Nishkalank Mahadev Temple - Bhavanagar

 

Nishkalank Mahadev Temple is a Hindu temple located at Koliyak near Bhavanagar , Gujarat . Situated at Koliyal beach , it is the rarest sea temple in India you must include in your Gujarat trip and among the most visited places of piligrimage in Bhavanagar .

Located about a kilometer in to the sea , the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva . The temple has a 5 distinct swayambu Shiva lingams on a square platform and each is having a Nandi statue facing it . This temple is submerged during the high tides in the sea and emerges during low tides to reveal itself majestically , promising its devotees to wash away all sins . The temple was built with the special care to withstand high tides and it truly remains an unsolved mystery to modern engineers and technology experts . 

The temple is believed to be built by the PANDAVA Kings after the Kurukshetra war . it ia said that after Pandavas killing their own family members they were feeling guilt for the sin  . to discover reclamation for their sins , they went to Lord Krishna . He handed them a black flag and a black cow and asked them to trail and said when the both the flag and the cow turns white , they will be forgiven . Lord Krishna also them to apologize to Lord Shiva after that . They followed the cow everywhere it took them and acknowledged the flag for many years to various places , yet the shades did not change . Finally , when they reached the KOLIYAK beach , both turned white and soon the Pandavas meditated on Lord Shiva and apologized for the sin they committed by them . Lord Shiva was impressed by their prayers , showed up in ligam form to each brother . hence , they named it as NISHKALANK MAHADEV which means being spotless , clean and innocent . 

The famous fair known as "Bhadarvi" is held on the new moon night in the month of the Shravana , as per the Indian calendar . The temple festival is initiated by hoisting the flag by the Maharajas of Bhavanagar where this flag is on the for 364 days and is changed only during the next temple festival . 

the devotees visit the temple by walking barefoot from the shore durinh the low tide . Devotees first wash their hands and legs in the pond called Pandavas pond , upon reaching the temple and then visit the shrine . The tides are active especially during the no moon or full moon days and devotees eagerly wait for the tides to disappear on these days . So kindly note the high tides and the low tides of the sea before visiting the shrine as the entire mafir depends on it . The very important flag for Nishkalank Mahadev temple has never been torn or washed away by the tide , rain or winds till now .

MY OPINION AND SUGGESTION ABOUT THIS TEMPLE AS I HAVE ALREADY VISITED : 

When you visit the temple please and make note of the timings as the water usually recedes only for few hours . The temple starts to gets submerged again at 7am (as per i have heard the timings may change depending on the tides ) you can even visit the temple in the afternoon and in the evening based on the tides . But in the evening the temple starts to gets submerged in the water at 7 in the evening . 

Caution is really required as the way for the temple may be very slippery and sometimes while going or coming back from the temple the water may reach above your knee level as i had happened to us .