The Nageshwar Jyotirlinga in Dwarka, Gujarat, is the tenth of the twelve sacred Jyotirlingas. According to the Shiva Purana, it is located in the ancient forest of Darukavana, believed today to be a Shiva temple near Gopi Talav Tirth, 17 km from Dwarka.
Origin Story: The tale tells of a powerful demoness named Daruka, blessed by Parvati as caretaker of the forest, and her husband Daruk, whose rakshasas terrorized sages and disrupted their worship. When Sage Aurva cursed any rakshasa who committed violence to die instantly, the frightened demons hid in the forest, which Daruka carried beneath the sea, tormenting sea creatures and imprisoning travellers - including a devotee named Supriya, who kept praying to Shiva despite Daruka's threats.
Moved by Supriya's devotion, Lord Shiva appeared in a luminous Jyotirlinga and destroyed the rakshasas with his celestial Pashupatastra. When Daruka prayed to Parvati for mercy, the goddess softened Shiva's decree, allowing rakshasas to remain until the end of the current age. Shiva then declared he would remain in the forest forever to protect his devotees, becoming Lord Nageshwar.
The temple today features a newly built 25-metre seated statue of Lord Shiva at its entrance, one of the tallest such statues in India, and continues to draw devotees seeking blessings and freedom from sin.