Siddheshwar temple, Solapur


Siddheshwar Temple is a temple in Solapur district, Maharashtra, India. It is sacred to Hindus and members of the Lingayat faith. There is a lake within the temple complex.

Temple

Located amidst a lake further flanked by Bhuikot fort, Siddheshwar temple is sacred to Lord Siddheshwar, who is considered as an incarnation of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The temple is highly revered by the devotees as it is the place where Shri Siddheshwar attained Samadhi. In the main temple complex, there is a beautiful sanctum, which features the idol of Siddheshwar. Also in the main courtyard, there are 68 shiva lingams, which were installed by Lord Siddheshwar. Amrit Linga and Lord Ganesha temples are special mentions. Silver-plated Nandi, and the temple of Vithoba and Goddes Rukmini along with the various other gods are a part of the temple. In the middle of the temple, there is a marble tomb of Siddheshwar. All devotees here are offered maha-prasad.

History

As per the records, Siddheshwar temple was built by a yogi, and a devotee of Shri Mallikarjuna of Srisailam, Shri Siddharameshwar. He built this temple and made 68 Shiva lingams in the temple as per the instructions of his guru. It is said that Shri Siddheshwar, who is also considered as the six prophets of Lingayat religion, believed that birth of this saint caused the prosperity of the city and the deity is capable of blessing the devotees.
The temple and lake have been administered since 1899 by the ‘Shri Siddheshwar Devsthan Panch Committee’.
Best time to visit the temple will be Makar Sankranti festival during which grand celebration takes place for three days. Also, a fair called Gadda Yatra is arranged for fifteen days at the temple. The temple is in honour of Siddheshwar, a devotee of Shiva.

Ritual

On Makarsankrat, there are annual pilgrimages called 'Gadda'. This is when the Gadda Yatra celebration begins and continues for 15 days. A procession called the 'procession of Kathies' occurs at the temple.
The temple is attended by members of Veerashaiva.