There is a strange phenomenon of nature, every year lightening takes place on a particular plateau. It is so forceful that the entire locality around resounds with violent howl. What is amazing is that no destruction takes place. According to a legend Rudra, one of the great gods has to spit its anger in the form of tremendous fire once an year which damaged earthly life and material that the Saint Vashishitha approached Rudra to shun away the habit but he was refused with the reason that that was the nature of Rudra otherwise tremendous energy stored in the body would destroy Rudra himself. It was decided that a particular place might be chosen for that action and some of the great gods must come forward for the rescue of the people suffering due to that fire as there was no fault of the inhabitants living on that spot. Lord Shiva was approached and was requested that several times he had rescued the life on earth he might suggest some way to avoid unnecessary destruction. Lord with a serious thought, agreed upon the proposal and offered himself that he would bear all the consequences of the lightening on his symbolic structure of Linga but after the lightening some one from the locality have to give a healing touch to the symbolic structure enshrined on the top of the hillock. Thus the problem was sought out. This was the strange phenomenon that Rudra was another aspect of Lord Shiva and Lord Shiva was there to bear the consequences of his wrath. There is a hymn in Rigveda (3/46/7)
"0 Rudra the lightening that apears on earth from the sky may leave us, on This earth in peace". And there is another hymn:
"Swapivat," oh great god there are several cures in form of medicinal herbs don's destroy this earth. "Swapivat" is term used for self affliction. It was the fire emitted by lord Shiva and it should be engulfed by himself only. There was no other god to face the thrust of that energetic emittance. With the result that Rudra himself came to rescue and absorbed the powerful thrust on himself in the form of Linga which was erected on a hillock on the confluence of Parvati and Beas. There is a small temple known as Bijali Mahadev or Bijaleshwar. It is said that the tenure of lightening was changed from an year to once in twelve years. the people and the priest of the temple narrate that after every twelve years phenomenon of lightening is repeated and the Linga shatters into pieces which are colleted piece by piece and glued together with the help of butter collected from the public. The butter is pure one and the people themselves offer in bits. The priest while chanting the hymns recreates the Linga by assembling small pieces glued together with the butter collected in this way. The butter leaves behind its melting point and solidifies as stone. This is a strange phenomenon and the scientists are baffled that how this metamorphosis takes place.
The place is called as Mathana or Thamana which is situated at about eight kilometres from the town of Kullu, at the height of about 9000 feet. There is a small temple erected on a plateau. It is a hill style of temple and the main deity is of lord Shiva. One has to climb a steep path to reach the temple. The narrow path twins along the apple orchids and virtually ends on the top of the Kullu valley overlooking the vast span of the lush green forests, the cascading waters of Beas shimmering in the sun and the small box like huts as if toys are placed in the lush green fields.
There are a number of anecdotes prevalent in the valley about the mystic aspects of Bijali Mahadev. According to one the deity was discovered from a field while ploughing, The farmer took it along with him and kept the image in his box of corn. It so happened that the corn overflowed from the box the next day. The villagers were astonished to see the phenomenon.
The next day when a dumb cowboy was escorting the cows back from the grazing site he found that a cow was missing. He searched for her and was astonished to find that she was giving milk nearby a rock. He tried to explain the strange process to the landlord but he did not believe him. On the second day again cow was seen on the same spot giving milk that the cowboy rushed to the house of the landlord to show the family members the strange phenomenon but till then the cow had returned. In the night, the landlord had a dream that the image of Lord Shiva be installed on the place where the cow voluntarily showed her Pleasantries. The landlord questioned the validity and asked in the dream to the heavenly voice that he would agree to the proposal provided the dumb cow boy gets his voice back. According to the old men of the locality the cowboy got his voice back the next day and returning from his toil he demanded the food in his voice instead of gestures. Thus the temple of Bijali Mahadev came into existence.
Nearby the temple of Bijli Mahadev there are a number of other religious places where the god rests a while before it is carried to the assembly of the gods during Dushera. The people from far and wide come there to offer their homage and get their wishes fulfilled. Once in a year there use to be a fair where the people from the locality and Kullu come there to participate in the fare. There is a small inn by the side of temple where the pilgrims can stay overnight
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