Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar

Last updated

Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar
Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar.JPG
Religion
Affiliation Hinduism
District Haridwar
Deity Mansa Devi
Festivals Navaratri
Location
Location Har Ki Pauri
State Uttarakhand
CountryIndia
India Uttarakhand location map.svg
Om symbol.svg
Location in Uttarakhand
Geographic coordinates 29°57′29″N78°09′53″E / 29.95806°N 78.16472°E / 29.95806; 78.16472
Architecture
CreatorUnknown

Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar (Hindi: मंसा देवी मंदिर, हरिद्वार) is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi in the holy city of Haridwar in the Uttarakhand state of India. The temple is located atop the Bilwa Parvat [1] [2] on the Sivalik Hills, the southernmost mountain chain of the Himalayas. The temple, also known as Bilwa Tirth is one of the Panch Tirth (Five Pilgrimages) within Haridwar.

Contents

The temple is known for being the holy abode of Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti and is said to have emerged from the mind of the Lord Shiva. Mansa is regarded as the sister of the Nāga (serpent) Vasuki. She is also believed to be the daughter of Lord Shiva in his human incarnate. The term Mansa means wish and it is believed that the goddess fulfils all the wishes of a sincere devotee. There is a folk tale about this, once Mansa, a common girl who was unaware about her complete truth from her guardians decided to meet Lord Shiva and ask him about her truth. To meet Lord Shiva, she sat for Sadhana and after years of spiritual exercise, she got the fortune to meet Lord Shiva and clarify her truth from him. After learning her truth, she attained the powers of goddess of welfare for the world. Devotees who pray to Mansa Devi for fulfilling their wishes tie threads to the branches of a tree located in the temple. Once their wishes are fulfilled, people come back again to the temple to untie the thread from the tree. Goddess Mansa is also offered coconuts, fruits, garlands and incense sticks for prayer.

Mansa Devi Temple is a Siddh Peeth (These are known to fulfill the desires of the worshippers). It is one of three such Peeths located in Haridwar, the other two being Chandi Devi Temple and Maya Devi Temple. [3] The inner shrine has two deities, one with eight arms and the other one with three heads and five arms. [4]

The Temple

Ropeway taking pilgrims to the shrine. In the background the River Ganges and Haridwar can be seen. Cable car to Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India.jpg
Ropeway taking pilgrims to the shrine. In the background the River Ganges and Haridwar can be seen.

To reach the shrine pilgrims either go on foot or ride a rope-way service. The rope-way service known as "Mansa Devi Udankhatola" is also used for transporting pilgrims to the nearly located Chandi Devi Temple. The rope-way carries the pilgrims from the lower station directly to the Mansa Devi Temple. The total length of the rope-way is 540 metres (1,770 ft) and the height it covers is 178 metres (584 ft).

Other Mansa Devi temples

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haridwar</span> City in Uttarakhand, India

Haridwar is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. With a population of 228,832 in 2011, it is the second-largest city in the state and the largest in the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shakti pitha</span> Shrines in Shaktism, goddess-focused Hinduism

The Shakti Pithas or the Shakti Peethas are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the goddess-centric denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various forms of Adi Shakti. Various Puranas such as Srimad Devi Bhagavatam state the existence of a varying number of 51, 52, 64 and 108 Shakti Pithas of which 18 are named as Astadasha Maha (major) in medieval Hindu texts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhadrakali</span> Hindu deity

Bhadrakali is a Hindu goddess. She is considered to be the auspicious and fortunate form of Adi Shakti who protects the good, known as bhadra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haridwar district</span> District of Uttarakhand in India

Haridwar district also spelled as Hardwar is part of Uttarakhand, India.It lies in doab region where people speak khari boli. It is headquartered at Haridwar which is also its largest city. The district is ringed by the districts Dehradun in the north and east, Pauri Garhwal in the east and the Uttar Pradesh districts of Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor in the south and Saharanpur in the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renuka</span> Hindu goddess

Renuka, also known as Yellamma, is a Hindu mother Goddess worshipped predominantly in the South Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and the western state of Maharashtra. She is the mother of Parashurama, the sixth avatar of god Vishnu. She was given the name "Renuka" and acquired the status of a mother goddess before eventually being associated with the legend of Parashurama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chintpurni</span> Town and pilgrimage center in Himachal Pradesh, India

Chintpurni is a small town in the Una district of Himachal Pradesh about 40 km north of Una, not far from the border with the Indian state of Punjab. The elevation is about 977 meters. It is home to the Maa Chintpurni Temple which is a major pilgrimage site as one of the Shakti Peethas in India. The Hindu genealogy registers at Chintpurni, Himachal Pradesh are kept here. North of Chintpurni are the western Himalayas. Chintpurni lies within the much lower Shiwalik range.

Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand state in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinglaj</span> Hindu temple in Balochistan, Pakistan

Hinglaj is an important Hindu pilgrimage place in Balochistan, Pakistan and Kuldevi of many Rajput, Charan, Rajpurohits and other Hindu Communities of India. It is situated in Balochistan province about 250 km west-northwest of Karachi. The Shri Hinglaj Mata mandir which is the largest Hindu pilgrimage centre in Pakistan is located here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindu pilgrimage sites in India</span>

In Hinduism, the yatra (pilgrimage) to the tirthas has special significance for earning the punya needed to attain the moksha (salvation) by performing the darśana, the parikrama (circumambulation), the yajna, the Dhyana, the puja (worship), the prarthana, the dakshina, the seva, the bhandara, etc. These sacred places are usually located on the banks of sacred waters, such as sacred rivers or their tributaries, the kundas, the ghats, or the stepwells, or the temple tanks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandi Mandir</span> Hindu temple in India

Chandi Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to Chandi the goddess of power, near Chandigarh, located on NH-5 Chandigarh-Kalka highway in Panchkula city of Haryana state of India. It is about 15 km from the city of Chandigarh, which was named after the temple, and about 10 km away from the Mansa Devi Shrine. The temple is situated amidst beautiful surroundings and the backdrop of the Shivalik hills.

Mansa may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalighat Kali Temple</span> Temple dedicated to Goddess Kali in India

Kalighat Kali Temple is a Hindu temple in Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali. It is one of the 51 Shakti Pithas in eastern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manasa</span> Hindu folk goddess of snakes

Manasa is a Hindu goddess of snakes. She is worshipped mainly in Bihar, Bengal, Jharkhand, South Assam and other parts of northeastern India and in Uttarakhand, chiefly for the prevention and cure of snakebite, and also for fertility and prosperity. In Hinduism, Manasa is the sister of Shesha and Vasuki, king of Nāgas (serpents), and wife of sage Jaratkaru. She is the mother of the sage Astika. She is also known as Vishahari, Nityā (eternal) and Padmavati.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahavinayak Temple</span> Hindu Temple

Mahavinayak Temple is a major pilgrimage center in Chandikhole in Jajpur district in the Indian state of Odisha. It is one of the oldest Ganesha temples in the state. Five gods - Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Surya and Ganesha - are worshiped as one deity in a single Garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mata Mansa Devi Mandir</span> Hindu temple in Haryana, India

Mata Mansa Devi is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti, in the Panchkula district of the Indian state of Haryana. The temple complex is spread of 100 acres (0.40 km2) of the Shivalik foothills in the village of Bilaspur, near Sector 13 of Chandigarh, and Panchkula, 10 km from Chandi Mandir, another noted Devi shrine in the region, both just outside Chandigarh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandi Devi Temple, Haridwar</span> Hindu Temple in Uttarakhand

Chandi Devi Temple, Haridwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Chandi Devi in the holy city of Haridwar in the Uttarakhand state of India. The temple is situated atop the Neel Parvat on the Eastern summit of the Sivalik Hills, the southernmost mountain chain of the Himalayas. Chandi Devi Temple was built in 1929 by Suchat Singh in his reign as the King of Kashmir. However, the main murti of Chandi Devi at the temple is said to have been installed in the 8th century by Adi Shankaracharya, one of the greatest priests of Hindu religion. The temple also known as Neel Parvat Teerth is one of the Panch Tirth located within Haridwar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belha Devi Temple</span> Hindu temple in Uttar Pradesh, India

Belha Devi Temple is an old Hindu temple in the city of Bela Pratapgarh, dedicated to the goddess Belha, the local incarnation of the Devi.

In religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a very long journey or search of great moral significance. Sometimes, it is a journey to a sacred area or shrine of importance to innate faith. Members of every major religion participate in pilgrimages. A person who makes such a journey is called a pilgrim.

Mata Mansa Devi is a Hindu temple of Mansa Devi, in Sikar district of Rajasthan state in India. The temple complex is spread over 100 acres (0.40 km2) in the Hasampur Hills foothills in village Hasampur, near Neem-Ka-Thana, and Sikar, 20 km from National Highway 8 (India) Kotputli. another noted Devi shrine in the region, both just outside Sikar.

References

  1. Sunita Pant Bansal (2008). Hindu Pilgrimage. Pustak Mahal. ISBN   978-81-223-0997-3.
  2. "Devotion and harmony by the Ganga". The Hindu . Chennai, India. 25 June 2006. Archived from the original on 18 March 2008. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  3. Mustseeindia.com. "Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar". Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  4. The Economic Times (26 July 2009). "Haridwar leaves you mesmerised". The Times Of India. Archived from the original on 30 July 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2010.