Ajgaivinath Lord Shiva Temple

Ajgaivinath Lord Shiva Temple is a shrine built on a large rock jutting from the Ganges River in Sultanganj, Bihar. The temple is carved from solid rock and displays intricate carvings of deities and sacred symbols in the traditional North Indian architectural style with a tall spire called a shikhara.

According to legend, the temple's origins trace back to the Treta Yuga, a mythological age when the deity Rama worshipped Shiva at this location. The temple structure has endured over centuries, and the tall spire was added by a queen named Kalavati over a hundred years ago.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and draws its name from a legend about a sacred bow called Ajgav that Shiva kept at this site. Visitors come to pray and offer flowers, maintaining a direct connection between their daily faith and this ancient place of worship.

The temple is best visited between July and September or from February to May when the weather is warm but not too hot. Visitors can reach the temple from nearby Sultanganj by bus or cycle rickshaw, and during the monsoon season the river swells, so be aware that conditions become rougher.

A remarkable feature is that the shrine appears to float on water during the monsoon season when the Ganges swells and washes around the rocks. During the Kanwar Yatra festival, thousands of pilgrims arrive each year to collect water and carry it 109 kilometers to the Babadham temple.