Hidimba Devi Temple in Manali
About The Hidimba Temple In Manali
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| Hidimba Devi |
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| Temple ancient Building |
Hidimba Temple
Hidimba Devi Temple, also known variously as the Hadimba Temple, is located in Manali, a hill station in the State of Himachal Pradesh in north India. It is an ancient cave temple dedicated to Hidimbi Devi, wife of Bhima, a figure in the Indian epic Mahabharat. The temple is surrounded by a cedar forest at the foot of the Himalayas. The sanctuary is built over a huge rock jutting out of the ground which was worshiped as an image of the deity.The structure was built in 1553.
History
The Hidimba Devi or Hidimbi Devi temple is built around a cave where
Hidimba performed meditation. Hidimba was supposed to have lived
there with her brother Hidimb, and not much is known
about their parents. Born into a Rakshas family, Hidimba
vowed to marry one who would defeat her brother Hidimb
who was supposed to be very brave and fearless. During
the Pandavas exile, when they visited Manali; Bhima, one
of the five Pandavas, killed Hidimb. Thereafter, Hidimba
married Bhima and gave birth to their son Ghatotkach.
Hidimba performed meditation. Hidimba was supposed to have lived
there with her brother Hidimb, and not much is known
about their parents. Born into a Rakshas family, Hidimba
vowed to marry one who would defeat her brother Hidimb
who was supposed to be very brave and fearless. During
the Pandavas exile, when they visited Manali; Bhima, one
of the five Pandavas, killed Hidimb. Thereafter, Hidimba
married Bhima and gave birth to their son Ghatotkach.
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| Temple murti |
Worship Of the Hidimba Devi
People in Manali worship Hidimba devi as a deity. During Navaratri all Hindus across the nation worship goddess Durga, but people in manali worship Hidimba devi. Queues of people can be seen outside the temple, but the crowd increases during Navaratri.
Design
The Hidimba Devi Temple has intricately carved wooden doors and a 24 meters tall wooden "Shikhar" or tower above the sanctuary.The tower
consists of three square roofs covered with timber
tiles and a fourth brass cone-shaped roof at the top.
The earth goddess Durga forms the theme of the main
door carvings. The temple base is made out of whitewashed,
mud-covered stonework. An enormous rock occupies the
inside of the temple, only a 7.5 cm (3 inch) tall brass image
representing goddess Hidimba Devi. A rope hangs down in
front of the rock,and according to a legend,in bygone days
religious zealots would tie the hands of "sinners" by the rope
and then swing them against the rock.
consists of three square roofs covered with timber
tiles and a fourth brass cone-shaped roof at the top.
The earth goddess Durga forms the theme of the main
door carvings. The temple base is made out of whitewashed,
mud-covered stonework. An enormous rock occupies the
inside of the temple, only a 7.5 cm (3 inch) tall brass image
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| Temple covered in forest |
front of the rock,and according to a legend,in bygone days
religious zealots would tie the hands of "sinners" by the rope
and then swing them against the rock.
About seventy meters away from the temple, there is a shrine dedicated to Goddess Hidimba's son, Ghatotkach, who was born after she married Bhima. The most surprising feature of the temple or what believers could call the most reassuring feature of the temple is the fact that inside the temple the imprint of the feet of the Goddess carved on a block of stone are Worshiped and, when zooming into the area where the temple is located via Google Satellite, the imprint of a giant foot spanning across the valley in the area near the temple can be seen (citation required for this fact. The forces of erosion are no joke, for God's sake.
A Mahabharat Narration
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| Mahabharat epic |
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