A jaunty ride through mud roads, about 50 km from Raipur, the capital of Chattisgarh brings us to the temple town of Rajim, which is considered as one of the most ancient towns of the state. It is situated on the confluence of the rivers Mahanadi, Pairi and Sondhul, thus earning it the sobriquet of the Prayag of Chhattisgarh.
Mahanadi is considered to be as sacrosanct as the Ganges hence taking a dip in it and performing ceremonies on its banks are considered holy.
In ancient times, the pilgrimage to Puri Jagannath Temple in Odisha, was not considered complete until devotees paid their obeisance to Lord Rajiv Lochan, the principal deity at Rajim.
Rajim, which is believed to stand on a lotus-shaped surface was referred to as Kamalkshetra and Padampur in ancient times. It was also called Panchkashi because of the presence of five Siva Lingams – Fingeshwar, Kopeshwar, Kuleshwar, Pateshwar and Patneshwar. However, the origins of its present name ‘Rajim’, is shrouded in mystery.
Legend has it that the town was named after Rajim Telin, a woman who sold oil. It is believed that Lord Vishnu who was immensely pleased with her devotion, promised to name the town after her.
Though the town boasts a plethora of temples dedicated to various deities, it is this eighth century brick temple of Rajiv Lochan, dedicated to Vishnu, that attracts many devotees and tourists and more so during Sivaratri and the Rajim Mahotsav.
The monument belongs to the panchayatana style of temple construction and has four subsidiary shrines at the four corners of its compound or courtyard which roughly measures 147 ft by 102 ft. While the main and central shrine is dedicated to Rajiv Lochan, meaning the blue lotus-eyed, the four smaller subsidiary shrines honour Narasimha, Badrinath, Vamana and Varaha.
The temple is built in close annexed style with elements of Dravidian architecture, as evidenced by its dome. Minarets, latticework, plain pillars and those sculpted with the pantheon of Hindu gods adorn various segments of the temple.
A high point of the temple architecture that makes it stand out amongst several others in the region, is the blend of materials used in its construction that have allowed it to withstand the vagaries of weather. The bricks have been piled, cemented with a mixture of limestone, urad dal and the entrails of the bel fruit, making it sturdy.
The ornate doorway of the sanctum sanctorum — dedicated to Lord Rajiv Lochan — is striking. Its lintel majestically holds Anantasayana or Lord Vishnu in a reclining posture. A sculpted figure of Trivikrama is particularly impressive and appears to be casually interspersed in one of the courtyard walls. The unusual feature of the figurine depicts Adisesha in the act of paying obeisance to the standing figure of Vishnu. Trivikrama, with His right leg lifted high, is shown crushing the ugly face of Brahmanda.
It is believed that the shrine was established by the divine architect, Lord Vishwakarma, who sculpted the four-armed Lord Vishnu with Consort Lakshmi on the right side and Yoga Maya on the left. Further, between a pair of arms he carved the episodic Gajendra Moksha with the elephant holding aloft the lotus flower, offering it to the Lord.
According to a legend, Lord Vishnu in the sanctum sanctorum was actually called Lochan and was once whisked away by Goddess Rajiv. The people of the village were so distraught at the disappearance of their favourite Lord and protector that they beseeched the Goddess to return the Lord’s idol. Appeased at the humble entreaties, Goddess Rajiv acquiesced on condition that her name would henceforth be associated with the Lord; hence the name Rajiv Lochan.
Yet others credit the construction of the temple to Jagat Pal, a mythical king who is supposed to have erected the entire structure in a single day! As a tribute to the king, his idol, resembling a sitting Buddha, is housed in one of the sanctums of the temple.
A more plausible story is associated with king Ratnakar and his ardent devotion to Lord Vishnu. Pleased by the king’s dedication, Lord Vishnu in the form of Rajiv Lochan, appeared before him and granted him a boon: that King Ratnakar would continue to see the Lord in this form forever, and after him, his descendants would continue to serve the Lord in the temple premises. This is perhaps the reason why even to this day, the puja and archana at the temple are offered by the Kshatriya community, the descendants of Raja Ratnakar, ably assisted by purohits.
Myths and legends apart, a rarity associated with the temple is the bare-foot idol of Vishnu crafted from black granite. Ritualistically, the deity is always draped in unstitched cloth that is never knotted at the ends but left folded.
The pagri or turban adorning the Lord’s crown is woven by generations of a single family and the Lord is bedecked thrice everyday in three different forms: as a child in the morning, as a youth in the afternoon and as an old man in the evening.
Every year on Maha Sivaratri, the Rajiv Lochan Kumbhmela is celebrated for thirteen days.
Festivities begin at Triveni Sangam on magh purnima and culminate on the day of Sivaratri. Besides thousands of devotees who throng the temple, sadhus congregate at the venue to participate in religious activities and give discourses.
