Hateshwari Temple, Hatkoti – Legends

Hateshwari Temple, Hatkoti – Legends

Mahishasura Mardini:

A small mountain known as fort of Rambhasur can be seen in front of the temple towards the eastern side. Mahishasur was born to Rambhasur due to his prayers to Lord Agni. Mahishasur performed intense penance on Lord Shiva and had gained the boon that no man could kill him. The devas led by Indra were utterly defeated by the Mahishasur and he conquered the three worlds. The defeated devas took refuge in the cave near Pabbar river. Further, they requested Mata Hateshwari here to protect them from Mahishasur. Acceding their request, Mata Hateshwari annihilated Mahishasur. Thus, she came to be called as Mahishasura Mardini.

A Huge Copper Vessel:

There is a huge copper vessel chained to a ring in the niche beside the entrance of the sanctum of Hateshwari Mata. As per local folklore, once, a priest decided to stay in the temple itself due to the heavy torrential rain. He went to sleep in the premises. He got up from his sleep due to a huge noise. He noticed two big copper vessels floating in the river. The priest picked the vessels from the river and offered the vessels to the goddess. During the next rain, one of the vessels floated away on the river. Due to this incident, the remaining vessel has been kept chained. Locals believe that they will be blessed with an abundant harvest if they spot the lost vessel while sowing their crops.

Feet of the deity:

Locals believe that no one has been able to view the feet of the deity, as they believe it touches the river Pabbar. It is said Gurkhas had established their stronghold in parts of Himachal Pradesh in the early 19^th century CE. They wanted to move the deity to another place. The Gurkhas dug for days to uproot the deity, but they could not be able to locate the feet of the deity. Finally, they cancelled their plan and left the deity as it is.

Five Stone Temples:

There are about five stone temples in a row in the temple complex. These temples are in the decreasing order of size. It is believed that the Pandavas used to worship the goddess Hateshwari while sitting inside them. It is also said that the Pandavas spent considerable amount of time at Hatkoti, the capital of King Virata of Matsya Kingdom during their exile.

 A chaste girl turning into an idol:

Once, a chaste girl performed meditation at this place and vanished with the intensity of her meditation. A stone idol was found at the spot where she performed meditation. Locals believed that the girl might have been an incarnation of goddess Durga. The villagers built a temple for the idol and named the deity as Hateshwari.

References in Bhagavat Gita:

As per fifth Kandh of Bhagavat Gita, the goddess Hateshwari is described as Shakti of Hateshwar and hence the place came to be called as Hateshwari, one of the main residences of Shiva and Shakthi. 

Manifestation of the Goddess Hateshwari Devi:

As per legend, two sisters from Jubbal Valley together renounced the materialistic world and devoted their lives to the service of the mankind. The elder sister was accepted as a manifestation of the Goddess Hateshwari Devi and a temple built in her honour.

Charu:

There is a large metal pot tied with chains at the antrala of the Hateshwari temple. As per locals, a demon named Charu tried to escape from the valley in the form of a vessel. To stop him from escaping, the goddess tied him with the chain in the temple.

Adi Shankaracharya:

It is believed that Sri Adi Shankaracharya had established the temples of Hatkoti.