The Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple is located at Thanesar in the state of Haryana. This ancient temple is entirely dedicated to Lord Shiva or Mahadev. The Pandavas of the Mahabharata prayed to Lord Shiva and received his blessings before fighting the destructive war of Kurukshetra. Having his blessings they had won the war. Again, the ninth Guru, Shri Tegh Bahadur stayed at a point near the Sthaneshwar Tirtha. A Gurudwara just beside the temple marks it.
According to the legend, the waters of the tank adjoining the temple are considered holy. King Ban, the King of Benwick or Benoic (according to European myth), was cured of his leprosy with a few drop of water of the holy tank. It is believed that no pilgrimage of Kurukshetra was entirely complete without a visit to this holy Temple.
The devotees believe that the temple of Sthaneshwar is the abode of Lord Shiva. It was once an important part of the kingdom of the King Harshavardhana of the Pushyabhuti dynasty. According to some other belief, Lord Shiva was first worshipped here in the form of a `linga`. Parshuram, the great warrior and the sage had killed many Kshatriyas here.
The temple follows a regional type of architecture with a domical roof. The fascia of the roof is shaped like an `amla`. Attached to it is a tall pinnacle. The `Linga` here is ancient and worshipped with love and reverence by the pilgrims and the devotees.
