The Matangeshvara temple, where Shivling size increases every year

India is a land of mysteries where such secrets of history are hidden which you will not see anywhere else, but the mysteries that are seen in the temples of India are rarely seen elsewhere. Among such temples is a temple of Lord Shiva, which has a Shiva lingam whose size is continuously increasing every year and is said to be the only living Shivalinga in the world. The name of this gorgeous temple is Matangeshvara temple. This temple is located in Khajuraho town of Madhya Pradesh, which is considered to be the most popular tourist spot of Madhya Pradesh as well as a famous pilgrimage site. This entire area has been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because many specimens of artifacts can be seen here, The area is known as the Khajuraho Group of Monuments which are basically a group of Hindu temples and Jain temples and are mainly famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures. To see this entire site, huge crowds of devotees from all over the world come here every year. 

Among all these temples, there is the Matangeshvara temple, and wherein the sanctum sanctorum of this temple, there is a mysterious Shivling, whose height has been measured 9 feet. The most mysterious fact is that as much as this Shivling is considered above the earth, the same it is believed to be inside the earth. This Shivalinga is becoming one inch bigger every year and it is measured every year by the priests of this temple, while the staff of the tourism department also come to measure this Shivling every year and they have also accepted this claim as true. It is said that this Shivling is not only increasing upwards but also inside the earth, that is, the shape of this Shivling remains the same all the time, whether it is above the earth or inside the earth.

According to mythology, Lord Shankar had the emerald gem (मरकत मणि), which was given by Shiva to Yudhisthira, the brother of the Pandavas. From Yudhishthira, the gem reached the Sage Matanga and he gave it to King Harshavarman. King Harshavarman buried this gem in the ground for safety purposes, this gem had immense power but there was no one to look after it. Due to which this Shivling has appeared above this mani. It was due to the gem of the Matanga rishi that it got the name Matangeshwar Mahadev and the mani has been under Shivling since then. Due to this gem, this Shivling size increases every year and it is due to the power of this gem that this Shivling is called a living Shivling. As a living human grows, this living Shivling is also growing every year. Today this temple remains the center of worship and faith and it is considered the tallest temple in Khajuraho.

According to the priests of this temple, this Shivling relates to Kalyug which is believed to be a 9th-century temple, the upper part of which is moving towards the heavenly world (Svarga Loka) and the lower part of it is moving towards Paatal Lok (Underworld) and when this part will reach the Paatal Lok, then the Kalyug will end. The recognition of this temple is increasing every year and the crowd of devotees is also increasing. Although this temple is full of devotees throughout the year, but during the Shravan month, there is a flow of devotees here.