Animals and birds have special importance in Sanatan Dharma and ancient mythology; Animals like cow, snake, elephant and lion are worshipped. But have you ever heard of a temple dedicated primarily to frogs – considered a symbol of rain and prosperity? There is one such unique temple of Shiva in ‘Oyal’ town of Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh. It is considered to be the only ‘Frog Temple’ (Manduk Temple) in the entire country.
The main feature of this temple is its unique structure. When seen from outside the entire temple looks like a giant frog. Architecturally, it is built on the back of a giant frog, which itself sits on the back of a giant crocodile. It was built in Rajasthani style under the guidance of the famous Tantrik Kapila of Meghalaya on the basis of Tantrik ‘Manduk Yantra’. Devotees entering from the eastern gate can directly reach the sanctum sanctorum through the mouth of the frog. The Tantric style carvings on the outer walls of the temple point towards its historical secrets.
**Shivalinga changes color with season**
Inside the temple, the Narmadashvara Mahadev Shivalinga is situated on a high and beautiful shikhara of marble. The biggest amazing thing here is that this rare Shivalinga brought from the Narmada river changes its color at different times of the day. Additionally, while Nandi is usually depicted in a sitting posture in Shiva temples around the world, the Nandi idol here is in a standing posture – something not seen anywhere else in India.
**A frog changed the fate of the king**
The history of this temple is about 200 years old. This area was ruled by the Chauhan dynasty from the 11th to the 19th century. According to local beliefs, there was once a severe drought in the area, during which a divine frog blessed the ruler of the state, Raja Bakht Singh. After this the king’s fortunes changed and the entire kingdom became prosperous. In Tantric texts the frog is considered a symbol of good luck, fertility and prosperity; For this reason the king built this temple in honor of that divine frog.
**Special puja on Shivratri and Diwali**
Officially recognized by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, this temple organizes grand events on the occasion of Mahashivratri. Apart from this, special Tantric rituals are also performed here during the festival of Diwali. Devotees have an unwavering belief that if a person sees Lord Shiva sitting on the back of a frog on these auspicious occasions, all the troubles of life go away and he is blessed with wealth and prosperity.
