PLACES OF INTEREST

CHARGDEV

Chargdev.—(Edlabad peta; 21°00' N, 76°O0' E; R. S. Savada 6 m.; p. 2,147), at the meeting of the Purna and Tapi, about 4 miles north-west of Edlabad, and 6 miles south-east from Savada railway station (Bhusaval-Itarsi main line), has a well-preserved temple of Chargdev in the Hemadpanti style. The temple, 105 feet round and 120 high, is built of huge black marble blocks fitted one on the other without mortar or cement. On either side of the entrance is writing in Balbodh, but so worn as to be unreadable. [Of this Mahadev, Abul Fazl tells the following story:

There was a blind man who always carried about him an image of Mahadev, to which he used to pay daily adoration. It happened that he lost it at this place, upon which, being greatly distressed, he formed of sand an image resembling it, which he worshipped as he had done the original. By the win of the Almighty the figure of sand became stone, and still remains. Near this temple Abid Fazl mentions a spring which, he says, the Hindus believe to be the Ganges. They say that by the power of God a certain devout man used to go constantly to the Ganges, and return again the same day. One night the river Ganges appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Cease from all this labour, for I will spring up here in your cell'. Accordingly in the morning the spring appeared, and is running to this day. Gladwin's Ain-i-Akbari, II 53.] On the walls are many figures of gods and heroes. There is also, at the meeting of the rivers [ This meeting, says Abul Fazl, is held sacred by the Hindus, and called Jigartirth literally the liver, that is the most precious of holy places. Ain-i-Akbari, II 53.] a very holy shrine of Mahadev with a stone temple, sixty feet by thirty-three, built about 160 years ago by Ahilya Bai Holkar. The upper part was thrown down in the 1837 flood, the lower part remains.

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