Bateshwar is a very ancient temple town situated on the bank of the River Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh, at a distance of 72 km from Agra. For Hindus and Jains, Bateshwar is a significant spiritual and cultural centre. The name Bateshwar derives from Lord Shiva dedicated to the central Bateshwarnath Temple. According to legend, lord Shiva rested here under a Banyan tree (Bat in Sanskrit) for some time, hence the place came to be known as Bateshwar (Lord of the Banyan).
The 101 Shiva temples built on the banks of Yamuna and Shaouripur are renowned for this. Bateshwar is expected to be referred to in the epic Mahabharata as Shouripur, a town of King Suresaine. Such temples were built by King Badan Singh Bhadoriya who said the flow of the Yamuna River has shifted from east to west towards Bateshwar. The king also constructed a dam to protect these temples from the heavy water flowing from the Yamuna River. The temple of Bateshwar Nath finds its mention in the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Matsya Purana holy texts. Many of the temples have ornamental walls and decorated ceilings. Lord Neminath the 22nd Tirthankar was born in Shaouripur.
Every year in the month of October-November an animal fair is held here.
