Harischandir Temple

Harischandir Temple, Bijbehara, is a shrine of ancient origin which houses Lord Shiva in the form of Shiva Vijayeshwara, in Bijbehara, 4km from Anantnag. The key deity idolized here has 11 lingas, collectively called Ekadash Rudr. An idol of Lord Ganesh, 2feet in height is also worshipped. There is also a figurine of Nandi, the divine bull in the temple complex, besides numerous fragmented sculptures of ancient origin. An irregular stone called `Kah-Kah` pal is of great wonder to both pilgrims and tourists.

The Harischandir temple was originally built by Emperor Ashoka, which was burnt down during the reign of King Ananta and later resituated by Raja Kalasha. The temple contains three golden `Kalashas` and a pointed spire scales the temple. The temple that stands today was built from the stones collected from the ruins of the previous temple by Emperor Ashoka. The shrine was reanimated by Ranbir Singh in 1859 and renamed Harischandir temple. The structure of the temple resembles the genre of Kashmir temples, with a curvilinear roof that makes the temple marvellous to the eye. The temple is on the pilgrim route to Martand and Amarnath, about 45km from Srinagar.

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