GAURISHANKER MANDIR CHANDNI CHOWK DELHI

 am great devotee of lord shiva. I used to go every Monday evening to gaurishanker mandir chandni chowk. This place has a great aura.I have self experienced many times.The shiva ligam is 800 years old..the mandir is also called as SHIVALA  APA GANGADHAR as it was built and worshipped by a Maratha soldier Gangadhar Apa is the name of his father.In about 12 th century about 800 yrs ago when chandni chowk was a forest and city and king's palace was purana quilla.Chandni chowk has some hurts and dwell forsadhus.The fort and Delhi was ruled by hindu raja Dilli .He has many daughters one of them was devotee of SHIVA.One moonlit night princess rode from the palace to bathe in jamuna in observance of a fast.The princess chose a ghat in lonely corner.After the bath she and her maids went around for picking flowers for it was almost morning. While they were wandering for flowers they were attacked by thugs.To save her honour the princess stabbed her in heart and died under a peepel tree.Her father the king had a well built beneath the tree and near it installed a shiv lingam.As princess had hjjer faith /belief shiva and parvati. She at last time invoked shiva and parvati to save her honour. For the few centuries the peepel tree and well with shiva lingam stood side by side.The mughal came and built red fort and chandni chowk market and shifted their capital near it.The wilderness gave way to the city.People came and settled down and it took name of chandni chowk in defrence to the wish of Shahjah and daughter Jahanara.In 18th century a maratha soldier in British army named Gangadhar ,while was fighting in the south had a dream in which a princess appeared along  with Shiva and Parvatiand commanded him to build a temple near the well and shiva lingam in chandni chowk Delhi.It was after all a dream and Gangadhar was a tough soldier ,who paid little heed to it.But the dream kept bothering him to built the temple and sometimes he would hear lord shiva commanding him to do so.Once Gangadhar was on a battle field .Gangadhar found himself surrounded by his enemies He was injured and there was hope of escape.He pray to lord Shiva and made avowed that if his life was saved he would build the desired temple.Gangadhar not only escaped but win the battle.The British rewarded him with jagir and also grant his wish that he be given area in chandni chowk where the well and the lingam along with tree stood.Gangadhar built the temple which  came to be known as Shivalay Apa Gangadhar .Then 1956 tree peepel tree was cut down .later in 1959 seth jaipur rebuild the temple.The temple is situated at main chandni chowk road next to digamber lal jain mandir just opposite to Red Fort.The temple has many pilgrims coming now a days on Monday and shivratri and other festivals.