Shanaleshwara Swayambhu Temple, Nalas

Shanaleshwara Swayambhu Temple is a Shiva temple in the village of Nalas, about 7 km from Rajpura in Punjab, looked after by sadhus of the Juna Akhara. Its lingam is regarded as swayambhu, or self-manifested, and is also identified with the Pancha Bhoota; sadhus have lived here for centuries and it is a seat of the guru–shishya tradition.

Legend says a cowherd's cow kept letting her milk fall on one spot in the forest. When he dug there, his axe struck a stone that began to bleed, and the sage Swami Karam Giri, meditating nearby, recognised it as a Shivling; the axe mark is said to remain. The Maharaja of Patiala's elephant is said to have refused to move from the spot, and he had the temple built around 1592. Maha Shivaratri brings a three-day fair and lakhs of devotees, many walking from home while volunteers serve them food on the way.