Siddheshwar Nath Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Lilabari Airport is the nearest, about 120 to 125 km from the temple.

• By train

  Harmuti Junction station is about 100 km away.

• By road

  The temple is about 100 km from Itanagar and 445 to 470 km from Guwahati. Buses, shared sumos and taxis run to Ziro from Itanagar, Harmuti and Guwahati.

Why devotees come here

Siddheshwar Nath Temple sits in the Ziro Valley of Arunachal Pradesh, in Lower Subansiri district. It is revered for a Shiv Linga that rose from the ground on its own and stands about 25 feet above it.

Legend says the Shiva Purana foretold that the tallest Shiv Linga would appear at a place called Lingalaya, later known as Arunachal. The temple is revered for housing what is considered the world's largest naturally formed Shiv Linga. Devotees also know it as Kardo Mahadev Temple.

The site came into prominence in July 2004, during the Hindu month of Shravana. A Nepalese woodcutter, Prem Subha, was cutting a tree nearby when it fell away from a towering stone formation without causing any damage.

The centrepiece is a colossal linga about 25 feet above the ground, with a further four feet buried beneath the earth. It measures about 22 feet across. Unlike carved lingas, this one came up out of the ground on its own, and water flows at its base all year. The temple sits amid the pristine hills and lush forests of Ziro Valley.

Festivals

• Each year, during Shravana and on MahashivratriShravana month and Mahashivratri

  Major pilgrimage times, with aarti, Abhishek and offerings of flowers, fruits and sweets.

• Every year, four daysZiro Festival

  Apatani festival in the valley, with traditional attire, music and dance.

Tips for your visit

• Water flows at the base of the linga all year.
• Shravana month and Mahashivratri are the main pilgrimage times here.
• The valley comes alive during Apatani festivals, including the four-day Ziro Festival.

Questions people ask