Naimisharanya - Geographical Location, Importance

Naimisharanya:

It is in the state of Uttar Pradesh and is less than 100 kilometers from the capital Lucknow. To the devotees it is a sacred place. There is a huge hexagonal pond called the Chakra Kunda or Wheel Pond, which is said to be the place where the Manomaya Chakra landed rupturing the ground. Because of the emergence of Shakti at Naimisharanya, it is a famous Shakti Peeth with a temple dedicated to a manifestation of Shakti known as Linga Dharini Shakti. There is also a Vyasa Peeth associated with Veda Vyasa and Dadheechi Kunda associated with the renowned Sage Dadheechi.
Naimishararanya is in the Sitapur Dist of U.P. and 89 km away from Lucknow, on the banks of the river Gomati. From Sitapur Cantonment one can get to Naimisharanya by train. Today Naimisharanya is more popularly known as Nimsar and is a village on the bank of the river Gomti. You can also reach by getting down at Hardoi station before Lucknow which is 20 KM. from Naimisharanya. It is a small village but there are several ashrams and dharmashalas for stay.

Naimisharanya finds mention in several Puranas:

1) Vrittrasur was a demon becoming a major hurdle in the way of Sages and demigods. Then a highly powerful sage named Maharshi Dadhichi gave his bones in order to create a weapon to kill the demon. Today, Naimisharanya Misrikh has numerous pilgrim places to see around. People say that anyone who meditates hard enough over here and rids oneself of worldly desires will definitely attain some amount of divine power and force. Every year, in the Hindu month of Phalgun, a temple festival known as Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama is held in the honor of the sage.

2) The forest of Naimisharanya is considered to be the forest manifestation of Vishnu and therefore considered sacred. It is said that during the course of history 60000 sages have lived there.

3) The Vayu Purana states that in the Satya Yuga the sages wanted to perform a huge yagna and requested Brahma to guide them to an appropriate location. Brahma created a huge wheel, which he called Manomaya Chakra. After dedicating the wheel to Shiva he released it and told the sages to follow it. He instructed them to hold their sacrifice at the place the wheel broke. The wheel landed in a forest and as predicted it broke. This forest came to be known as Naimisharanya. Naimi means circumference of a wheel and Aranya means forest; together meaning the forest where the circumference of the wheel broke. When the wheel broke there was a huge fountain of water in the shape of a Shiva Linga and the forest was in danger of being flooded. The sages were in a panic, but the mother goddess Shakti appeared and stopped the flow of water.

4)The Varaha Purana provides an alternative legend. It states that Vishnu once destroyed the entire army of Asuras in a second at this place with his Chakra. Nimish means an instant and Aranya means forest; together meaning the forest where the demons were destroyed in a second.

5) Naimisharanya was the place where Veda Vyasa taught the Vedas and Puranas to his disciples. Lomaharshana, the disciple of Veda Vyasa narrated the Puranas to the sages here.

6) Naimisharanya was the venue of the 1000-year yagna under the aegis of Shaunaka where Suta Goswami narrated the Bhagavata Purana.

7) Shankaracharya spent time in Naimisharanya.

8) The famous blind bhakti poet Surdas lived in Naimisharanya.

9) One of the most heart rendering incidents from Ramayana took place in Naimisharanya. Sita requested her mother, the earth, to open up and accept her, after she united Luv and Kush with their father Rama, as she no longer desired to live. A sacred pond known as Sita Kunda now stands where Mother Earth has parted to receive her daughter.