Triyuginarayan Temple is a Hindu temple. The ancient temple is dedicated to god Vishnu. Its fame is credited to the legend of god Shivas marriage to goddess Parvati witnessed by Vishnu at this venue and is thus a popular pilgrimage centre. A special feature of this temple is a perpetual fire, that burns in front of the temple. The flame is believed to burn from the times of the divine marriage. Thus, the temple is also known as Akhand Dhuni temple.
Shrine’s History
TriyugiNarayan Temple is the same place where the celestial wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati formalised by Lord Vishnu. Holy fire in front of the temple where both take seven rounds (Saat Phere) as per Hindu tradition still endlessly continues. Due to this perpetual fire in front of the temple, Triyugi Narayan Temple is also famous as Akhand Dhuni Temple and wood is taken as offerings at the eternal fire and in return, pilgrims carry holy ash. Lord Vishnu set all the arrangements of this celestial wedding and acted as Parvati’s brother where Lord Brahma was the priest in this divine marriage. Brahma Shila in front of the temple also marks the exact place of the wedding. Inside the Triyugi Narayan temple, silver idols of Lord Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi is situated with Goddess Saraswati.
Legends Associated with This Shrine
According to Hindu mythology, goddess Parvati was the daughter of Himavat or Himavan – the personification of the Himalayas. She was the rebirth of Sati, the first wife of Shiva – who sacrificed her life when her father insulted Shiva. Parvati initially tried to allure Shiva by her beauty, but fails. Finally, she won Shiva by practising rigorous penance at Gauri Kund, which is 5 kilometres away from Triyuginarayan. Pilgrims visiting Triyuginaryan temple also visit the Gauri Kund temple, dedicated to Parvati.
Mythology states that Shiva proposed to Parvati at Guptakashi before they got married in the small Triyuginarayan village at the confluence of Mandakini and Sone-Ganga rivers. Triyuginarayan is believed to be the capital of Himavat. It 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 or Agni-kund, a four-cornered fireplace on the ground. Vishnu formalised the wedding and acted as Parvati’s brother in the ceremonies, while the creator-god Brahma acted as the priest of the wedding, that was witnessed by all the sages of the times. The exact location of the wedding is marked by a stone called Brahma Shila, in front of the temple. The greatness of this place is also recorded in a sthala-purana . According to the scripture, pilgrims who visit this temple consider the ashes from the burning fire as holy and carry it with them. It is also believed that ashes from this fire are supposed to promote conjugal bliss.
Before the marriage ceremony, the gods are believed to have taken bath in three kunds or small ponds namely, Rudra-kund, Vishnu-kund and Brahma-kund. The inflow into the three kunds is from the Saraswati-kund, which – according to legend – originated from Vishnu’s navel. Hence, the water of these kunds is considered to cure infertility. The ashes from Havana-kund are supposed to promote conjugal bliss.
Architectural Relevance of This Shrine
The Triyuginarayan temple resembles the temple of Kedarnath in architectural style and hence attracts a lot of devotees. The present shrine is also called as Akhand Dhuni temple. It is believed to have been built by Adi Shankaracharya. Adi Shankaracharya is credited with building many temples in the Uttarakhand region. The shrine houses a silver, 2-foot image of god Vishnu , accompanied by a consort – goddess of wealth Lakshmi and the goddess of music and learning – Saraswati. In front of the temple, the havana-kund with the eternal flame – the witness of the wedding of Shiva and Parvati – is situated. Devotees add samidha sacrificial offerings of wood to the flame and collect the ashes as blessings. A stone called the Brahma Shila – in front of the temple – is regarded as the exact spot of the divine marriage.
The ponds of Rudra Kund, Vishnu Kund, Brahma Kund and Saraswati Kund are other holy spots situated near the temple. A water stream called Saraswati Ganga originates in the courtyard of the temple. It fills all the holy ponds in the vicinity
Shrine’s Map Location and How to Go There
By Road
The nearest bus stop sonprayag
By Rail
The nearest railway station is Rishikesh and Dehradun.
By Air
The nearest airport is Dehradun.
