The spring of the sage
Moved by Devala Rishi's penance, the Lord struck the earth and water rose to quench the thirst of the land. The sage's first offering was that water; every abhishek here still begins with water from the Dev Kund.
Presiding deity & holy sanctum
In the innermost sanctum stands Shri Dev, the self-manifested form of Lord Vishnu found beside the sacred spring, worshipped here as the protector of the kshetra and the giver of peace.
The sacred form
The black-stone image, about four feet tall, stands on a lotus pedestal in the samabhanga posture, with four arms and a gentle smile. Each attribute carries a meaning taught in the agamas.
Shankha (conch)
The primordial sound Om, from which creation arises; its call removes fear.
Chakra (discus)
The mind and the wheel of time, which cuts through ignorance and ego.
Gada (mace)
Strength of knowledge and the power that upholds dharma.
Padma (lotus)
Purity and liberation: the soul that blooms untouched by the world.
Srivatsa and Kaustubha
The mark of Lakshmi on the chest and the gem of pure consciousness.
Vanamala (garland)
The garland of forest flowers, the five elements offered to the Lord.
Religious symbolism
The temple is built as the body of the Lord: the sanctum is the heart, the shikhara the raised head, and the path of parikrama the journey of the soul around its centre.
The single lamp that never goes out in the sanctum, the akhand deep, represents the light of the Self that remains when everything else is offered away.
Divine stories of the kshetra
The merchant's promise
A merchant caught in a storm at sea vowed to build the Lord a stone home if his ships returned. They did, and the guilds of the town raised the shikhara that stands today.
The lamp through the flood
In the great flood of 1783 the water reached the sanctum door, yet the akhand deep kept burning. The townspeople rebuilt the mandap that same winter.
Ritual significance of the daily sevas
| Seva | Significance |
|---|---|
| Abhishek | The Lord is bathed with water, milk, curd, honey and ghee: purification of body, mind and offering. |
| Shringar | Dressing the Lord as a beloved guest; the garments change with the day of the week and the season. |
| Naivedya (bhog) | Food offered with love becomes prasad, shared with every pilgrim at the Annakshetra. |
| Aarti | Waving of lamps: the devotee offers the five elements and receives the Lord's light. |
| Tulsi archana | Tulsi leaves, dearest to the Lord, offered with the 108 names. |
Shrines around the sanctum
Around the main sanctum are the shrines of the parivar devatas, each with its own daily puja.
- Shri Ganesh at the entrance, who removes obstacles
- Rudra shrine with the Shivalinga (Kshetrapal), where Rudrabhishek is performed
- Maa Lakshmi, consort of the Lord, facing the sanctum
- Shri Hanuman at the south gate, guardian of the parikrama
- The Navgrah mandap for the nine planetary deities