Siddheshwar Temple, Solapur
Siddheshwar Temple
Siddheshwar Temple
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictSolapur district
Location
StateMaharashtra
CountryIndia
Siddheshwar Temple, Solapur is located in Maharashtra
Siddheshwar Temple, Solapur
Location within Maharashtra
Geographic coordinates17°40′22″N 75°54′16″E / 17.67278°N 75.90444°E / 17.67278; 75.90444
Gadda procession,January 2024
Siddheshwar Mandir, as seen from Solapur Bhuikot Killa
Siddheshwar samadhi

Siddheshwar Temple is a temple in Solapur district, Maharashtra, India.[1][2][3] It is sacred to Hindus and members of the Lingayat faith.[4] There is a lake within the temple complex.[5]

Temple

The temple is dedicated to its namesake Siddheshwar, a twelfth-century devotee of Shiva who is considered a god in the Lingayat faith and the grāmadevatā of Solapur. It is at the temple's site where he is recorded as having attained samadhi, and as such the location is revered by devotees. Upon achieving samadhi in 1167AD, Siddeshwar attained samadhi and A marble samadhi exists at the centre of the temple today.[6][7]


Siddheshwar is attributed to having installed 68 Shiva lingams in the main courtyard; the amrit (immortality) linga being one of them. There are several smaller temples within the complex, such as ones dedicated to Ganesha, Vithoba and Rukmini. Additionally, within the sanctum of the main temple complex there is an idolic effigy of Siddheshwar. A silver-plated figure of the mythological bull nandi is also present.[7]

History

As per the records, Siddheshwar Temple was built by Shri Siddharameshwar, a yogi and devotee of Shri Mallikarjuna of Srisailam. He built this temple and made 68 Shiva lingams in the temple as per the instructions of his guru. It is said that the city of Solapur began to prosper at the birth of Shri Siddheshwar, who is also considered as the sixth[citation needed] god of the Lingayat faith, and devotees seek the blessings of this deity.

The temple and lake have been administered since 1899 by the ‘Shri Siddheshwar Devsthan Panch Committee’.[8]

The best time to visit the temple is the Makar Sankranti festival in mid-January,when a grand celebration takes place for three days. Gadda Yatra, a local fair, is arranged for fifteen days in the vicinity of the temple. The temple is in honour of Siddheshwar, a devotee of Shiva.[4]

Ritual

On Makarsankrat, there are annual pilgrimages called 'Gadda'. This is when the Gadda Yatra celebration begins and continues for 15 days.[8][9] A procession called the 'Procession of Kathis' is conducted at the temple. [4]

The temple during the Gadda Yatra

The temple is attended by members of Veerashaiva.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Check out India's 'Manchester of the East'". The National. The National, AE. 2013-06-03. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  2. ^ "Modest Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation resorts set to acquire a grand look". Times of India. Times of India. 2014-10-12. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  3. ^ Baad, Dhirajkumar, R. (2016). SOCIO ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF WARKARIES IN MAHARASHATRA. Solapur: Lulu Publication. p. 8. ISBN 9781329943100.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b c Mulani, Sikandar S. (2014). Socio Economic Development in Solapur District. Solapur: Lulu Publication. p. 117. ISBN 9781312373945.
  5. ^ Burman, J.J Roy (2002). Hindu-Muslim Syncretic Shrines and Communities. New Delhi: Mittal Publications, 2002. p. 276. ISBN 9788170998396.
  6. ^ Iyer, Vasanti C (2020). Hospital Administration, a Paradigm Shift in Health Care Services with References to Solapur District. Ashok Yakkaldevi. p. 71.
  7. ^ a b "Siddheshwar". Maharashtra Tourism. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  8. ^ a b "Siddheshwar lake.pdf". Ministry of Environment and Forests, India. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  9. ^ "Devotees throng Solapur for annual Gadda Yatra". DNAIndia. 14 January 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  10. ^ Baad, Dhirajkumar, R. (2016). IMPORTANTANCE OF WARI (YATRA) IN POINT OF ECONOMIC VIEW. Solapur: Lulu Publication. p. 15. ISBN 9781329943117.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Categories