Bateshwar

Along the bank of Yamuna river lies the town of Bateshwar. Mostly rural, supporting the farming communities outside of it, it has one things which makes it a religious center - at least once a year at the same time as the cattle fair....the 101 white washed temples dedicated to Shiva that line one side of the river along a bend. Built here by Raja Badan Singh Bhadauria, these temples set a picturesque scene. As we were there in the off season, it was hard to imagine thousands of people flocking to the ghats along the water's edge, crowding in to celebrate and worship during the month of November. Why did Bateshwar turn into a religious center? Well, legend says that lord Shiva sat down to rest under a banyan tree along the banks of the river. Indeed, the name of the town arises from that instance - Bat-Ishwar meaning the banyan lord. While there is a part of my that doesn't really understand having so many temples to the same god in one place, I must admit it was a peaceful and active complex of temples. As I walked away with the image of white reflected in the water, I could only wonder, how does one decide just which Shiva temple you will worship in? There were a few that seemed to have special traditions, such as the one where wives would go to pray for the husbands' longevity, but others seemed to be remarkable similar, simple rooms with a Shiva lingam in the center. In any case there are plenty of choices for those who make the pilgrimage to Bateshwar.