Biggest Shiva Linga of Asia: 25 feet tall Baba Jatadhari in Odisha’s Balasore district! Watch
The Shiva Linga is increasing day by day. As per the locals, the Shiva Linga is increasing 2 inches per year. Now, while the circumference of the Linga is 20 feet, it is about 25 feet in height.
Nilagiri: The 25 feet tall Baba Jatadhari Shiva Linga of Shaalabani village in Nilagiri area of Odisha’s Balasore district is claimed to be the tallest Shiva Linga in Asia.
Miraculously, this Shiva Linga is said to be growing day by day. The locals believe that the Linga is growing 2 inches per year. It is believed that any wish made here is fulfilled by the grace of Baba Jatadhahi.
Location
The huge Shiva Linga is being worshipped in Shaalabani village in Nilagiri Block jurisdiction under Mahishpatta Panchayat. The age-old shrine of Baba Jatadhari is located in the lap of natural at the foot of the Swarnachuda hills.
Natural Shiva Linga
The 25 feet tall Shiva Linga here is a natural Shiva Linga worshipped as Baba Jatadhari here. It is believed that any wish made here is surely fulfilled. The desires of those who worship here with devotion are fulfilled by the grace of Lord Shiva.
Here, no other mantra is chanted except ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ mantra. The Shiva Linga is worshipped with bell leaves and flowers.
Shivaratri
Hundreds of Lord Shiva devotees throng here on Shivaratri as special worships take place on that divine occasion. The mental vow holders observe a waterless fast and light lamps and spend the night. After the Mahadeepa rises, they break their vow by drinking Shivodaka.
Height of Shiva Linga increasing
The locals as well as devotees claim that this Shiva Linga grows by two inches every year. While the circumference of the Linga is 20 feet, it is about 25 feet in height.
Emergence of this Shiva Linga
Many interesting legends are heard about the emergence of the Jatadhari Mahadev worshipped here. As per the legend, about 150 years ago, Shri Ruhiya Singh, who lived in this village, went to the nearby forest and tried to spread tamarinds. Yet, seeing that it was getting dark, he decided to spread the same the next morning and went back home.
The next morning, when he went to the forest and saw that there was no tamarind in the tree. Only a few broken tamarinds had fallen on the ground. He got angry and decided to burn the tree the next day. However the tree could not be burnt and he returned home.
Divine order in dreams
At night, he had a dream in which he was said that it is very difficult to plant and take care a tree. If you burn a tree, you should plant 3 trees to compensate and it will bring good days to his family.
The next day, Shri Ruhiya Singh planted three banyan saplings at that place. Today these three banyan trees have grown into huge banyan trees which can be witnessed even today at this spot.
The Lord’s daughter
After some years Suna Singh, the son of Ruhiya Singh was blessed with a daughter. After the birth of this girl child, the family got a true blessing of the God. The family developed a lot.
After a few years, the girl grew up as a teen. One-day’s incident completely changed the overall condition of the area and turned it into a divine land.
Miraculous legend of Kuni Singh
One day, Suna Singh’s daughter Kuni Singh went to fetch water from a nearby pond. While fetching water, the pot broke due to which she got scared. So she went to fetch water and did not return home.
As she did not return for long her father, mother, family and villagers searched a lot for her and found the girl sitting on a rock. They tried to bring the girl down, but she denied and said that she will continue sitting there for seven days.
Listening this the parents tried to convince her to get down upon which she agreed to get down at least after one day. She promised to get down from the stone the next day morning. She also said that when the following morning the people would return they should bring some items to worship.
The next morning, when the villagers and parents reached there with the worship items, the little girl came down from the large stone, which was found as a natural Shiva Linga. She took bath and then worshipped the Shiva Linga for the first time.
From that day on, she used to go there every day with her parents and worship. And the said Shiva LInga there was named as Lord Jatadhari.
While the girl’s grandfather used to worship there, now the girl’s father and mother are worshipping.
Biggest Shiva Linga of Asia
Although there road communication to this place, there is no drinking water facility here. The locals claim that this Shiva Linga is the largest Shiva Linga in the Asian continent. However, they have lamented that if the local administration pays attention, the place would get the status of a tourist destination in the future.
Input: Jagannath Das, Nilagiri
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Also read: Odisha: Balasore student creates miniature Lord Shiva in raw turmeric, watch
