| Temples & Legends Of Bihar |
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| Temples & Legends Of
India |
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SULTANGANJ |
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| Like many of
the ancient temples, the origin of Ajgaivinath temple is also shrouded in mystery.
According to one legend, Lord Shiva was given his bow here, known as Ajgav, and so the
place came to be known as Ajgaivinath. The ancient name of the place was Jahangira, which
was derived from the name of Jahnu Muni. Jahangira is a distorted form of Jahnu giri (the
hill of Jahnu) or Jahnu griha (the abode of Jahnu). Jahangira is now a small village
forming a part of the town of Sultanganj. The name Jahangira for the rock had continued
till at least1824-25, when Bishop Heber visited the area. In Heber's Journal, Vol. 1,
there is a pencil sketch of the temple on the rock tinder the caption of Jahangira. The
pencil sketch depicts a mosque by the side of the temple. It is commonly said that Kala
Pahar, in the course of his crusade against the Hindu temples, visited the place. He tried
his best but failed to demolish Ajgaivinath temple.
He could, however, destroy the Parvati temple on the neighboring hill, and built a
mosque there. Formerly the hill was much bigger and more spacious. This part of the Ganga
has high floods with very strong currents almost every year and the decaying granite rocks
of the hill are being slowly worn away. |
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