Last year in May, yours truly and mom went to Jageshwar in Uttaranchal(now, Uttarakhand) for a much needed summer vacation.
Jageshwar is famous for its temple complex of more than a hundred ancient temples, chief among them the Jageshwar shiva mandir. The’shiv ling’ here is considered to be one one of the 12’jyotirlingas’. I remember the head priest at the temple described the’shiv ling’ as very’jaagrit’, and hence I guess the place derives its name as’Jaag’-’Eshwar’. Maybe, maybe not.
We reached Jageshwar from Nainital, via Bhowali, which was a good 4+ hour drive(don’t remember exactly now). But remember the journey to be very scenic and memorable, with the Kosi river being a wonderful companion through most of the journey through the mountains. We had stopped enroute at the ashram of Neem Karoli Baba at Kainchi and caught up on some tea and refreshments.
Jageshwar is right in the lap of nature, surrounded by a thick forest of deodhars, which is a sight worth seeing. Apart from the temples in Jageshwar, there’s also Vriddh Jageshwar temple which one can trek to through forest path. The trek is really exciting. There’s also a motorable road to reach there. On a good clear day, one can sight the himalayan peaks in the distance from here.
Accomodation is available in the form of KMVN’s facility(which is quite good) and a couple of private lodges. KMVN is recommended for the facilities it provides. We spent three nights in Jageshwar and it was worth it. Apart from the rituals at the temples, the place affords plenty of interesting treks to nearby places. Not to miss the ritual drumming that is done thrice a day by a family of folk drummers. If you’re in Jageshwar, you won’t miss it anyways, and its really mind blowing.