MahaShivratri Special
Prof Nutan K Resutra
When I used to read folk talks, I found that they almost all started with the sentence “Once upon a time there was ………!” And this tale also starts with the same sentence:
Once upon a time, there was a big jungle near the area what is today called Tehsil or City of Ramnagar, in District Udhampur. Just outside this jungle was a small village where the family of a Brahmin lived. As was the tradition in those days, this Brahmin family also had some domestic cattle. Each morning, the house owner would send the cattle to the jungle for grazing and the latter would return in the evening.
One day the Brahmin noticed that his best cow had stopped giving milk. He noticed that when the cattle went for grazing, that particular cow had full udders with milk; but when they returned, there was no milk. He suspected that some- one in the jungle would mulch his cow. He decided to check stealing of his cow’s milk by who so ever it was.
The following day he sent all the other cattle but tied that particular cow in the house itself. But the cow became violent, broke her rope and ran towards the jungle. When she returned, again; there was no milk with her. The Brahmin became very confused and could not think of any possible reason for it.
Throughout that night he could not sleep properly. The next morning, he let all cattle out for grazing. Keeping a safe distance, he started following them with the intent to catch the milk- thief red handed. On entering the jungle, that cow went to a particular spot and stood there. Suddenly, she automatically started pouring her milk without any one mulching her! That milk was absorbed by soil at that very point. After giving milk, she started grazing and returned home with other cattle.
The Brahmin was very perplexed. He could not understand the logic behind all this phenomenon. The same thing got repeated the following day and the day after also; baffling the Brahmin completely. And then he decided to do something.
When following day, the cow again went to that particular spot, the Brahmin also went there and started digging the place where milk would flow from the cow. After digging for a while, his spade suddenly struck some hard object with force. When he removed the earth with his hands, he found an antique Shivling buried there. It was on this Shivling on which the cow used to give her milk!
The Brahmin removed the Shivling and erected it on a small pedestal, giving it the shape of a make shift temple. This temple was situated on the bank of a large water body or lake which is now known as the Dalsar Lake. Even today, this Shivling has a mark of spade on it, clearly visible in the above photograph, giving credence to the story that the Brahmin had hit that Shivling with his spade!
When the news of discovery of that Shivling spread, the Raja of Ramnagar also came to pay his obeisance there. In those days, Ramnagar was ruled by the Kings belonging to the Bandralta Clan. The Raja vowed to build a temple there. And it is said that the first temple of miraculous Shivling of Dalsar was made by the then Raja of Ramnagar. That first temple got bult by the Bandralta Raja of Ramnagar was destroyed because of a powerful earthquake that rocked the area after the rule of BandraltaKings had come to an end. The Shiv Temple at Dalsar was made three times; and it is this third construction that we find today. The second temple at Dalsar was built by the locals and devotees. But that temple was very small where hardly three to four persons could sit and perform pooja at one given time. In the year 1996, it was for the third time that the temple was rebuilt. This time, it was an old lady of Dalsar named Sita Devi Khajuria who, out of her own resources, got the present structure erected in memory of her son Om Parkash and daughter -in -law Sushma Devi. Her son was posted in Indian Army and the duo had died in a tragic accident at Srinagar.
There is another legend associated with this temple. The locals believe that this miraculous Shivling changes its colours three times in a day. The afternoon or evening colour of Shivling would be altogether different from what it was in the morning! The Shivling has the signs of mouth, ear, nose and jataor long hair of Bhagwan Shiv Shankar.
The story of Dalsar Shiv Temple would not be complete if we do not make mention of Dalsar Lake. It is said that this lake was developed by the Bandralta kings of Ramnagar kingdom. They got steps constructed around it; the remains of those steps can be seen even today. It is said that many palatial houses were also built around this lake. Even the Dogra Raja Ram Singh took keen interest in its development and beautification. He also got different ghats built around it where people used to bathe with ease.
In those days Dalsar Lake was spread over a vast area, but now due to various man- made -causes, this lake has shrunk to less than half of its original size. Yet, the sanctity of the lake is still maintained because of the existence of the miraculous Shiv Temple.
Even after passing of so many centuries, no one has been able to give a satisfactory explanation of the daily changing colours or the signs of nose, mouth, ears and jata on the miraculous Shivling of Dalsar!
(The author is former Principal GGM Science College and former Chairman, J&K BOSE)
