Divine Mrityunjaya Pardeswara Mahadev Temple Nandkheda Marg, Parbhani, parbhani

The city of Parbhani holds a significant place in the religious and historical traditions of Marathwada. Nestled in this historic land, the Mrityunjay Pardeshwar Mahadev Mandir offers devotees the divine sight of a magnificent Parad Shivling. Harmonizing spirituality with science, this temple has been constructed entirely of marble. In the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, a unique Parad Shivling weighing २५० kilograms is consecrated. This Shivling is known as the ‘Tejoling’. It is the firm belief of devotees that by having the darshan of the Parad Shivling here, one attains the same merit as visiting the twelve Jyotirlingas. History suggests that in ancient times, the Yajnashala of Sage Kaundinya was located in this temple premises.

In Hindu tradition, and especially in the Shaiva sect, mercury (Parad) is considered extremely sacred and holds special significance. According to mythology, mercury originated from the essence of Lord Shiva. It is believed that worshipping a Parad Shivling destroys all the sins of a human being. Devotees believe that the worship of this Shivling grants all worldly pleasures and leads to salvation (Moksha) after death. Through the worship of the Parad Shivling, a person attains the four goals of life: Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. Furthermore, the ‘Brahma Purana’ clearly mentions that it brings honor, high status, and fame in life. If this Shivling is kept in the home, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Shiva, and Kuber reside there permanently. It is also believed that the special vibrations generated by this Shivling keep the surrounding environment pure and positive. According to astrology, mercury is considered a symbol of the planet Mercury (Budh). Since mercury is the foundation of many life-giving medicines, it has been accorded the status of nectar (Amrita) in Ayurveda.

Mahamandaleshwar Shri Swami Sachchidanand Saraswati, a supreme devotee of Lord Shiva, resolved to build a grand temple housing a Parad Shivling in Parbhani. For this sacred task, he chose this historic site, which was the penance ground of Sage Kaundinya. A popular legend states that Sage Kaundinya performed rigorous penance and yajnas here in ancient times. The construction of this temple formally began around the year १९८९ on a vast area of about four thousand square meters. Subsequently, the construction of the temple was completed in the year १९९२. At normal temperatures, mercury is always in a fluid or liquid state. To solidify mercury through chemical processes and create a Shivling, various rituals, rules, and principles of ancient Rasashastra (alchemy) were utilized. In this solidification process, mercury was primarily purified and combined with sulfur and extracts of specific medicinal herbs. For this entire technical and religious guidance, special learned Brahmins were invited from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. This difficult process of solidifying mercury took a full year to complete. Thereafter, in the year १९९३, the Parad Shivling was consecrated in this temple with full Vedic rites by the holy hands of Shri Swami Sachchidanand Saraswati.

This grand temple is situated on Nandkheda Road in Parbhani city. The main entrance gate of the temple is about ८० feet high and is built in a very attractive manner. After entering the spacious courtyard of the temple through this gate, a Goshala (cowshed) can be seen at a short distance. A new Yajnashala has also been built in this area in memory of Sage Kaundinya. A few steps further from here, one reaches the main entrance of the temple. A beautiful idol of Lord Shiva is installed in the center above this entrance. Upon entering through this main gate, one enters a large Sabha Mandap (assembly hall). On the left side of this hall, there is a library where various religious texts and worship materials are available for sale. A similar library is also operated near the main gate of the temple. On the left side of the Sabha Mandap, beautiful temples of Mahalakshmi, Saraswati, Mahakali, and Radhakrishna are built in a single row. The holy seat (Gadi) of Swami Sachchidanand Saraswati is also established here. A small Shivling is installed right in front of these sub-temples. Very close to this location is the historic site of Sage Kaundinya’s original Yajnashala. An enchanting idol of Lord Nataraja is installed on one of the walls of the Sabha Mandap.

A few steps ahead from the Sabha Mandap, one reaches the main temple of Mrityunjay Pardeshwar Mahadev. Near the steps at the entrance of this temple, a large stone idol of Nandi, the vehicle of Lord Shiva, is installed. An image of a Mangal Kalash is drawn on the front of the pedestal of this Nandi idol. The temple consists of a Sabha Mandap and a sanctum sanctorum in the center. Railings have been installed in the Sabha Mandap to properly manage the queue of visiting devotees. An idol of Lord Ganesha is seated in a small niche on the left side of the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum, while an idol of Mother Annapurna Devi is consecrated in the niche on the right. A mask of Lord Shiva is placed right in the center of the railing in front of the sanctum. A small idol of Ganesha is carved on the lintel in the center of the sanctum entrance. In the main sanctum of the temple, this main Parad Shivling is consecrated within a large Shalunka (base). A beautiful silver covering is placed over the Shalunka and the Parad Shivling. A large Panchdhatu (five-metal) idol of Lord Vasuki Nag is seated in front of this Shivling. This idol of the serpent deity was installed here in the year २०२२. In a niche in the wall behind the Shivling, an idol of Mahadev is installed, surrounded by an intricately carved halo. A spacious Satsang hall has been built in the temple premises. All major religious and cultural programs of the temple are organized in this hall.

This temple is open for devotees daily from ६ AM to १२ PM and from ४ PM to ९ PM. The morning Aarti (Pratah Aarti) takes place daily at ६:३० AM, followed by the evening Aarti (Sanj Aarti) at ७ PM. After this evening Aarti, the gathered devotees sit together to recite the ‘Shiva Mahima’ Stotra. At 9 o’clock at night, once the Shej Aarti is completed, the temple doors are closed for Darshan. Devotees visiting here are provided with the facility to perform Abhishekam in the traditional scriptural manner every morning. Various special Abhishekam rituals, primarily Rudrabhishekam, Belpatra Abhishekam, and Moti Abhishekam, are performed in this temple. Every Sunday, a Dnyaneshwari contemplation program is organized at the temple. Additionally, on every full moon (Pournima) of the month, a Homa-Havan is conducted in the temple according to scriptural rites. During Chaturmas, various spiritual Satsangs are organized here. On various auspicious occasions, this Shiva Linga of Pardeshwar Mahadev is adorned in an extremely attractive manner.

All major Hindu festivals and celebrations such as Makar Sankranti, Holi, Maha Shivaratri, Krishna Janmashtami, Radhashtami, Raksha Bandhan, Navratri Utsav, Deepavali, and Guru Pournima are celebrated with great enthusiasm in this temple. Among these, Maha Shivaratri is considered the grandest festival of this temple. On this special day, crowds of devotees throng the temple from early dawn for the Darshan of Lord Shiva. Various religious programs are organized here on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri. On this day, a special Abhishekam with mercury is performed on the Parad Shiva Linga. The number of devotees visiting for Darshan is also high during the month of Shravan. During this month of Shravan, a ‘Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Katha Saptah’ is organized in the temple. Mahaprasad is distributed to the pilgrims and devotees visiting for Darshan on every day of this Katha.

Sacred History & Spiritual Significance

This sacred temple stands as a testament to deep spiritual devotion, ancient architectural grandeur, and rich local cultural traditions.

Temple Sanctum & Architecture

The sanctum sanctorum houses the divine idol consecrated according to ancient Vedic traditions, surrounded by serene courtyards and traditional temple architecture.

Sacred Darshan Gallery