The Rajivlochan temple at Rajim is situated at the confluence of the rivers Mahanadi, Pairi and Sondur. Rajim is said to have been an important urban centre for the Mahakoshal region, with a number of other temples as well. The nearest railhead and airport is Raipur. Though there is a narrow-gauge train available from here to Rajim it is advisable to go by road, especially if time is a constraint. The roads are good and the traffic thin, and one can make it to Rajim comfortably in forty to forty-five minutes. There are private buses and taxis available from Raipur to Rajim as well. The Pandit in the temple claims he is a descendant of King Ratnakar of Satya Yuga (pre-history). His forefathers for generations have been in the service of Lord Rajivlochan (Lotus-eyed Lord). According to him, King Ratnakar frequently conducted fire-sacrifices (havan) for the good of his subjects. At that time this area was known as Padmavati Kshetra or Padampur. Around the temple of Rajivlochan there are five more temples, of Bhuteshvara, Jagannatha, Pancheshvar Mahadev, Someshvar Mahadev and Rajim Telin. It is said that on Magha Purnima Lord Jagannatha Himself comes to this temple and people can have His darshan in the image of Rajivlochan. On that day the Jagannatha temple at Puri remains closed. At Rajivlocan temple the priests are from the warrior class (kshatriyas) and the tradition continues to this day. Eight families share the responsibility of maintenance and performance of rituals. They wear the sacred thread (yajnopavita) and say some slokas. The Brahmin pujaris are there too; they do the reciting of slokas and chanting of mantras (stutipatha and mantra uccharanam) but the prestigious post of pujari has been given to the kshatriyas for thousands of years. Here, just like in Jagannatha Puri, great importance is given to Maha Prasada called Pidia, made of rice. Lomasha Rishi’s ashram is just a few kilometers away from the temple. This area is surrounded by Bilva trees, which are good for health. Lomasha’s son Shringi blessed King Dasaratha with four sons and ultimately married the King’s daughter too. The area around the ashram is known as Dandakaranya. It is believed that this is where demons (rakshasas) used to disrupt the fire offerings of the sages. Human skeletons found in the area are call them raksha hada (big bones) for their monstrous size. Rajim is an example of religion in our remote areas. If only getting there were easier. Extracted from Nrisimhapriya magazine, July 2004
