Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar, Uttarakhand

Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar, Uttarakhand

Mansa Devi Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Goddess Sakthi located in the holy city of Haridwar in Uttarakhand state of India. The temple is located atop the Bilwa Parvat on the Shivalik 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. Mansa Devi Temple is highly revered by devotees as a Siddh Peetha which is a place of worship where desires get fulfilled. It is one of three such Peethas located in Haridwar, the other two being Chandi Devi Temple and Maya Devi Temple. This temple along with the nearly located Chandi Devi Temple is visited by thousands of devotees from various parts of the country.

Legends

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 Naga (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.

History

The Temple was built by Maharaja Gopal Singh of Mani Majra during 1811-1815 A.D.

The Temple

The Temple is located atop the Bilwa Parvat on the Shivalik Hills, the southernmost mountain chain of the Himalayas. The inner shrine has two deities, one with eight arms and the other one with three heads and five arms. It is said that Devi Mansa and Chandi, the two forms of goddess Parvati always reside close to each other. This belief can also be found true in other case since near to the Mata Mansa Devi Mandir in Panchkula, Haryana, there is a Chandi Mandir located nearby in Chandigarh. The Temple offers views of the River Ganges and the plains of Haridwar.

Temple Opening Time

On a normal day, the temple is open between 5.00 am and 9.00 pm, except for lunch closings of 12.00 Noon to 2.00 pm.

Festivals

Navratri and Kumbha Mela are the famous festivals celebrated here with much fanfare.

Prayers

Devotees who want their wishes to be fulfilled by Mansa 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. Mansa is also offered coconuts, fruits, garlands and incense sticks in order to appease her.

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 3 Kms from Haridwar, 3 Kms from Haridwar Railway Junction, 3 Kms from Haridwar Bus Stand, 5 Kms from Har Ki Pauri, 23 Kms from Rishikesh, 41 Kms from Dehradun Jolly Grant Airport, 56 Kms from Dehradun and 227 Kms from New Delhi Airport. Haridwar is situated on highway No. 45 and is connected to all major centers in the region and other parts of the country by well-maintained roads. One can easily reach Chandi Devi Temple by taking local Buses, Rickshaws, Tongas or by hiring Taxis from Haridwar.

To reach the temple one has to either follow 1.5 Kms trekking route or take the recently introduced rope-way (cable car) service. Though it is a wonderful experience to trek up to the temple, visitors also have the option of using the ropeway to reach there. If you enjoy steep climbs, you will take 30 minutes to reach the temple of Mansa Devi in Haridwar. However, you can cut short the travelling time by choosing the ropeway; reaching the temple by ropeway takes up just 5-10 minutes. The first cable car starts running at 7 a.m. during April to October, and 8 a.m. the rest of the year. Tickets cost 48 rupees per person, return. The departure point is centrally located in town.

Location