The Famous EME Temple of Lord Shiva at Vadodara in Gujarat State of India

I have seen one of the most unconventional Lord Shiva temples at the famous EME temple, situated in the city of Vadodara, in the Gujarat State of India. This temple is not having a standard summit like all other conventional Hindu temples, but is having a circular dome as a roof above the Lord Shiva statue. This unique temple has become highly popular amongst the places to be seen at Vadodara city and in the Gujarat State. As a result, it attracts thousands of tourists daily from all over the Gujarat State.

This famous EME temple is situated in the Fatehgunj, army cantonment area in the city of Vadodara. It can be easily reached by hired auto rickshaws from any corner of the Vadodara city. The soldiers of the Indian army, stationed at the Vadodara city have built this unique temple in the year 1974. The top roof is circular in shape and is made up of the aluminium scrape sheets, which were collected at the army warehouse. The roof has a diameter of around 75 feet. The statue of Lord Dakshinamurti, which is said to be the reincarnation of Lord Shiva facing south, is put here at the temple. Normally, all Lord Shiva temples would have Lord Shiva Lingam positioned inside the temple, but it is not so here. The Lord Dakshinamurti statue placed here is made of black stone and really looks very impressive. The temple is situated in the vast area and the most beautiful garden all around this temple presents the most scenic view. There are also statues of Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman, and Amba Mata kept in the main temple. There are 24 other statues of various gods installed all around the main temple. The sweet Shiva Stotra is continuously played on a sophisticated music system, with the mikes put in all the corners of the temple. The effect of this holy music is simply great and inspires all the visitors to go in to deep meditation. The visitors need to take full round of the main temple to view all the 24 statues of the gods installed.

Recently, the attraction of Amarnath cave is added in this temple complex. The replica of the original Amarnath cave, situated in Kashmir, is made here and the Lord Shiva lingam is also made from the snow, as exists at the original cave. This snow Shiva lingam can be seen all through out the year as the specific low temperature is maintained inside the cave. The stone sculptures of the sixth century, which were found during various excavations in Vadodara district, are also kept here at the temple. This temple has inherent built in features of total five religions. The kalash placed on top of the roof dome is a symbol of Hindu religion. The circular dome of the roof resembles the Muslim religion. The Christian religion is represented by the clock tower provided in the temple complex. The golden structure provided above this clock tower is a symbol of Buddha religion. Finally, the design of the entrance gate of the temple reflects the Jain religion. There is also a playground here in the temple complex for the children. The residents of Vadodara and the tourists from all over the Gujarat State gather in very large numbers on Sundays and Mondays, particularly during morning and the evening artis. The entire atmosphere of the temple complex becomes divine and spiritual at these times. Some people visit this temple to perform meditation and Dhyana activities at early morning hours. The temple remains open from 6 am to 8 pm every day. The soldiers of the Indian army maintain the entire temple complex. They also look after the security of the temple. One of the damaged Patton tanks, captured by Indian army in the 1971 war with Pakistan, is also displayed here at the temple complex.

This rare and unique temple has gained lot of popularity during last five years. All the tourists visiting city of Vadodara make sure to visit it. I am quiet confident that this article shall encourage many of my AC friends to visit this rare and unique Lord Shiva temple during their stay at Vadodara in India.