Papnash Shiva Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Rajiv Gandhi International Terminal in Hyderabad is about 120 km from Bidar district headquarters.

• By train

  Bidar Railway Station (BIDR) is the nearest station to the temple.

• By road

  The drive from Hyderabad airport takes about two and a half hours on NH9, with a 28 km diversion after Zaheerabad. From Hyderabad's Imaliban bus stand, a bus to Bidar leaves about every 15 minutes.

Rules to know

• On Mahashivaratri, most devotees walked barefoot up to the sanctum.

Why devotees come here

Papnash Shiva Temple is a Shiva temple in Bidar district, Karnataka. Its name means destroyer of sins, and devotees believe the spring-fed pond beside it can cleanse the soul. The temple is known for a blend of architectural styles.

The name is linked to a natural spring that flows into a pond, and devotees believe a dip in the pond can cleanse the soul. Legend says Rama installed the Shivalinga here on his way back from Sri Lanka to Ayodhya. The temple pond, or kalyani, is also called the Papvinashini Teertha.

The shrine follows a trikuta, or three-shrine, layout typical of Chalukyan design, and three smaller lingas flank the large Shivalinga. Its origins are traced to the Kalyana Chalukya period, around the 12th century. The Bahmani Sultanate era brought changes that show in its blended architectural features.

The original temple is reported to have been lost, and a new one built on its ruins. Another account says the present temple was built in the 1960s and renovated recently, so the dates are not settled.

Festivals

• Mahashivaratri dayMahashivaratri

  Devotees stand in long queues for hours to offer puja to the presiding deity.

Tips for your visit

• Devotees organise rituals on Mondays and on special days such as Ekadashi.
• The pond beside the temple is an ancient stepped tank, still in ritual use.

Questions people ask