Changdeva temple (also referred to as Changdev Maharaj Temple) is an ancient Hindu temple situated in

Muktainagar Muktainagar is a town in the eastern part of Jalgaon district in northern Maharashtra and is the administrative seat of Muktainagar taluka. History During British rule, Muktainagar taluka was known as Edlabad petha and was part of East K ...

taluka of

Jalgaon district Jalgaon (Marathi pronunciation: ͡ʒəɭɡaːʋ is a district in the northern part of Maharashtra, India. The headquarters is the city of Jalgaon. It is bordered by the state of Madhya Pradesh to the north and by the districts of Buldhana to ...

in the state of

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

, India. It is located near its namesake, Changdeva village. The temple is on the shore of the Purna river.https://www.amp/s/divyamarathi.bhaskar.com/amp/news/MAH-NMAH-JAL-jalgaon-news-in-marathi-need-research-for-changdev-temple-4534165-NOR.html It is dedicated to the 12th century Yogi Saint Changdeva Maharaj.

History

Legend - According to a legend associated with this temple. This temple was built in between the time, When six months long night experienced. In the year of 2008,

Archeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexand ...

(ASI) carried out excavations near the West and South sides of the temple. Where they discovered foundations of stone temples. ASI also found

Ganpati Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...

idols made of black rock. Throughout the following years, they carried out ad-hoc excavations near this temple and revealed the veranda, foundations of ancient temples, steps, the '' Garbahgriha,'' and a large ''

Shiva linga A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional im ...

.'' According to the

Maharashtra Times ''Maharashtra Times'' ( mr, महाराष्ट्र टाइम्स), colloquially referred to as 'Ma Ta' (मटा) from its Marathi initialism, is a Marathi newspaper based in Mumbai, India. It is one of the largest selling daily ...

's article of December 2013, the temple's original ''kadas'' collapsed in the flood of 1837.

Architecture

Changdeva temple is situated near Purna river. The temple is built in black rock in the Hemadpanthi architecture style. The people who built this temple used only dove-tailed black rocks and chalk in construction. The walls of the temple are adorned with stone-carved sculptures of women in various graceful poses. They appear wearing Indian attire like ''Apsaras'', probably these women statues on the external walls are of ''Apsaras''. The temple has a stone idol of Changdeva Maharaj in its '' Garbhagruh''. Idols discovered during excavations by the ASI are displayed in the open air near the temple. The temple has its main gate on the North side, with a large ''

mandap A mandapa or mantapa () is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals in Indian architecture, especially featured in Hindu temple architecture. Mandapas are described as "open" or "closed" depending on whether they have walls. In temples, ...

'' in front without a roof. The temple is 10 meters long by 9 meters wide. ''Mahadeva'' and ''Shani Dev'' temples are located just a few feet away from this temple. This temple is under the custody of the Archaeological department of

Aurangabad Aurangabad ( is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Aurangabad district and is the largest city in the Marathwada region. Located on a hilly upland terrain in the Deccan Traps, Aurangabad is th ...

. It is a protected monument.

Annual fair

Every year in the month of February, on the auspicious occasion of '' Mahashivaratri'', a big fair is held here. People from all around

North Maharashtra North Maharashtra or Uttar Maharashtra is a geographical region in the Maharashtra state of India. It comprises the Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, and Jalgaon districts. It borders the state of Gujarat to the northwest, Paschim Maharashtra to the south, ...

visit the temple to receive the blessings of Changdeva Maharaj. Hundreds of thousands of devotees visit this temple during this annual fair. This fair is one of the well-known fairs of North Maharashtra. Over the years, it has developed as a tourist destination. The temple is located at the confluence of the Tapi and Purna rivers. The Tapi river arrives from Madhya Pradesh, and the Purna flows from Muktainagar taluka. During the fair, devotees enjoy boat rides in this river. Because of the

Hatnur dam Hatnur dam is an earth fill dam in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, India. The dam is named after a nearby Hatnur village, which is present by side of the dam. Construction This Dam was constructed by the Government of India in 1982. Specifi ...

the river here and at Muktainagar taluka has full water throughout the year. The panoramic view of the Purna river here is a popular sight for tourists. People of the ''

varkari Warkari (Marathi: वारकरी; Pronunciation: �aːɾkəɾiː Meaning: 'The one who performs the ''Wari) is a sampradaya (religious movement) within the bhakti spiritual tradition of Hinduism, geographically associated with the Indi ...

samparaday'' annually comes here on ''Mahashivaratri.''

References

{{reflist Jalgaon district Hindu temples in Maharashtra