Triambakeshwar: The Third Eye Of Shiva

It was raining steadily. A carpet of green paddy accompanied us all the way. In the distance, the Sahyadri hills of the Western Ghats covered the horizon. Saffron clad sadhus colourfully juxtaposed against the verdant carpet of paddy, walking at a steady pace with their entire belongings tied to the pole on their shoulders.

- Usha Kris

I reached Triambakeshwar in Triambak, 35 kilometers from Nashik, one of the twelve Jyotirlingams venerating Lord Shiva. The clouds broke, and with the bright sunlight the grey of the sky turned into a deep blue. In the distance I saw the dark stone edifice of the temple. The water from the rain made it seem like charcoal. This vimanam is built in the Nagara style, with concentric lines of a lotus ready to bloom. On the shikara is a gigantic amalaka, a lotus shaped stone disc with a gold kalasam. Above this an orange flag flies merrily in the wind. Balaji Baji Rao, the powerful Peshwa or Prime Minister of the Maratha Empire built this magnificent temple replacing an older smaller shrine for Shiva. The temple befits the unique status of this kshetram as a Jyothirlingam and as the sacred place where the Kumbh Mela is celebrated once in twelve years.

I entered a large courtyard that is open on three sides. The pillars and the exterior are carved elaborately. Several majestic images of Shiva in