Susner (Madhya Pradesh): The history of Panchdehariya Mahadev Temple, located on Vindhyachal mountain ranges peak, 10 km from Susner, is amazing. This temple built by the Pandavas is made of a single red stone and the Shivling was made by cutting this stone.
It is believed that the Pandavas who went to exile after losing everything in gambling, spent their exile here. For worship of Shiva, Bhima built a temple by cutting a red stone and a Shivling from the same stone. The Pandavas worshiped Shiva here, naming this temple as Panchdehariya Mahadev. This temple is also mentioned in the Shiv Puran.
According to temple pandit Balaram Vyas, his ancestors had said that Aurangzeb, who attacked India and damaged many temples, had also attacked here. This had broken the Shivling. Aurangzeb's direct attack on the Shivling resulted in a third eye-like figure emerging on the Shivling.
Many years later, artists from big cities tried to join this broken part. The artists even joined it. But after some time, the joined part would break and fall down. They joined the stone by applying many types of chemicals and claimed that now this stone will never fall out.
The surprising thing is that as soon as they came out of the temple, this stone fell down. These happened not once, but about 20 times. Later, the devotees considered this part to be the third eye of Lord Shiva and left it empty.
The Shivling installed in Panchdehariya Mahadev temple looks like Mahakaleshwar of Ujjain. It has a peepal shield on the bottom side and the shape of the Shivling is also quite big. Panchdehariya Mahadev temple is also the birthplace of Bhima's son Ghatotkach.
When the Pandavas escaped from Duryodhan's Lakshyagriha, they were visiting this area in the form of Brahmin Kumars. Then Bhima married Hadimba here. His son's name was Ghatotkach. It is believed that every year this Shivling grows like a sesame seed.
