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History of Bageshwar: The historical city of Bageshwar located in the Kumaon region is famous for its amazing natural beauty as well as religious faith and mythological traditions. It is believed that in ancient times this area was known as Vyaghreshwar, where Lord Shiva had taken the form of Vyaghra i.e. tiger to help the Saryu river.
Bageshwar: The name of Bageshwar, one of the oldest cities of Kumaon, is derived from the word Vyaghreshwar, which means Lord Shiva appearing in the form of a tiger. Bageshwar’s scholar Acharya Pandit Hem Chandra Pathak says that with time the local language changed and Vyaghreshwar got corrupted to become Bageshwar. This name still characterizes the religious and cultural identity of the region.
Importance of Triveni Sangam and Bagnath Temple
The most important religious place of Bageshwar is the famous Baba Bagnath Temple. This Shiva temple is believed to be built by the Katyuri dynasty and is situated at the confluence of Saryu, Gomti and Saraswati rivers. Due to Triveni Sangam, this place is also called Kashi of Kumaon. Every year thousands of devotees come here for holy bath and worship.
Legend of Saryu River and Divine Leela
According to the story, when the news of Shri Ram’s birth anniversary spread in Ayodhya, the Saryu river moved forward to participate in the celebrations. On the way, Markandeya Muni was engrossed in deep penance, due to which the river could not move further. The river was afraid that the sage might get angry and curse her. Saryu stopped in Suraj Kund. Goddess Parvati saw Saryu’s distress and requested Lord Shiva to help him. Then Lord Shiva took the form of a tiger and Goddess Parvati took the form of a cow. Both of them reached the place where the sage was engrossed in penance. Seeing the tiger chasing the cow, Sage Markandeya broke his penance and came forward to protect the cow. As soon as his penance was broken, Saryu found a way to move forward. According to the story, as soon as Saryu started flowing, Shiva and Parvati disappeared in their divine form. Markandeya Muni named this place Vyaghreshwar and established Lord Shiva here. With time this place came to be known as Bageshwar and the Bagnath temple became a permanent symbol of this mythological Leela.
Confluence of faith and culture
Even today, devotees coming to Bagnath temple remember this story with devotion. This story of Vyaghreshwar not only conveys religious significance but also shows how Shiva and Shakti performed divine acts to help the Saryu river. This history makes Bageshwar one of the major pilgrimage centers of Kumaon and enriches the cultural heritage of the region.
