The Wedding Destination of Shiva : Triyuginarayan
Triyuginarayan temple is a holy Hindu temple located in the Triyuginarayan village that is situated at an altitude of 1980m and is almost 5kms away from Sonprayag. Tri means three, Yugi means Epochs and Narayan as a synonym for Lord Vishnu. This village is in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state of India. This ancient temple is devoted to Lord Vishnu. It is known to be the destination of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati marriage that was witnessed by Lord Vishnu and therefore it is considered to be the most popular Hindu pilgrimage site. The Triyuginarayan temple resembles the temple of Kedarnath. The architecture of Triyuginarayan is in North Indian style architecture.
This temple holds 2 feet tall silver idol of Lord Vishnu along with idols of his consort Goddess Laxmi and Goddess Saraswati. This beautiful temple’s courtyard is also the source of a stream that fills four large ponds in the vicinity- Rudra Kund- for bathing, Vishnu Kund- for cleansing, Brahma Kund- for sipping, and Saraswati- for offering libations. The ashes from the perpetual fire burning here are believed to be holy and are taken back by the devotees for conjugal bliss. The devotees pay a visit tothe Tiyuginarayan temple also visits the Gauri Kund temple devoted to Goddess Parvati that is also the base camp for trek to the sacred Kedarnath temple.
Triyuginarayan is believed to be the capital of Himavat. One can visit this temple for darshan from 7 am to 2 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm. It is truly a must-visit place and is also famous among peace seekers, nature enthusiasts, and adventure lovers. It is strongly believed that the Triyuginarayan temple has been constructed by Adi Shankaracharya.
According to the Hindu mythology goddess, Parvati practised penance to please Lord Shiva at Gaurikund that is situated at a very short distance away from Triyuginarayan. Triyuginarayan was the venue of the celestial marriage of Shiva and Parvati during the Satya Yuga, witnessed in the presence of the holy fire that still burns eternally in front of the temple in a Havana Kund. Lord Vishnu formalised the wedding and acted as Parvati’s brother in the ceremony and lord Brahma played the role of a priest. The wedding was attended and witnessed by all the important sages, seers, philosophers and priests The uniqueness of this temple is that a perpetual fire has been burning in the courtyard of this beautiful temple from three yugas- Sat Yuga, Treta Yuga, and Dwapar Yuga. It is also believed the fire is said to have been lit on the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and ever since has not been extinguished. There is a stone -Brahma Shila in front of the temple that is regarded as the exact spot of the divine marriage. Before the wedding ceremony, it is believed that the gods have taken bath in four Kunds – Rudra-Kund, Vishnu-Kund, Saraswati Kund and Brahma-Kund. The inflow into the 3 Kunds is from the Saraswati-Kund that is as per the legend originated from Lord Vishnu’s navel. Thus the water of this Kund is considered to cure infertility. According to the mythology lord, Shiva proposed to Parvati at Guptkashi before they got married in the small Triyuginarayan village at the confluence of Mandakini and Sone-Ganga rivers.
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The devotees coming to pay homage to Kedarnath Dham also pay a visit to this temple.Capture the mesmerizing views of the snow-capped Himalayan peaks that are surrounding this holy temple.One can choose this temple as their wedding destination as this temple is considered the holiest and pious wedding destination in India.
What is as good as giving your marriage a traditional touch? And getting married at the same place where Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati performed the celestial wedding. This tranquil location is seated against the backdrop of lush greenery and snow-capped mountain topsthat truly make one’s wedding one of the most exotic experience. Many known and famous personalities got married at this temple some to name- Kavita Kaushik a famous tv actress and Ghaziabad’s IPS- Aparna Gautam and Nainital’s ADM-Lalit Mohan. Slowly and gradually this location is becoming a favourite among couples.
Before their marriage here, the couple needs to take a bath from the water of three holy Kund- Rudra Kund, Brahma Kund, and Vishnu Kund. According to the mythology, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati also took a bath from the water of these three Kund before their marriage. After taking bath the couple needs to take seven rounds around the pious fire amidst the Vedic mantras reciting specific vows in each round. Akhand Dhunis an eternally burning flame is present in the temple around which Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati took seven rounds. During the marriage, the couples are asked to add Samidha that is an offering of wood to this eternal flame in front of the temple the ashes remaining from the burning fire or AkhandDhuni that is believed to be the holiest. After their wedding, the couples carry back the ashes with them and is believed to promote conjugal bliss and happy married life. There is a strong belief that the couples who tie the knot in the Triyuginarayan temple are believed to get the divine blessings from Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in one single place.
One planning to visit this sacred Triyuginarayan temple can reachhere by road from Sonprayag. The nearest railway station to reach Sonprayag is Dehradun city which is around 212kms away. The nearest airport for Sonprayag is Jolly Grant Airport that is around 226kms away. Triyugi Narayan temple is nestled just 12kms from Sonprayag that is the last motor-able road that leads up to the temple. Trekkers can take the trekking route to reach this temple. One of the most famous trekking expedition starts from Mussoorie that is a good 17 days trekking expedition that passes through Tehri, Mala, Belak, Panwali, Kantha, Triyuginarayan and Kedarnath. Trekkers can take a short trek of almost 5kms through Sonprayag on the Guttar-Kedarnath bridle path that crosses through a thick deep forest. There are other trekking routes too.
Plan a trip to this temple during the arrival of the summer season that is between October and March. During the summer season, the temperature remains quite salubrious and pleasant and thus becomes apt for a visit. The month of December marks the beginning of the cold and freezing winter season that lasts till February and the temperature ranges between 0 to -15 degree Celcius, whereas the monsoon season that is between July and September makes this place very cold and prone to heavy rainy conditions but the months between April to June when the temperature ranges between 20 and 36 degrees Celcius is considered the most a pilgrimage time aptest time as the temple is filled with numerous devotees and pilgrims.
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Make sure to visit this temple at the time of the Navratri festival that is celebrated with great pomp and show by the villagers. The Navratri celebrations go on for up to two weeks and the travellers can enjoy by watching the several special rituals and ceremonies that take place here during this particular time.