Naimisharanya (Neemsar) is a land steeped with Hindu mythology linking it to Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Goddess Sati and Lord Shiva. The place is unique owing to the belief that it is the land where the pantheon of 33 Hindu God & Goddesses reside. It also believed to be the first most sacred of all pilgrim centres for Hindus. It is said that if one performs penance for 12 years on this land, one moves to Brahmaloka. The place is located on the banks of River Gomti in Sitapur district at a distance of 94 Km from Lucknow. This place finds mention as a dense forest in several ancient scriptures, including the Mahabharata. It is definitely worth a day trip to visit the various shrines. A paved street encircling the town connects the primary shrines and visitors can cover the circuit in a couple of hours.
Naimisharanya is unique in that it is the only place, apart from Patal Bhuvaneshwar, where it is believed the pantheon of 33 crores Hindu Gods and Goddesses reside. Naimisharanya also claims the distinction of being the first and most sacred of all Tirth Sthans for Hindus. If one performs penance here for 12 years one goes straightaway to Brahmaloka. Visiting Naimisharanya is equivalent to visiting all the important Tirth Sthans. This is the only place to find mention in all important Hindu sacred texts.
Naimisharanya is located on the banks of River Gomti in Sitapur district at a distance of 94 Km from Lucknow. In Naimisharanya is many place to visit. Naimisharanya is renowned from the time of Satya Yug or Kritha Yug, the most ancient times. It is the holy place where many sages have performed their penance. It is believed that on visiting this sacred place, people are rid of their sins. Upon visiting Naimisharanya, man attains Moksh (liberation) and attains immense powers (the eight powers that are talked about in Hindu philosophy). These words and their importance are mentioned in various ancient scriptures of India. Naimisharanya is also referred to as Naimish or Neemsaar or Neemshaar.
The Universally known Satyanarayan Katha was told by Suth to Shounak and other sages in Naimisharanya. Description of this holy place is found in the first sloka of the story.
The renowned saint Goswami Tulasi Das wrote about the prominence of Naimisharanya in Raamcharith Maanas. Naimisharanya is the stomach of our deceased elders. Paying homage to our elders at naimisharanya satisfies them and any sins aquried by us will be quenched and it is beneficial to our family.
Located on the banks of Gomti River in Sitapur district of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, Naimisharanya is a revered Hindu temple enshrined by the God Vishnu. Also known as Nimsar, Neemsar or Nimkhar, it is one of the ‘Divya Desams’ i.e. one of the 108 Vishnu temples mentioned in the works of the scholarly Alvars (saints). The temple has been mentioned in Nalayira Divya Prabandham which is a collection of verses by composed by the 12 Alvars. Apart from this, the temple is one of the eight venerated temples that is believed to have self-manifested itself and is also called as Swayamvyaktha Kshetra.
Popular as one of the most important pilgrimage spots of the Hindus, the highlight of the temple is a holy tank called Chakra Kundra where the devotees take a dip to cleanse themselves of any sins. This holy tank is said to have been created with the Chakra- weapon of God Vishnu. Known to be one of the most ancient temples, the construction and design has been improvised by several rulers over the years. It is believed that several sages have performed penance here; the land is so holy that just by visiting here, a person can rid himself of his sins and attain Moksha (liberation).
Etymology of Naimisharanya
The devotees believe that Naimisharanya has been named after the Chakra of God Vishnu. ‘Naimi’ means the outer surface of the disc of Lord Vishnu and ‘sharanya’ means the place where it fell. Also, the tank in the temple where devotees take a holy dip is called Chakra Kundra, after the Chakra of Lord Vishnu again.
Legend of Naimisharanya
There are very many legends associated with the origin of the temple at Naimisaranya. A per one, it is believed that one revered sage Narada was in search of the best water body (teertha). During his search, he went to the abode of Lord Shiva- Kailasa and that of Lord Vishnu- Parkadal. Finally he settled on the water body in the Naimisha Forest.
Another legend goes on to state a tale when Lord Indra who was the king of the devas was troubled and driven out of the devalok by a demon (asura) named Vritra. The demon was apparently blessed by a boon that no weapon that was created till the date of him receiving the boon could kill him. So, disappointed and disheartened, Lord Indra seeked the help of Lord Vishnu to retrieve his kingdom. It was finally decided by Lord Vishnu that a weapon made from the bones of sage Dadhichi could defeat Vritra. When Dadhichi was approached for help, he gave in to the proposal and was ready to offer himself willingly but he wanted to go on a pilgrimage of all the holy rivers in the world. On hearing this, Lord Indra brought all the holy rivers to Naimisaranya to allow sage Dadhichi to fulfill his wish without wasting time. Soon after, the sage sacrificed himself and a weapon was created with his spine that was used to defeat the asura.
Yet another myth associated with the temple is that once when all sages were performing penance, Lord Brahma- the God of all creation brought out a ring from darba grass. The ring fell down at a place and Lord Brahma asked the sages to perform penance at that place. That same spot came to be known as Naimisaranya later. At the end of the penance, Lord Vishnu emerged and accepted the offerings. As per mythology, this forest still has God Vishnu and the sages as trees.
Religious Significance
As stated earlier, the temple holds enormous religious significance; it is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage spots. The place has been visited by the renowned Shankaracharya and was the abode of Surdas for a considerable amount of time. Suthar, who was the author of the 18 puranas also lived here. Initially all the prayers and offerings were made to the forest; hence, even today, the pujas are done to the forest. The temple is one of the ‘Divya Desams’ – one of the 108 Vishnu temples mentioned in the works of the scholarly saints (Alvars). The temple has been mentioned in Nalayira Divya Prabandham which is a 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon. The temple remains especially crowded every full-moon day when devotees visit in huge numbers and take a dip in the holy Chakra Kundra. The pujas are especially effective if the new moon days fall on Mondays.
| Tour Package | Duration |
|---|---|
| Naimisharanya Sightseeing Tour Package | 03 Days & 02 Nights |
| Best of Uttar Pradesh Tour Package | 13 Days & 12 Nights |
| Varanasi Bodhgaya Chitrakoot Tour Package | 07 Days & 06 Nights |
| Ayodhya Naimisharanya Tour Package | 03 Days & 02 Nights |
The Rani Mahal of Jhansi is another architectural marvel of Jhansi and frequented by many tourists. Other famous places to visit in Jhansi are Mahalakshmi temple, UP Government Museum, Maharaja Gangadhar Rao ki Chatri etc. Shopping being one of the best things to do in Jhansi, you can look for the antique art objects that conjures the images of the royal era. You can also visit Parichha which is a scenic dam or see the Barua Sagar lake situated on the banks of the Betwa River. Orchha is famous for its fort while St. Jude’s Shrine, situated on Civil Lines in Jhansi, is also a popular tourist destination for the Catholic Christians. Wondering how to plan your tour itinerary to Jhansi? Don’t worry as you have landed to the right place. Here are the best tours offering the best things to do in Jhansi when you are vacationing here.
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