Nagnath Shivlinga with Nandi In Brass pertaining to Aundha Nagnath is supposed to be the eighth (adya) of the twelve Jyotirlingas in the country, is an important place of pilgrimage. The present temple is said to have been built by Yadavas of devagiri and dates to 13th century. The first temple is said to be from time of Mahabharata and is believed to have been constructed by Yudhishthira, eldest of Pandava, when they were expelled for 14 years from Hastinapur.It has been stated that this temple building was of seven-storyed before it was sacked by Aurangzeb.
Design: Made in heavy shining brass.
Brass is well known for its grasping capacity. It grasps the divine spirit upto 30%, when compared to other metals. The spiritual vibrations are attracted towards these shining idols easily.
Dimensions: 3.5 inches (H) x 2.75 inches (W) x 3.5 inches (L) approx
Weight: 540 gms
Importance of Idol worship: Idols are not the idle fancies of sculptors, but shining channels through which the heart of the devotee is attracted to and flows towards God. Though the image is worshipped, the devotee feels the presence of the Lord in it and pours out his devotion unto it. Regular worship, Puja and other modes of demonstrating our inner feeling of recognition of Divinity in the idol unveils the Divinity latent in it. This is truly a wonder and a miracle. The picture comes to life. The idol speaks. It will answer your questions and solve your problems. The God in you has the power to awaken the latent Divinity in the idol. The lives of Mirabai, Sant Tukaram, Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Shri Yogananda are a few instances to prove the point. They proved beyond doubt that idol worship has its own brighter side and through simple faith and intense devotion one can realize God through it.
Idols are the "finite representation of the Infinite". As per Vishnu Samhita (ch 29, v 55-7), persuasively endorses the use of imagery (idols) and puts it:
"Without a form how can God be mediated upon? If (He is) without any form, where will the mind fix itself? When there is nothing for the mind to attach itself to, it will slip away from meditation or will glide into a state of slumber. Therefore the wise will meditate on some form, remembering, however, that the form is a superimposition and not a reality."