Bharatrihari Temple, Alwar

Bharatrihari was the brother of Raja Vikramaditya who lived and ruled the earth 2,000 years ago from his capital city Ujjain. Legend has it that once upon a time, Vikramaditya temporarily gave the reigns of his empire in the hands of his able brother Bharatrihari and went overseas incognito to find opportunities for expanding his empire.
Meanwhile, Raja Bharatrihari got the biggest shock of his life when he discovered by a quirk of fate that his youngest, most beloved and beautiful queen, Dangalah Rani, was in an illicit relationship with one of the ambitious courtiers. Shocked with the revelation, the deceived husband ordered his unfaithful wife’s head to be decapitated. Disillusioned with the world, Bharatrihari renounced his kingdom and went to the forest to meditate on Lord Shiva. He found his preceptor, Guru Gorakhnath, and reached the Alwar region in Rajasthan where he attained the purpose of his quest and finally gave up his body.

Later, the disciples of Bharatrihari made a temple in his honour to preserve his mortal remains. The shrine is flanked by lush hill and there is a waterfall closeby.
It is believed that a rivulet appeared from beneath a rock when God’s answered Bharatrihari’s prayer for a source of water at the site where he was performing penance. Now, this shrine is thronged by thousands of people, more so, in the month of Bhadrapad when a special fair is held to honour Lord Shiva. The followers of Bharatrihari always keep a sacred fireplace ignited in the samadhi temple. Many people have had their desires fulfilled by praying at the temple.