Bandhavadeesh Temple, Bandhavgarh, Madhya Pradesh

Bandhavadeesh Temple, Bandhavgarh, Madhya Pradesh

Bandhavadeesh Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lakshmana, the brother of Lord Rama, located in Bandhavgarh Village in Bandhavgarh Taluk in Umaria District of Madhya Pradesh in Central India. The temple is situated on the Bandhavgarh hill at an elevation of 811 meters above sea level in the Vindhyan mountain range.

Legends

As per legend, Lord Rama along with his brother and Lakshman stayed at this place while on his way to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, the demon king of Lanka. During his stay, Lord Rama asked Nar and Neel to build a fort at this place in order to keep an eye on Lanka as the place is situated on the highest hill in Central India. Then, he handed over the fort to his younger brother, Lakshmana to keep watch on Lanka and the surrounding region. As Lord Rama gave this fort as gift to his brother Lakshmana, the fort came to be called Bandhavgarh (Bandhava means brotherhood and Garh means fort). Lakshmana was the resident deity of Bandhavgarh. Hence, Lakshmana came to be called as Bandhavdeesh.

The Temple

This temple is situated in the Bandhavgarh fort at the hilltop inside the core zone of Bandhavgarh National Park. The temple enshrines an image of Lakshmana, brother of Lord Rama in the sanctum. The Rani Tank, cut out of sandstone can be seen adjacent to the temple. The Rani Maha also known as Moti Maha is situated on the banks of Rani Tank.

Connectivity

The temple is located at about 10 Kms from Tala, 35 Kms from Umaria, 36 Kms from Umaria Railway Station, 63 Kms from Beohari, 82 Kms from Shahdol, 183 Kms from Jabalpur Airport and 228 Kms from Khajuraho Airport. The temple is situated at about 10 Kms to the south of Tala on Umaria to Beohari route. This temple is situated in the Bandhavgarh fort at the hilltop inside the core zone of Bandhavgarh National Park. It can be reached through safari vehicle only, after permission from Forest Department. The temple can be reached only for two days on foot during the Kabir Darshan Yatra.

Location