Puja at Dharmeshwar Temple

The Dharmeshwar Temple is a special place for worship. It all began when Goddess Parvati asked Lord Shiva to tell her about important symbols of Lord Shiva in a holy city called Kashi. Lord Shiva shared a story: In Kashi, a long time ago, there was a god named Yam Raj who prayed very devotedly to Lord Shiva. He prayed through extremely cold winters and very hot summers. His prayers became stronger over time; he even stood on one leg and prayed for many years. Finally, after a very long time, Lord Shiva appeared before him and gave him the title of Dharma Raja, which means the king of fairness and justice. In some prayers, you might hear the words “Yamaya Dharma Rajaya” that talk about Dharma Raja.

The special symbol of Lord Shiva that Yam Raj had worshiped was named Dharmeshwar Linga by Lord Shiva himself. When Yam Raj saw Lord Shiva in person, he was so amazed and happy that he couldn’t even ask for anything.

Lord Shiva then told Yam Raj that his job was to make sure that when people passed away, they were treated fairly. Those who did bad things should be punished, and those who did good things should go to a good place. The judgment had to be fair for everyone. In Kashi, people who prayed and did rituals should be free from all the bad things they or their family members might have done. Yam Raj’s job was for those who did bad things, but as Dharma Raj, he was for the good people.

People believe that if they take a bath in a special well called Dharma Koop and worship Dharmeshwar, they will be free from all their bad actions. Yam Raj agreed to do what Lord Shiva told him and make sure that everyone was treated fairly.

LOCATION OF THE DHARMESHWAR TEMPLE

The Dharmeshwar Temple is located at D-2/21, Mir Ghat. You can reach this temple from a famous area called Dashashwamedh. To get there, you can take a rickshaw to Dashashwamedh Vishwanath Gulli and then walk to the temple, passing by the well-known Vishalakshi Gauri temple on foot. If you’ve already visited the Visweshwar Temple, you can go towards the Saraswati Phatak gate and walk to Vishalakshi Gauri temple, which will lead you to Dharmeshwar. Another way to reach is by taking a boat to Mirghat and then climbing the steps up to the temple. The entire area, which includes Dharmeshwar, Dharma Koop, Vishalakshi Devi, and more, is considered a powerful Shakti Peeth, a place filled with vital energy. Any prayers offered in this area are believed to bring maximum benefits to the devotees.

TIMING OF PUJA AT DHARMESHWAR TEMPLE

The Dharmeshwar Temple is open for worship during specific times: from 5:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and then from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. They have special prayer ceremonies at 5:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Worshiping at the Dharmeshwar Temple in the month of Kartik (usually between October 20 and November 20), especially on the eighth day after the new moon (called Shukla Paksha Ashtami), is believed to be very lucky and special.

Nearby, there is a well called Dharma Koop. Doing a ritual called Shraddha Karma there after taking a bath is considered as important as performing the Shraddh ceremony in another holy place called Gaya. If you want to do a special prayer or ritual, it’s a good idea to talk to the priest (Poojari) beforehand.