Varsha PandeyRajiv Lochan mandir is in Gariabad town of Chhattisgarh.
The temple is of Lord Vishnu.
The temple is right on the banks of the Mahanadi river.
The river tributaries Parry and Sodhur join the town.
The white building of the temple symbolizes peace and the flowing river and the sounds of the birds make the temple atmosphere soothing and calm.
Rajiv Lochan Mandir
The famous Rajiv lochan temple of Rajim is a quadrangular shape.
There are entrances in the north and in the south.
Garuda is standing with folding hands in the middle of the Mahamandap.
There are depictions on the left-right and top of the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum.
on which the snake-shaped human figure is inscribed.
there are idols of Mithun.
Later in the sanctum sanctorum, Rajiv lochan means the deity of Vishnu is on the throne.
This idol is a quadrilateral idol of Vishnu of black stone.
The one who has Shankh, Chakra, Gada, and Padam in his hands, who is worshiped in the name of Lochan.
There is a parikrama path and a storehouse in both directions of the temple.
The Mahamandap is with support by twelve stone pillars.
Sakshi Gopal can be seen by coming out of the door which is in the north direction.
Later, there are temples of Narasimha Avatar, Badri Avatar, Vamanavatar, and Varaha Avatar all around.
The second complex houses the temples of Rajarajeshvara, Dan-Daneshvara, Rajim Bhaktin Tallinn, and the temple of Sati Mata.
After this, there is a way to go towards the rivers.
The gate here is the main and ancient gate in the west direction.
More About Rajiv Lochan Mandir
On which Rajim’s ancient name Kamalkshetra Padmavati Puri is written.
There are temples of Bhuteshwar and Pancheshwar Nath Mahadev on the banks of the river.
and the Shivling of Kuleshwar Nath Mahadev is in the middle of Triveni.
The Rajivlochan Temple is the oldest of all the temples here.
Based on the Rajivlochan temple inscription of Nal Vanshi Vilastung, this temple has been said to be from the 8th century.
This inscription describes the construction of a temple of Vishnu by Maharaja Vilasatunga.
In one corner of the deity of Rajivlochan, Gajraj is depicted holding a lotus flower in his trunk.
The offering of lotus by Gajraj is not found anywhere else in the four-armed idol of Vishnu.
A popular story about Rajiv Lochan Mandir
Tortured by the customer, Gajraj offered it to Rajeev Lochan by holding a lotus flower in his trunk.
Through this lotus flower, Gajraj pleaded all his agony in front of Lord Vishnu.
Vishnu ji was resting at that time.
Mahalakshmi was pressing his feet.
On seeing Gajraj’s pain, God immediately got up and reached Rajeev’s area running barefoot and protecting Gajraj.
About 100 yards from Kuleshwar in Rajim, there is the hermitage of Lomash Rishi towards the south.
There are many bel trees here.
that’s why this place is known as Belhari.
Maharishi Lomash has given a great mantra for the worship of Harihar.
establishing the oneness of Shiva and Vishnu.
He has said that mark the power of Vishnu in Bilv Patra and offer it to Shiva.
Worship of Kuleshwar Mahadev is done in Rajim in the same style even today.
This is an example of religious harmony in Chhattisgarh.
Kuleshwar Mahadev
“Kuleshwar Mahadev” temple which is in the middle of Triveni.
has an inscription near its Mahamandap according to which this temple was built in the 8-9th centuries.
This temple is living proof of the technical knowledge of that time.
The platform was specially made high to protect it from the flood of the river in the rainy season.
Apart from this, not only is the height of the temple but even more than that, the foundation below the temple is also surrounded by strong stones.
When there was a flood in Rajim in 1967, this temple was completely submerged.
Only the urn part was visible.
But later after the water receded, it was seen that there was no damage.
Putting money in the idol of Shivling of this temple, it goes down and echoes.
Rajim Bhaktin Telin Temple
On the second premises of Rajiv Lochan Temple, there is Rajim Bhaktin Telin Temple, about which a unique story is prevalent.
It is said that this place is named after Rajim Tallinn.
Earlier the name of this place was Padmavati Puri.
Due to the rivers Mahanadi, Sondhur and Pari, this place was fertile, especially for oilseeds, this place is a very good land.
The people of the Tailik dynasty used to extract oil by cultivating oilseeds.
There was also a Dharmdas in these tailiks, whose wife’s name was Shanti, both were great devotees of Vishnu.
His daughter was Rajim who was married to a man named Amardas.
Rajim Telin was a devotee of Vishnu.
Rajeev used to go to Lochan’s idols temple and worship.
The story about that idol’s temple which was popular at that time was as follows –
In Satyuga there was a king named Raja Ratnakar,.
who was performing the ritual of Yagya?
but the Yagya could not be completed due to the demons creating a disturbance in the Yagya.
King Ratnakar remembered Rajiv Lochan, an incarnation of Vishnu, and started doing severe penance.
The king’s cry reached Vishnu, and Lakshmi also heard it.
Lakshmi requested Vishnu to reach there at the same time to help Ratnakar.
Vishnu reached there and completed the yagya, after that he asked the king to ask for a boon.
King Ratnakar became very emotional.
Being emotional, the king said – “The form of yours which I am seeing now, I should continue to see that form every day with my family.”
Hearing this, Vishnu ji went to heaven and called Vishwakarma and told him that “I am leaving a lotus flower on the earth – build a temple of my name on top of that lotus”.
Built a grand temple.
Raja Ratnakar used to visit Rajeev Lochan in the family temple and used to worship.
After this many years passed.
A long time has passed.
king of Kanker came to visit
Once upon hearing the praise of Rajeev Lochan’s statue, the Kandra king of Kanker came to visit. At that time this place was converted into a forest.
King Rajeev of Kanker started thinking after seeing Lochan that “I should remove such a divine giant idol from this forest and establish it in my kingdom” – When the king spoke his mind to the priests, the priests were not ready.
Greed for money, the priests were not ready.
Then the king of Kanker forcefully lifted the idol and kept it in a boat and sitting in the other boat himself started going towards his kingdom Kanker by the waterway of Mahanadi.
There was a heavy storm on the way.
And due to this storm, Kanker Naresh along with his boat drowned in the water of Mahanadi near Rudri Ghat.
Rajim Telin a great devotee
Here Rajim Telin, who used to worship in the temple, went to the idol’s temple, and when she went to bathe one day, she saw a rock.
Removing the sand from his hand, when he saw that the rock was very large and round and smooth, she thought that it was fit to be placed on top of a dhani (oil-pressing machine). And after that, she brought that rock home and put it on the stove.
Ukhal is made of wood.
And the heaviness and friction of this churning produce oil.
Ever since Rajim Tallinn kept that rock in the vessel, his business started increasing progressively.
At that time, a Vishnu worshiper named Jagpal used to rule the fort.
It was his daily rule that every day from the fort, sitting on a horse, after bathing in Triveni Sangam, visiting the idol temple of God in Rajim, and seeing Shankarji, he used to go back to his kingdom.
One night, Rajiv Lochan had a dream that he should go to Rajim Telin’s house and bring the stone placed on top of Dhani to the temple because he is present in the same stone.
After that, Rajeev Lochan said, “Don’t make Rajim Telin unhappy by taking him by force because Rajim Telin is my other devotee.”
King Jagpal went to Rajim Tallinn’s house and was overwhelmed with emotion after seeing the stone placed on the dhani.
Rajim Tallinn looked once at the king and once at the rock.
King Jagpal demanded that rock from Tallinn.
Tallinn flatly refused.
After getting that rock, his condition improved.
King Jagpal showed him the temptation of the gold amount that he should take the gold amount equal to the weight of the rock and give it to him.
And then the stone of Rajeev Lochan’s statue was placed in the pan of the scales and gold was placed on the other side.
Rajim Tallinn thought that if this is what Rajiv Lochan wants, then this will happen.
But the pan of the scales did not lift even an inch. King Jagpal kept as much gold as he could.
But the scales did not lift, that night King Jagpal again saw Rajeev Lochan in his dream and heard that – “You are very proud of your money, that’s why I taught you a lesson, well I am happy with your good deeds.
That’s why pay attention Listen, what will you have to do now, on the pan on which you keep gold, put a quarter leaf of basil on it.
King Jagpal went to sleep hungry and thirsty. now in their mind
Now he felt happy.
The next day, keeping a 1/2 leaf of Tulsi in the pan along with the gold, gave the gold equivalent to the stone to Rajim Tallinn and consecrated the stone in the temple.
Rajim Tallinn came to be known by the name of Rajeev Bhaktin Mata.
One day the devotee went and sat at the temple gate of Mata Rajeev Lochan.
That meditation turned into Samadhi and he attained salvation.
Devotees of this region celebrate Basant Panchami as Rajeev Bhaktin Mata Mahotsav.
Rajim Tallin’s temple is on the second premises of Rajiv Lochan Temple.
In the sanctum sanctorum of this temple, a ship is attached to the high altar background.
in front of it, on the upper part, along with the sun, the moon, and the star, one hand is raised in the posture of the pledge.
which means that as long as the sun, the moon on the earth, And the stars will continue to spread light.
Rajim will continue to testify to Tallinn’s loyalty, devotion, and chastity.
Rajim Tallinn’s Dhani is also an established place.
In the middle of the inscription, there is a sculpture of a crusher with shoes.
Rajim Telin sati was committed to this temple.
The traces of smoke in the walls of that temple make the mind sad.
Later that place was named after Rajim Tallinn.
Ramchandra Temple
In Rajim, Ramsita temple is situated at a little distance from Rajivlochan temple in the east direction.
This temple was built by Jagatpal, a feudatory of the Kalchuri kings of Ratanpur.
These temples belong to the 12th century.
The sanctum sanctorum of this temple has idols of Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana.
There are four parts to this temple
Mahamandap
Antaral
Garbhagriha
Pradakshinapath
The pillars of Mahamandap have a very important place from the point of view of the craft.
There is a very beautiful statue of Shalmanjika on a pillar.
Which people mistakenly consider to be the idol of Sita.
There are Mithun idols on some pillars of Mahamandap.
The Mithun idols at the entrance of the temple and on the two pillars in front of it remind us of the idols of Khajuraho.
At one place in the temple, there is a very entertaining scene of the monkey family.
Somewhere there is the marking of mother, child, and music society, somewhere there is a marking of various animals and birds like deer, horse, elephant, bull, rat, and parrot, somewhere there is the idol of Ganga, somewhere of Yamuna, somewhere there is the idol of Ganesha and somewhere Varaha. Avatar’s statue.
There is also an idol of Garuda at one end of the Mahamandap which is considered to be the vehicle of Vishnu.
Ramchandra was an incarnation of Vishnu if the presence of Garuda is proving this.
The temple of Kaal Bhairav is located in front of Ramchandra temple in the courtyard.
In front of this temple, there are idols of two adorning women, which may have been brought from another place and established here. Both these sculptures are excellent specimens of art.
Rajim – a confluence point
Rajim has been considered a confluence place like Allahabad.
Here, from the ancient temples of the 8-9th century, the temples of many castes and communities were built at present.
People consider Rajim as Prayag of Chhattisgarh,
here is the confluence of the Parry river, Sondhur river, and Mahanadi.
That’s why in this Sangam bone immersion and Pind Daan, Shradh, and Tapan are done on the banks of Sangam.
At present, about fifty pind daan is being done daily in Rajim.
People return only after seeing Rajeev Lochan after Pinddaan.
Rajeev Lochan’s prasad made of rice is taken by people of all castes and communities.
Especially after bone immersion and body donation, they are taken away.
In many villages, these generations are kept safe because they believe that if someone is fed this prasad a few hours before death, then he gets to heaven.
Pediya can be kept for many years.
The importance of Prasad-Pedis to Rajeev Lochan is very high in this way.
Champaran Mahadev
Today Champaran has become a big Vaishnava pilgrimage.
In the beginning, mainly the people of the Shaiv community used to come here due to the prestige of Champakeshwar Mahadev’s own Bhu Linga.
One of the Dham of Panchkosi Yatra was here.
Story
In 1535, an incident happened.
Krishna devotee Vallabhacharya was born here.
The ancient highway from Kashi Vishwanath to South India used to pass through Champakeshwar and Rajim.
Shri Lakshanabh along with his wife Illama and other family members were on their way from Kashi Vishwanath to their home in Telangana.
Illama was pregnant.
She miscarried after coming to this area.
The child looked very lifeless.
Everyone thought that the child was dead.
He was made to lie down on the leaves under the shade of a huge tree.
The next day the same child was found playing there sucking his toe.
The same child later became the originator of the Shuddhadveita stream of Vaishnava devotion.
Acharya became famous by the name of Vallabh.
Champaranya became a huge Vaishnava pilgrimage.
In this way, it has become a symbol of unity as the meeting place of the Shaiva and Vaishnava sects.
The name Champaran is derived from Champaranya – it means Aranya (forest) of Champak (Champa flower). Champa flowers are very visible in Champaran.
How to reach Rajiv Lochan Mandir
By plane
Raipur (45 km) is the nearest airport.
By Rail
Raipur is the nearest railway station.
By Road
Regular buses and taxis are available from Rajim Raipur and Mahasamund.
Places To Visit Near Rajiv Lochan Mandir
Jatmai Temple
Gariaband is at a distance of 85 kilometers from Raipur.
Jatmai Temple is amidst the beautiful spots of the small forest.
The temple is beautifully carved out of granite with several small minarets and a huge tower.
At the top of the main entrance are frescoes depicting mythological characters.
A stone idol of Jatmai is placed inside the sanctum sanctorum.
Siksar Reservoir
The reservoir is at a distance of 5 0 km from the district headquarters and is accessible in all seasons.
Siksar Reservoir was completed in 1977.
The length of the Siksar Dam is 1540 meters and the maximum height of the dam is 9.32 meters.
Shri Rajiv Lochan Temple Entry Fee
No entry fee
Chhattisgarh Rajiv Lochan Mandir Timings
Open every day
Visit Hour in Rajiv Lochan mandir
5:00 am to 8:00 pm
Morning Aarti
5:30 am
Evening Aarti
6:30 pm
Guides are also available
