Bateshwar is a village in
Agra District
Agra district is one of the 75 Districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. The district headquarters is the historical city of Agra. Agra district is a part of Agra division.
Geography
The district lies in the cultural region of Braj. Agra district is ...
, on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Bateshwar is in between
Agra
Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is ...
and
Etawah
Etawah also known as Ishtikapuri is a city on the banks of Yamuna River in the state of Western Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Etawah District. Etawah's population of 256,838 (as per 2011 population census) m ...
and is 8 km from
Bah
Bah is a Block and sub-division in Agra district of Uttar Pradesh in India. The township is on the State Highway 62 of Uttar Pradesh. The place is surrounded by three rivers giving it its name.
Geography
This place is situated in Agra distr ...
. It is an important spiritual and cultural centre for
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
s and
Jains
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
. It is known for the 108
Shiv
The word Shiv or shiv may refer to:
People with the name
* Shivnarine Chanderpaul, a West Indies cricketer nicknamed Shiv
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Shiv, a fictional location in Magic: The Gathering, see Dominaria
* Shiv, a villain in the ...
Temple Complex. An annual religious and animal fair is also organised in the village ground area.
The name Bateshwar is derived from the main Bateshwarnath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva (Bateshwarnath Mahadev). As per legends, here under a marvelous Banyan tree (Bat in Sanskrit), lord Shiva took rest for some time under that tree which is still standing at that place, the place hence came to be known as Bateshwar (i.e. Bat ishwar or The banyan lord).
Landscape
Reaching Bateshwar is like cutting between the sand dunes of Chambal. Its view is terrific and will excite you more in Rainy Season. The area is less populated.
Climate
Bateshwar features a
semiarid climate
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...
that borders on a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
. The village features mild winters, hot and dry summers and a
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
season.
Culture
Since ages Bateshwar remained a renowned religious centre both for Hindu and Jain communities. In the epic
Mahabharat
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
Bateshwar is supposed to be referred as Shouripur a city of king Suresaine. It is known for 101 Shiv Temples built by Raja Badan Singh Bhadauria on a dam on the banks of Yamuna. Shaouripur, near Bateshwar, which is the birthplace of the 22nd Tirthankar of
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
faith, Lord Neminath. Each year the region hosts a cattle fair in October and November. The commercial
livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...
event is also of significance to
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
s, who make pilgrimage to the river Yamuna in honor of Shiva.
Bateshwar has long been celebrated for its annual fair, believed to have been a fixture since time immemorial given the significance of Shoripur/Bateshwar in Hindu texts. Although the origins of this ancient fair are religious, and of immense importance in the Hindu religious calendar, the fair is also of great commercial value, and is renowned as the 2nd largest animal fair in the country (Sonepur in Bihar being the largest).
Tourism
Shri Shouripur Digambar and shwetambar Jain Siddha Kshetra
![Neminath_Ji](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Neminath_Ji.jpg)
This teerth is the birthplace of 22nd Teerthankar of Jainism, Bhagwan Shri
Neminath
Neminatha, also known as Nemi and Arishtanemi, is the twenty-second ''tirthankara'' (ford-maker) in Jainism. Along with Mahavira, Parshvanatha and Rishabhanatha, Neminatha is one of the twenty four ''tirthankaras'' who attract the most devoti ...
.
Following are the temples present in the area:
Baruva Matha: It is the most ancient temple of Shouripur, which is constructed on a platform. The quite magnificent Black stone's
Kayotsarga
Kayotsarga ( , pka, काउस्सग्ग ) is a yogic posture which is an important part of the Jain meditation. It literally means "dismissing the body". A tirthankara is represented either seated in yoga posture or standing in the kayo ...
idol of principal deity Bhagwan Neminath was reverenced in 1953. This idol is 8 feet high. There is a spire made of stone above the idol and behind idol there is an artistic halo is present carved in stone. On the feet base (Charan Peeth) the two lions are constructed facing each other and in between these two there is an image of Conch shell.
In Yadav Jains, there is a tradition of lighting of 'Diya' on Kartik Shukla 14 here whenever there is death of any Yadav Jain takes place. Among Vaishnav Yadav Vanshi's this 'Diya' is lighted in Bateshwar on waters of Yamuna River.
Shankha Dhwaj Mandir: This temple is constructed on the second story. There are 4 altars present in the sanctum of this temple. In central altar idol of principal deity Bhagwan Neminath are installed. There are two idols of 11th – 12th century installed in this temple and the idols of Bhagwan Parshvanath, Bhagwan Chandraprabhu & Bhagwan Vimalnath reverenced in V.S. 1357 (I. S. 1300) are collectively installed in the second altar of this temple. Many other artistic ancient idols are also installed here.
Panch Mathi: On the left hand side of Shankha Dhwaj Mandir the ancient Tonks & spires (umbrellas) are constructed in one ground which is surrounded by walls from all sides. This place is called as Panch Mathi. The foot images of Muni 'Yama' & Muni 'Dhanya' are installed here.
Bateshwar Temples
Bateshwar Temples are the collection of 101 Shiv Temples built by Raja Badan Singh Bhadauria. These are called Bateshwar Temples because As per the legends, here under a marvelous Banyan tree (Bat in Sanskrit), lord Shiva took rest for some time under that tree which is still standing at that place, the place hence came to be known as Bateshwar (i.e. Bat ishwar or The banyan lord).
Transportation
Bateshwar is connected by road and rail. The Agra – Bah Road passes through this town and has a major impact on the development.
Bateshwar Halt railway station
Bateshwar Halt railway station is a small railway station in Agra district, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in ...
is a small halt station.
Bandra Terminus – Ghazipur City Weekly Express and
Agra Cantt. – Mainpuri DEMU (via Etawah) connects the town with
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
,
Agra
Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is ...
,
Ghazipur
Ghazipur is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ghazipur city is the administrative headquarters of the Ghazipur district, one of the four districts that form the Varanasi division of Uttar Pradesh.
The city of Ghazipur also constitute ...
,
Mainpuri
Mainpuri is a city in Mainpuri district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Mainpuri district and is situated to the north-east of Agra and is 270 km from New Del ...
and
Etawah
Etawah also known as Ishtikapuri is a city on the banks of Yamuna River in the state of Western Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Etawah District. Etawah's population of 256,838 (as per 2011 population census) m ...
.
Saifai Airstrip is nearest airstrip for private airplanes,
Agra Airport and
Gwalior Airport
Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindhia Gwalior Airport is a domestic airport and an Indian Air Force base serving the city of Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located in Maharajpur, 10 km (6 mi) north-east of the city premises. It is one of the s ...
are two nearest domestic airports with regular scheduled flights.
Notable people
Bateshwar is the ancestral village of former prime minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee (; 25 December 1924 – 16 August 2018) was an Indian politician who served three terms as the 10th prime minister of India, first for a term of 13 days in 1996, then for a period of 13 months fr ...
. Vajpayee's first exposure to politics was in August 1942, when he and his elder brother Prem were arrested at Bateshwar for 23 days during the
Quit India
The Quit India Movement, also known as the August Kranti Movement, was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8th August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British rule i ...
movement.
[Chatterjee, Mannini. V. K. Ramachandran.]
Vajpayee and the Quit India movement
. ''Frontline
Front line refers to the forward-most forces on a battlefield.
Front line, front lines or variants may also refer to:
Books and publications
* ''Front Lines'' (novel), young adult historical novel by American author Michael Grant
* ''Frontlines ...
''. 7–20 February 1998. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
References
External links
बटेश्वर धाम से जुड़े कुछ ऐसे तथ्य जो आप नहीं जानते होंगे , Some facts related to Bateshwar Dham that you may not know{{Tourist attractions in Agra
Cities and towns in Agra district
Villages in Agra district
11th-century Jain temples
Tourist attractions in Agra district
Jain temples in Uttar Pradesh
Hindu temples in Uttar Pradesh