The old list of the twelve jyotirlingas says “Nageshwar in the Darukavana”, the forest of the demon Daruka. The eighth entry in the traditional list of the twelve jyotirlingas is therefore a name and a forest, and the forest has been placed in more than one region. As with Vaidyanath and Bhimashankar, the honest account is that there are several claimants.
The three claimants
- Nageshwar near Dwarka, Gujarat. The most visited, on the road from Dwarka towards Bet Dwarka, in the region of old Saurashtra. Most pilgrims on the Gujarat circuit, and most published lists of jyotirlingas, name this temple.
- Aundha Nagnath, Hingoli district, Maharashtra. An old stone temple of the Hemadpanthi style, where the local tradition identifies the area with the Darukavana. Its devotees say the hymn’s wording fits this region, and the temple’s antiquity is not in question.
- Jageshwar, near Almora, Uttarakhand. A cluster of old stone temples set in a deodar forest, reached through an alpine valley. Some scholars and many local devotees argue that the deodar forest (devdaru vana) is the true Darukavana, since daru is also a word for the deodar.
Each claim has a long tradition of worship, and the texts do not give a place name that can settle it. Please follow your own devotion and local knowledge. The rest of this page is about the Gujarat temple, which most pilgrims visit.
The legend
The Shiva Purana tells of a demoness named Daruki, wife of Daruka, who ruled a forest on the western sea, and who had received a boon from the goddess Parvati. With it she moved her whole forest across the sea, and the couple’s demon followers captured many people, including a devout merchant named Supriya, who kept a firm devotion to Shiva even in prison.
Supriya taught the other captives to chant Om Namah Shivaya, and they worshipped a linga that he made in the cell. When Daruka learned of it, he threatened to kill them. Supriya prayed, and Shiva appeared from the earth in a form with a divine weapon, destroyed the demons, and took on the name Nagesha, the lord of serpents. In another part of the story, Parvati’s boon to Daruki was honoured, and the forest was given a place within the good order. As ever, the story is told in several forms, and it teaches the power of steady faith under pressure.
The temple
The Gujarat temple stands in a walled enclosure. The linga is housed in a shrine lower than the courtyard, and the complex has been renovated and extended in recent decades. The most visible feature is a very large seated figure of Shiva, about twenty-five metres high, which was added in the early 2000s with the support of the family of the music producer Gulshan Kumar. The older parts of the shrine are more modest, and the origin of the earliest structure is not firmly documented. We give no date for it.
Pilgrims often combine the temple with a visit to Gopi Talav and Bet Dwarka, and with the Dwarkadhish temple in Dwarka town.
Making a short circuit
A common plan is to stay in Dwarka, visit the Dwarkadhish temple early, then drive out to Nageshwar, and go on to the sea crossing to Bet Dwarka, which is reached by a short ferry from Okha. Gopi Talav, a pond with fine clay used for tilak, lies on the way. Allow a full day for the three, as ferry timings depend on weather and the tide. Wherever your faith places the Darukavana, the Gujarat circuit is easy to plan and comfortable to travel.
How to get there
- Airport: Jamnagar is the nearest airport, about two and a half hours by road. Porbandar is another option, and its services change often.
- Railway: Dwarka station is the usual one, with Okha as the terminus beyond it. Dwarka is on the line from Ahmedabad through Jamnagar.
- Road: state buses and taxis run from Dwarka town, which is the base for the visit.
- For the other two: Aundha Nagnath is reached via Nanded or Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), and Jageshwar via Kathgodam railway station and Pantnagar or Delhi flights. Please check current options.
The season
The coast is warm all year, and the cooler months are more comfortable. Maha Shivaratri brings a large crowd, as does the Shravan month. Jageshwar has cold winters and is lovely in the dry months, with a fair at Shivaratri. The Maha Shivaratri page has dates for your city.
Etiquette
Dress modestly, and keep footwear outside. The temple rules on bags, phones and the inner sanctum are set by the trust, and we do not quote them or any timings or fees. Please read the official website. In the Gujarat temple, the usual offering is water, bel leaves and flowers, and some devotees offer a cloth. Pilgrims coming from Dwarka sometimes recite the Om Namah Shivaya mantra on the road, which suits the story of Supriya.
Related pages
- The twelve jyotirlingas
- Somnath jyotirlinga, also in Gujarat
- Vaidyanath jyotirlinga, another disputed site
- Char Dham, which includes Dwarka
- Lingashtakam
- Pilgrimage guides
Frequently asked questions
↳ Where is the real Nageshwar jyotirlinga?
Three temples claim it: near Dwarka in Gujarat, Aundha Nagnath in Maharashtra and Jageshwar in Uttarakhand. The Gujarat temple is the most visited, and the texts do not settle the matter.
↳ What is the Darukavana?
It is the forest of the demon Daruka in the Shiva Purana story. Where it lay is the heart of the disagreement, since the word can also be read as a forest of deodar trees.
↳ Who was Supriya?
He was a merchant and devotee of Shiva, imprisoned by Daruka, who taught the other captives to chant Om Namah Shivaya. Shiva rescued them, and the temple grew from that story.
↳ How far is it from Dwarka?
It is a short drive from Dwarka town, on the road towards Bet Dwarka. Local transport is easy to find in Dwarka.
↳ What is the nearest airport?
Jamnagar for the Gujarat temple. Check current flights, as routes change.