Vaijnath Temple
In the renowned Beed district of Maharashtra, rests yet another ‘jyotirlinga’ temple of India on the top of a small hill - Parali Vaijnath Temple. Popularly known as the 'Vaijanath Temple,' each corner of the temple whispers the secrets of the mythological stories, never revealing the full story. Somewhere like the other 'jyotirlinga' temples, Parali Vaijnath too has a story to tell; not just one but many.
History
The history of Parli Vaijnath Temple is that it was built in the 1700s. It was renovated by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar, the Queen of the Maratha Malwa Kingdom at that time. Two very popular legends are associated with this temple. One legend talks about the Amrit and the other talks about the demon king Ravana and his quest to own Shiva.
Legend of the Amrit
The Samudra Manthan was the churning of the Ocean of Milk and out came 14 ratnas, including Vish and Amrit.
When the Gods and Demons were churning the ocean and competing for the Divine Nectar or Amrit, fourteen gems emerged from the process. It included Dhanavantari and Amrit.
Just as the demons were about to pounce on the Amrit, Lord Vishnu grabbed both Dhanwantri and Amrit and hid them inside a Shiva Linga. The angered demons tried to break the Linga, but when they touched it bright light emanated. This scared the demons and they fled from the place.
Since this is the place where the Devas successfully received the Amrit, the village became popular as Vaijayanthi and therefore the temple as Parli Vaijnath.
