Kala Bhairava: The God of Time
India is a land of many gods. Hindus, who form the majority in India, worship a multitude of gods and goddesses and lesser deities. They are often invoked for specific blessings, like, for example, Vishnu and Lakshmi are often invoked for wealth, Shiva for health and longevity, Saraswati for learning and proficiency in the arts, and Ganesha for removal of obstacles and success in new ventures, etc.
But did you know that there is a God who is worshipped by people who are procrastinators and addicts? He is none other than Kala Bhairava, the God of Time, who is a fierce aspect of Shiva.
Kala Bhairava’s depiction itself evokes fear and terror. He has blazing hair, fierce eyes, and a tiger’s teeth. Around his neck is a snake and also a garland of human skulls. In his hands are a trident, a drum, and a head dripping blood. The head belongs to Brahma. Bhairava is a deity who vanquished even death. He is one of Shiva’s eight avatars.
Legend of Kala Bhairava
The most well-known legend about the origin of Kala Bhairava is in the Shiva Mahapurana. The story goes that Brahma became proud as he had created the Universe and commanded Vishnu to worship him. On hearing this, Shiva became enraged and took the form of Kala Bhairava to punish Brahma. Brahma had 5 heads, and he chopped off one of them. But by doing so, he committed the sin of Brahmahatya, or the act of killing a Brahman. In expiation, Bhairava had to wander around from place to place, carrying the head with him for 12 long years.
Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains worship Kala Bhairava. Devotees believe that he can help people to make effective use of time, thereby enabling them to achieve their goals. After all, he is the Lord of Time. The word ‘Kala’ signifies time. If you ever found yourself at the right place at the right time, he probably had a hand in it. He has power over time and can make it work in your favor or against you. Tantriks revere him as Batuk Bharav.
Guardian of Temples
He is also the ‘Kshetrapalaka’, or ‘guardian of the temple’. At Shiva and Shakti temples, the keys are ceremonially submitted to him at closing time. In the morning, they are retrieved from him. He is also the protector of travelers. Before leaving on a journey, especially at night, devotees light lamps or diyas and garland the deity with cashew nut wreaths to invoke his protection.
Kala Bhairava’s vehicle is the dog. The dog sits on one side as if it is waiting to taste the blood that drips from Brahma’s severed head. It pleases Kala Bhairava when we show kindness to dogs and feed them. People offer halwa puri (a sweet bread) to dogs, especially on Saturdays, to get his blessings.
Kala Bhairava has devotees throughout India. There are Kala Bhairava temples in and around Shaktipeeths and Jyotirlinga temples. He is the guardian deity of Mahamaya temples.
Let us see which are the top 6 famous Kala Bhairava temples in India.
Kala Bhairava Temple, Ujjain
Kal Bhairav temple of Ujjain is a very unique temple in India. Here, the main offering to the deity is liquor! The temple lies on the banks of the Shipra river. After the Pooja, the liquor is given to devotees as prasad. One can find vendors outside the temple selling Pooja baskets containing coconut, flowers, and a quarter of country liquor. The state government funds the liquor for the temple. The deity seems to gulp down a quarter of the alcohol within a few minutes. Devotees offer mostly country liquor.
In the morning, the temple priest offers a big bottle of red wine or rum to the deity along with other Pooja materials. The priest pours the liquor into a shallow cup or plate and keeps it close to the mouth of the deity. The liquor goes down slowly, and the cup is taken away once it gets over. After this, visitors get the leftover alcohol as prasad.
Kala Bhairava Mandir, Varanasi
Kala Bhairava temple in Varanasi is one of the most ancient temples in the city. It is at K-32/22 Bharonath, Vishweshwarganj, Varanasi. The deity is the “Kotwal of Sati pind”. Nobody can even touch the Sati pind without his permission. Lord Shiva told Kala Bhairava to go to various places, but he was pursued by BrahmaRakshas due to his Brahma Hatya Dosh, wherever he went. Finally, he ended up in Kashi, which is the Moksha Puri of the world. When Bhairava set foot in Kashi, the Brahma Rakshas vanished. Brahma’s head (held by Kala Bhairava) also fell to the ground, and the place got the name Kapal Mochan Teerth. Since then, Kala Bhairava remained at Kashi and offered his protection to the people who lived there.
Kalabhairaveshwara Temple, Karnataka
This ancient temple lies in a hill township in Nagamangala Taluk in Mandya District, Karnataka. Sri Kalabhairaveshwara is also the Kshetra Palaka of Sri Adichunchanagiri Mahasamsthana Math. The presiding deity is Lord Gangadhareshwara. Devotees hold in great reverence the Pancha Lingas, the Jwala Peetha, and Sthambamba. The peak point of the hillock is Akasha Bhairava, and the sacred pond is Bindu Sarovara. Two lakes were built for the Theppothsava programs. The old Bindu Sarovara was renovated according to Agama tradition. As per legends, Adi Rudra handed over this temple to Siddha Yogi, who went on to establish the Siddha Simhasana and the Math.
Ajaikapada Bhairava Temple, Odisha
Ajaikapada Bhairava Temple is in the Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha and is found in the Chaunsath Yogini temple. It is dedicated to Ekapada Bhairava, one of the many forms of Shiva. The temple is almost 6 km from Alanahat, Sathalapada in Jagatsinghpur. A tributary of the Mahanadi River, Alaka river, flows by the temple.
The temple’s origin goes back to the 10th century. The Somavamsi Keshari Kings built this Bhairava temple. Natural calamities and Muslim invasions destroyed the temple. It was rebuilt later in the 20th century. The garbagriha has idols of Bhairava and a Shivalinga. The Bhairava image has one foot and four hands. Ajaikapada Bhairava is supposedly the ruling deity of the Nakshatra (star) Purva Bhadrapada.
Kalabhairavar Temple, Tamil Nadu
Kalabhairavar Temple at Adhiyaman Kottai near Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu, is one of the two temples in India where Kala Bhairava is the main deity. The other temple is in Kasi / Varanasi. Visiting this temple and having darshan of Bhairava during Rahu Kala Pooja for 13 days (times) can help one overcome problems due to enemies, family curse, black magic, etc. The ceiling of the anterior hall has 9 parts like horoscope squares, and each represents one planet. When offering prayers during Rahu Kala Pooja, people light lamps made from pumpkin halves and coconut halves. Devotees pray to one part of Bhairava’s body according to their Rasi. Aries natives pray to his head to clear their dosha. For Taurus, it is the neck, Gemini skin, Cancer arms, Leo breast, Virgo stomach, Libra thigh, Scorpio knee, Capricorn, the bottom of the knee, Aquarius ankle, and Pisces the foot.
Chomukha Bhairavji Temple, Rajasthan
Chomukha Bhairavji Temple is in Kharkara, Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan. During the month of February, in Ashtami, the locals visit the temple for Jagran (all-night song and dance ritual). Devotees come here seeking blessings like salvation, knowledge, wealth, relief from illness, and ownership of vehicles.
