore, in the state of Karnataka, India. The temple is located in Omkar Ashram, in Omkar Hills Bangalore. Omkar Hills in Srinivasapura is one of the highest points of Bangalore. The Sri Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Devasthana is unique, and one of the most magnificent and gigantic temples in Karnataka.

References

↑ "Home". ktss.in.
↑ "Shambhavi Mudra Mean Love Adoring Shiva And Grit Universe". 8 January 2025. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
↑ Constance Jones; James D. Ryan (2006). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Infobase Publishing. p. 238. ISBN 978-0-8160-7564-5.
↑ "Uma Maheshwara Love And Epic Hindu Mythology - Shasak". 24 January 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2025.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "Home". ktss.in.

[2] "Shambhavi Mudra Mean Love Adoring Shiva And Grit Universe". 8 January 2025. Retrieved 9 January 2025.

[JonesRyan2006-3] Constance Jones; James D. Ryan (2006). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Infobase Publishing. p. 238. ISBN 978-0-8160-7564-5.

[4] "Uma Maheshwara Love And Epic Hindu Mythology - Shasak". 24 January 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2025.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]