Devalok
Local story · 1 telling · North India

The tears that made two lakes (Katas Raj)

Who is in it

Places: Katas Raj, Pushkar

The story, beat by beat

  1. Shiva and Sati live in the Salt Range.
  2. Daksha insults Shiva and Sati gives herself to the fire.
  3. Shiva carries her body across the world, weeping.
  4. Two tears fall and become the lakes of Pushkar and Katas.
  5. Pilgrims bathe in the Katas pool at Baisakhi.

grief love pilgrimage festival

How it is told, place by place

Base telling · Temple tradition

The Katas Raj tradition

North India · pa Shaiva 🪔 Baisakhi

Shiva and Sati spent their married years in the Salt Range. When Sati gave up her life at Daksha's sacrifice, Shiva wandered the world with her body, weeping, and two of his tears fell and became pools, one at Pushkar in Rajasthan and one at Katas, whose name comes from kataksha, tearful eyes. The earth's two eyes, Pushkar the right and Katas the left, drew pilgrims; at Katas they bathed on Baisakhi, and the pool is also held to be the lake where the Yaksha questioned the Pandavas.

Katas Raj temples (Punjab Tourism, Pakistan; Wikipedia; Daily Times); The forgotten gurdwara: Guru Nanak at Katas Raj (SikhNet), citing Sujan Rai Bhandari (1695), Giani Gian Singh (1880) and James Abbott (1848)

Sources: Katas Raj temples (Punjab Tourism, Pakistan; Wikipedia; Daily Times); The forgotten gurdwara: Guru Nanak at Katas Raj (SikhNet), citing Sujan Rai Bhandari (1695), Giani Gian Singh (1880) and James Abbott (1848)

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