Stambheshwar Mahadev Arabian Sea and The Bay of Cambay

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About Stambheshwar Mahadev

The Stambheshwar Mahadev Temple, is a 150 years old Shiva temple located in the town of Kavi Kamboi, in the state of Gujarat.

This ancient Shiva temple is located on the betwixt of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Cambay. This is very simple temple with nothing extraordinary in the architecture for the on lookers, but it is still a very unusual must visit religious sites of India. What is so unique about the temple is, that the temple gets totally submerged into the Sea during the high tide hours and as the tide starts to get low it again starts emerging out of the sea inch by inch, unveiling the 4 feet high Shiva lingam.

one of the eighteen Hindu puranas, While the deities hailed the glory of Kartikeya for having killed Tarakasur, Kartikeya himself was saddened by his act. He told the deities--'I regret for having killed Tarakasur because he was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Is there any way to atone for my sin?'Lord Vishnu consoled him---'Killing a wicked person, who nourishes himself on the blood of innocent people, is not a sinful deed. But, still, if you feel guilty then there is no better way to atone for your sin than worshipping Lord Shiva. Install Shivalingas and worship them with deep devotion.'

Kartikeya instructed Vishnukarma to make three divine Shivalingas. Later on Kartikeya installed these Shivalingas at three different places and worshipped them with appropriate rituals. In course of time these three holy places came to be known as Pratigyeshwar, Kapaleshwar and Kumareshwar.

Kartikeya, while worshipping at Kapaleshwar sprinkled holy water on the Shivalinga and prayed so that Tarakasur's soul rested in peace. He also offered sesame seeds to Lord Kapaleshwar and prayed --'May my offerings made in the form of sesame seeds reach Tarak--the descendant of Sage Kashyap.' This way, Kartikeya was absolved of his sins.

The visit to the temple should be planned in such a way that, one get to see the whole disappearing and the reappearing of the temple. It is ideal to plan a trip for at least whole day and night, so that you can see and enter the temple in the early morning low tide hours and can also meditate in the quiet, peaceful surrounding of the temple. you can stroll in and around the temple and enjoy the feel of being near the nature and the sound of the sea breaking yet never disturbing the quietness of the breath-taking holiness of the temple. Then one can have lunch either from the one of the many restaurants near the parking area which is about half a km. walk from the temple or free lunch is also made available to the devotees at the ashram across the temple. After having lunch one can return to watch the spectacular moment of the temple getting submerged. One must watch the temple and the Shiva Lingam in its complete glory against the shimmer and darkness of the sea and when the quietness of night engulfs it.

This is a temple where god plays hide n seeks. When the flowers which were placed on the Shiva lingam by the devotees at the time of low tide comes afloat on the surface of the sea water at the time of high tide, it lends a spectrum of bright colors to the sea. Here the Mother Nature performs the ‘Jal Abhishekh’ of the Holy Shiva lingam, herself.

Another unique feature of the place is the union of the Mahi Sagar and the Sabarmati River. The scenic beauty of the place along with its religious prominence pulls a lot of visitors to the place.