01Kusha’s armlet
The temple’s katha says Kusha, Rama’s son, lost his armlet while bathing in the Sarayu. It was found by a Naga maiden who loved him and who was a devotee of Shiva; for her sake Kusha raised a temple of Shiva here as Nageshwar, lord of the Nagas. Ayodhya’s tradition adds that when the city lay forgotten, King Vikramaditya found it again through this temple, which was still standing. It is the presiding Shiva of Ayodhya, and pilgrims bathe at the Sarayu ghats and come up to pour water on the linga.
02Naval Rai’s temple
The present building dates from 1750, when Naval Rai, the Hindu minister of Safdar Jang, Nawab of Awadh, rebuilt it. It stands at the head of Ram ki Paidi, the line of ghats on a channel of the Sarayu that is lit with lakhs of lamps for the Deepotsav at Diwali. On Mahashivaratri the temple holds the Shiv barat, a procession of Shiva as bridegroom through the streets, and in Shravan kanwariyas bring Sarayu water.
The life of this place
- 1750Naval Rai, minister of Safdar Jang, builds the present temple.
The temple is at Ram ki Paidi, about 1.5 km from Hanuman Garhi; come at dusk for the Sarayu aarti nearby.
