Netwar, Jakholi (Uttarkashi)

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This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content.

Karn and Duryodhan temples

The Times of India, Jun 27, 2016

Seema Sharma

Ever heard of a temple dedicated to Duryodhana, widely regarded as the villain of the epic Mahabharata? Or one built in honour of Karna, the abandoned son of Kunti, who eventually allied with the Kauravas and fought against his brothers, the Pandavas? In a remote corner of Uttarakhand lies both these temples housing their unique deities and the intriguing stories behind them. While the people of Netwar village in Tons valley of Uttarkashi take immense pride in the Karna temple located in their village, residents of Jakholi (located some distance away) known for its association with Duryodhana play down ties with the eldest Kaurava.

In fact, some years ago, the temple was converted into a Shiva temple. The village has, however, retained a goldplated axe that legend says belonged to the Kaurava prince.

“Our ancestors accepted various myths out of innocence. Over the years, media reports have perpetuated the myth,“ claimed Puran Singh Nautiyal, a villager.

Janak Singh Rawat, the head of the temple committee, too, denied any association with the Kaurava. “Our deity has always been Lord Shiva,“ he added.

However, a villager, who did not wish to be named, acknowledged that the village did have a Duryodhana temple but “almost nine years ago, the villagers decided to distance themselves from Duryodhana as they believed association with this Mahabharata character was only giving them a bad name.“

Meanwhile, almost 50 km away, at the temple of Karna, the villagers are proud of their association with `daan veer' Karna.

The villagers, too, have embraced philanthropy and donations are given by each family for religious and charitable works.

Manmohan Prasad Nautiyal, the village pradhan, told TOI, “Karna is our ideal and our deity . We try to follow his charitable and philanthropic ideals fully . The dowry system has been officially abolished by the village committee.“ He said animal sacrifice was also banned.