Naimisharanya is a sacred place that finds mention in various Hindu scriptures. Puranas states that Saunaka Rishi and 80, 000 other stages performed a yajna here dedicated to Shiva and thus making it a sacred Tirth. The place of yajna was decided by Brahma. A chakra or disc that was thrown by Brahma landed at Naimisharanya. This holy spot is located in Uttar Pradesh.
The reasons why Naimisharanya is Holy
- When the Kali Yuga was about to begin, holy men and sages approached Brahma to suggest a place to stay during Kali Age – so that they won’t have to face the bad things of the era. The place that Brahma suggested was Naimisharanya. The area then was a forest named Naimisha.
- It is also believed that the Satyanarayana Katha was first recited here.
- Ved Vyasa composed some of the important Puranas here.
- It is believed that Vishnu appeared as Varaha Avatar (Boar) here.
- Suta, the student of Vyasa, first narrated the Mahabharata here.
- The place is mentioned in many Puranas especially Matsya and Varaha Purana.
The most important holy place here is the Chakra Tirth – a holy pond. The spot that Brahma suggested to Saunaka Rishi to perform yajna.
There are numerous other holy spots in and around Chakra Tirth – this includes Hanuman Garhi, Pandav Kila, Lalitha Devi Temple, Yvas Gadi and Havan Kund.
The popular belief is that taking bath in the Chakra Trith is highly meritorious. Large number of people assemble here on Somavati Amavasya – No moon day on Monday.
Naimisharanya is around 90 KM northwest of Lucknow and 34 KM from Hardoi.