Eklingji Temple Travel Map

Eklingji Temple is situated at a distance of 24 km to the north of Udaipur. Devoted to Lord Shiva, the tutelary deity of the former Mewar rulers, the temple is said to have been founded by Acharya Viswaroopa, a contemporary of Adi Sankaracharya.Spread over an area of about 2,500 square feet, the temple houses a 50 feet high multi-faced black stone statue of Lord Shiva. High walls with bathing terraces leading down to the water enclose the temple.Built in 734 AD, the temple complex houses 108 temples chiselled out of sandstone and marble. Mahadeva Chaumukhi, the quadriform divinity, represented by a bust with four faces, is one of the prominent deities of the Maharanas of Mewar.The four faces of the statue point to the four directions that represent Surya (East), Brahma (West), Vishnu (North) and Rudra (South). The entrance of the temple contains a beautifully sculpted huge Nandi, which is the loyal steed of Lord Shiva. A shivlinga, encircled by a silver snake, is located at the centre of the images. The whole family of Lord Shiva, including Parvati (wife of Shiva) and Ganesh (son of Shiva), is represented in the temple.Statues of Yamuna and Saraswati are also housed in the temple. Silver doors having images depicting Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartikeya are other highlights of the temple. The temples of Amba Mata, Ganeshji and Kalika are located nearby this temple.Nymphs in erotic dance postures and a life size image of Bapparawal also adorn this temple. The interior of the temple is adorned with a pillared hall and a huge pyramidal roof that is composed of hundreds of knots, carved and decorated with coloured stones.On the western side lies the main entrance of the temple that has a big hall resting on carved pillars. The temple complex also contains the Nathon ka Mandir that has inscriptions dating back to the 10th century.