Shri Kaleshwar Mandir, Shree Kaleshwara Mandira (according to ) or Shree Kaleshwara Devasthana( According to natives of Nerur village ) is a large

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...

in Nerur, Sindhudurg district,

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 ...

. It is dedicated to the village deity, Shree Kaleshwara, who is also called Kaloba. The temple dates back 700 to 800 years, when, according to legend, a

brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...

dug into the ground and discovered a natural ''

lingam 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 ...

'', an emblem of

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

. The temple was founded on that spot, and the ''lingam'' is now enshrined in the temple's

sanctum sanctorum The Latin phrase ''sanctum sanctorum'' is a translation of the Hebrew term ''קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים'' (Qṓḏeš HaQŏḏāšîm), literally meaning Holy of Holies, which generally refers in Latin texts to the holiest place of th ...

. The most important festival at Shree Kaleshwara Mandira is the five-day Mahashivaratri

Utsava Utsava (), also referred to as Utsavam, generally means a festival or celebration or any joyous occasion, mostly associated with Hinduism. It also carries the meaning of delight, merriment and pleasure. The Sanskrit word ''utsava'' comes from t ...

, in which the idol of Kaleshwara is drawn out of the temple in its chariot. The festival is accompanied by a fair and attracts visitors from great distances. Other festivals include Maghi Ganesha Utsava, celebrated in the month of

Maagha Maagha (Hindi: माघ ''maagh'') is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, it's the eleventh month of the year, corresponding to January/February in the Gregorian calendar.Henderson, Helene. (Ed.) (2005) ''Holida ...

, and Navratri Utsava. Please visit http://newconsys.com/kaleshwar.html

References

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External links

Shri Kaleshwar Mandir on Wikimapia
Hindu temples in Maharashtra Temples in Sindhudurg district