Nandisvara Temple Nandgaon

A pilgrimage tour to Nandagaon is not complete if the temple of Nandisavara is not included in your itinerary. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Nandisvara Temple also touted as Nandeshwar Temple, is situated near the Nandbhavan shrine, another important attraction in Nandgaon. The temple is a significant part of the five most sacred Lord Shiva temples in the Braj region. Today, it stands as the sentry to Nandabhavan. The literal meaning of Nandisavara is ‘the lord of Nandi’. Inside the temple, there is a Shiva Linga which is one of the oldest of its kind as it is believed to be installed by the grandson of Lord Krishna. The temple celebrates almost all the Hindu festivals, but the pious occasion of Maha Shivaratri is considered to be the major celebration of the temple. The festival is observed for over two days. On the day of Maha Shivaratri, pilgrims visit this famous temple in Nandagon with their offerings and sacred Ganga water that are offered to Lord Shiva as a part of the ritual.

There is an interesting legend associated with this popular shrine in Nandagaon which has it that once Lord Shiva in his usual manifestation of ash smeared on his body and necklace of the coiled snake came to the door of Nanda Maharaj desiring to see and take the blessings of baby Lord Krishna. However, the strange appearance of Lord Shiva created a doubt in the mind of Lord Krishna’s mother, Yashoda, and hence, she refused to let him in. After getting rejected to enter, Lord Shiva returned disappointed to the forest and started to meditate asking Lord Krishna to bless him. As a result of that, baby Lord Krishna started crying. Seeing baby Krishna in such condition, Yashoda was forced to call the mystical saint (Lord Shiva). On seeing him, baby Krishna gave a pleasant smile and spread a sense of joy in everyone around him, including his mother. In reply to the question asked by Yashoda, if there is anything else she could do, Lord Shiva asked for a piece of Krishna’s food which is still being considered as the holy offering (prasad) at Nandisvera Temple. However, this prasad is first offered to Lord Krishna and Balaram at Nandabhavan Temple as bhog and mahaprasad.