Shri Bhadranag Temple Bhdravati, TGa. Bhadravati, Chandrapur

The Chandrapur district of Maharashtra is considered culturally rich. One can observe a great diversity in the idols found in the various ancient temples here. The Bhadranaga Mandir in Bhadravati city is also one such unique shrine. This temple is renowned as the Gramadaivata, or village deity, of Bhadravati Taluka. It is said to be the only temple dedicated to Sheshanaga in Vidarbha that is more than one thousand years old. Scholars claim that such a Naga idol is not found anywhere else in the state.

The land of Vidarbha is known as Nagabhumi, the land of Nagas. The Bhadranaga Mandir here is considered a symbol of Naga worship. This city, mentioned as Bhandak Nagari in ancient texts, gained fame due to its ancient Hemadpanti Bhadranaga Mandir. An inscription in the temple complex mentions that the sabhamandapa, or assembly hall, was renovated in the year one thousand one hundred and forty-six. This suggests that the temple must be older than that. This inscription is in Sanskrit, Modi, and Marathi languages.

A story is told about this temple: In ancient times, a woman vowed to the Naga deity here that if she had a child, she would feed her milk to the Naga deity. Accordingly, after some days, she had a son. As per her vow, she came to offer milk to the Naga; however, seeing the terrifying form of the Naga, she became frightened and left without offering the milk. Due to her failure to fulfill the vow, her son passed away after some days.

According to a legend, there are seven Nagas in this area, and they are all brothers. All of them reside in this vicinity. Among them are Bhadranaga, Nagasen, the Naga at Dudhala Lake, Chintamani Naga of Mobala village, the Naga near Bari Society, the Naga in Nilambari Mandir, and the Naga at Bhatala. Devotees here believe that all these Naga brothers meet each other. Below the Naga idol in the Bhadranaga Mandir is the samadhi of Nagaraj Swami. It is said that the image of the Naga might have been installed above this samadhi later; however, information about these Nagaraj Swami is not available.

One enters the temple courtyard through an arch in the fort wall of the Bhadranaga Mandir. This temple, built in the Hemadpanti architectural style, does not have a shikhara but instead features a sloping roof. On both sides of the temple entrance are ancient idols of dwarapalas and Ganesha. The temple’s structure comprises a sabhamandapa and a garbhagriha, or sanctum sanctorum. There are a total of thirty-six stone pillars in the temple. These pillars are adorned with sculptures of kumbhas. The Sheshashayi Vishnu idol in the sabhamandapa is unique. Shesha’s hood is above Vishnu’s head, and Lakshmi is near His feet. Additionally, idols of Yaksha, Yogini, and Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh in the form of Trimurti are carved into this monolithic stone. There is also an ancient idol of Shri Ganesha here. In the garbhagriha, on a platform, there is a monolithic idol of Bhadranaga with nine hoods and a height of two and a half feet. The back of the Bhadranaga idol is beautifully decorated with a brass sculpture of Mahadeva.

In the temple courtyard, there is an ancient well dug into the rock, with steps leading down into it. Devotees believe that Bhadranaga secretly resides in this well. Therefore, devotees who come here make sure to visit this well as well. When the temple opens at five-thirty in the morning, abhishek, puja, and maha-arati are performed here. After that, devotees can have darshan from six in the morning. Thousands of devotees from Vidarbha, as well as Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, come to have darshan of Bhadranaga. Mondays and Wednesdays see a larger crowd. Additionally, there are festivals on Nagapanchami and Mahashivaratri. The Mahashivaratri festival is celebrated here for a week.

As Bhadranaga is a jagrut devasthan, a living shrine, there is a tradition of making vows here. Accordingly, once a vow is fulfilled, devotees come here and offer shira prasad and a cooked meal as naivedya to Bhadranaga. Bhadranaga’s arati is performed daily at seven in the morning and seven at night. Many devotees specifically attend this arati. Devotees can have darshan of Bhadranaga in the temple daily from six in the morning to nine at night. According to the rules here, pregnant women are prohibited from entering this temple.

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