>Nizil Shah at 05:55, 7 April 2021

2021-04-07T05:55:50Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
'''Bhilleshwar''' is a village in Ranavav Taluka of [[Porbandar district]] in [[Gujarat]], India.

==Geography==
Bhilleshwar is located near to the village of [[Ashiyapat]], and east of the Barda hill on the banks of the Bhilleshvari river.
The river called [[Bhil]] [[Ganga]] rises in the Barda hills, and flows past this village and joins the [[Dai-minsar River|Minsar river]] near [[Khirsara]].<ref name="bg">{{cite book|title=Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Kathiawar|url=https://archive.org/details/1884GazetteerByBombayPresidencyVol8Kathiawar349D|year=1884|publisher=Printed at the Government Central Press, Bombay|volume=VIII|pages=400–401}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>

==Demographics==
The population of Bileshwar by the census of 1872 was 172, but it was increased to 211 souls in 1881.<ref name="bg"/> According to the [[2011 Census of India]], the population had grown to 1,748 by 2011, divided over 364 households living on 522 [[hectare|hectares]] of land.<ref name="Census2011">{{cite web |title=District Census Handbook: Porbandar 2011 |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/dchb/2411_PART_B_DCHB_PORBANDAR.pdf |publisher=Indian Central Government |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref>

==Places of interest==
===Bileshwar Mahadev temple===
Bileshwar Mahadev temple is a fine temple sacred to [[Shiva]], of some antiquity, and in excellent preservation. The Rabaris of the neighbouring states and villages have much faith in this Mahadev and many vows are made to the shrine, several lamps of ''[[ghee]]'' are constantly burning here; one of these was kept up at the cost of the Rana of Porbandar.<ref name="bg"/>

;History
[[Porbandar State]] had endowed this shrine with some land, and [[Navanagar State]] had granted it the village of [[Sajdiali]] in ''dharmada'' or religious tenure. The Rabaris and Charans of the neighbouring districts used give one day's churning of butter to the shrine yearly, and the ''Bava'' of the temple goes to collect it even as far as [[Okhamandal]].<ref name="bg"/>

;Legends
It is said that a Muslim army once captured the village and attempted to break the ling, but the ling burst of itself and hundreds of wasps issued therefrom and put the army to flight after killing many of them.<ref name="bg"/>

The origin of the Bileshwar Mahadev is attributed to [[Krishna]]. It seems that [[Satyabhama]], one of Krishna's wives, asked him to procure for her the ''parijatak'' tree which only grows in [[Indra]]'s garden. Krishna sent [[Narad]] muni to bring the tree from Indra, but he refused to part with it and challenged Krishna to fight with him. Krishna went to the garden where the tree was growing and took it. Fighting now ensued in heaven between Indra and Krishna, but when the sun set both the combatants rested on the Pariyatra mountain which is now called Barda hill. In the morning Krishna offered prayers to [[Ganges in Hinduism|Ganga]] and the goddess issued out of a cave and was named by Krishna ''Bil-Ganga''. Krishna now adored Shiva who instantly appeared and was much pleased with Krishna's worship and promised to fulfil his desires. Krishna then installed him at that spot and named him Bilvadakeshvar which has since been corrupted to Bileshwar. Others say that Krishna adored Shiv here with great devotion for seven months, and as he used to strew ''bili'' leaves on the symbol he called it Bileshwar.<ref name="bg"/>

;Fairs
Three fairs are annually held here, one on the last day of the dark half of [[Shraavana]] in August, another on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month of Maha (the [[Shivaratri]]), and a third on the eighth of the dark half of Shravan, when hundreds of people assemble here to worship the Mahadev.<ref name="bg"/>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Porbandar-geo-stub}}

{{coord missing|Gujarat}}
[[Category:Villages in Porbandar district]]

Bileshwar - Revision history

>Nizil Shah at 05:55, 7 April 2021