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Temple
Complex
Here
the icon is called Ekteswara Siva, perhaps due to its location in
the village called Ekteswara which it appears derived from the deity
installed therein. It seems they are inter-dependent. It is a black
linga of about one foot in height and moreover deemed Swayambhu
linga, having thrust itself up through the ground. It is installed
in a dark well like enclosure inside a big temple called Ekteswara
Sivaalaya. The temple is quite ancient, but was repaired several
times by the theist kings and ardent public. It contains an
extraordinary image of Siva, in one of His manifestations called
Rudra murti Ekapada. This rare image is not of imposing stature, nor
is chiseled by master sculptor, yet it has characteristic features
visible enough to treat it a Ekapada Rudramurti. Though standing on
one
leg, this image holds in his right hand potent weapons, like dhanus,
ghanta, kapala, kaumud, targani, ghata, parasu and chakra; and still
more dreadful weapons such as khatvanga, bana, dhamaru, wheel,
mudgara, varada, akshamala and trisula in the left hand. Would not
such awful ayudhas strike terror into the minds of evil-doers? They
do. Yet they infuse confidence, that a wielder of such all
destructive weapons would not desert the adorers at any time, nor
torture them without proper cause. Is there any solitary instance of
that All - Merciful letting down any bhakta? Or teasing even for a
second for fun?
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