Mahadeva

Bam-bhole, bam-bam-bhole resounding with the devotees moving in groups with Kanwar on their shoulders is famous for Lord Shiva’s Lodheshwar temple where the wishes of the devotees are being fulfilled since time immemorial and continues to be so even today. Even today, the people flock in lakhs to this place in the month of Phalgun every year i.e. on the occasion of Mahashivratri to worship and offer water to the famous shivling. This ancient Shiv temple is situated at village Mahadeva in tehsil Ram Nagar of district Barabanki on the banks of Ghaghra. Lodheshwar Mahadev has ancient history to its credit. The Shivling in this temple being one of the exotic and rarest of the 52 shivlings on the surface of earth.

It is said that, prior to the Mahabharat period, Lord Shiv wished to reappear  on the earth once again. Pandit Lodheram Awasthi was a learned Brahmin, simple, kind and good natured villager. One night Lord Shiv appeared in his dreams. Next day, Lodheram who was childless, while irrigating  his field, saw a pit from where his water was getting drained into the earth. He tried hard to plug it, but failed and returned home. In the night, again he saw the same statue in his dreams, and heard whispers saying ‘The pit where water is getting drained is my place establish me there and I would get fame by your name.’ It is said that, next day when Lodheram was digging the said pit, his implement struck a hard substance, and he saw the same statue in front of him, blood was oozing from the place where his implement had hit the statue, this mark can be seen even today. Lodheram was terrified by this sight, but he continued to digout the statue, but failed to get to the other end of the statue, so he left it as it is, and built the temple at the same place with half his name ‘Lodhe’ and  the  Lord  Shiv’s   ‘Ishwar’,  thereby  became  famous  by  the  devotees   name i.e. Lodheshwar. The Brahmin was then blessed with four sons, Mahadeva, Lodhaura, Gobarha and Rajnapur, villages named after them exist even today.

There are several instances in Mahabharat where this ancient temple is referred to. Pandav after the Mahabharat had performed the Mahayagya at this place, a well exists even today by the name Pandav-Kup. It is said that the water of the well is having spiritual qualities and those who drink this water get cured of a number of ailments.
In the history of the melas and fairs the world over, the fair held on the occasion of Mahashivratri at Mahadeva is unique. For the millions of devotees thronging the place, there is not a single woman devotee to be found during this festival fair.

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