THE DEITY BINDHYABASINI WHO RESIDES IN NEPAL AND INDIA
THE DEITY BINDHYABASINI WHO RESIDES IN NEPAL AND INDIA
Perhaps many devotees don’t know how the deity Bindhyabasini was brought from Uttar Pradesh, India, and installed in Pokhara. Very few people are aware of the original temple of the deity Bindhyabasini, located at Vindhyachal in Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh. Today I am going to give my valued readers of READ 2B HAPPY a piece of detailed information through this article. So, let’s get started.
DEITY BINDHYABASINI TEMPLE IN POKHARA, NEPAL
At present, the temple is spread over 47 ropani of land and is located on the top of a small hill at Mohriyatole. There is a small park at the foothold of the temple where visitors and devotees can sit and enjoy the surrounding area.
The visitors should follow small steps up the hill to enter the temple premises. Right inside the Bindhyabasini temple, there are many other temples, such as Saraswati Temple, Hanuman Temple, Shiva Temple, Vishnu Temple, and Ganesha Temple. Besides these temples, there is a Bindhyabasini Sanskrit Vidhyalaya, a bookstore, and a shelter for yogis (mendicants).
THE LEGEND OF THE BINDHYABASINI TEMPLE
BINDHYABASINI TEMPLE is located on a small hill. There is a long flight of stairs winding up to the temple. This is the most popular temple in Pokhara. Many Hindu devotees visit this temple regularly, but vast numbers of devotees visit this temple on Saturdays to offer special puja (worship).
There is an interesting story about how Bindhyabasini Temple came to be here. Legend has it that Siddhi Narayan Shah, the king of Kaski, was a powerful ruler. He defeated several chieftains and extended his kingdom. His kingdom was prosperous, and people had no problems to worry about.
Then one night, when the king was asleep, he had a dream in which a female deity told him to go to Vindhyanchal Pradesh, India, to get her idol, which was there, and place it somewhere in the Himalayas. Siddhi Narayan Shah quickly acted upon the deity's order, and he set off on an arduous journey with 50 strong soldiers, a journey that took many days. On the way, the king faced many challenges, but the dauntless king continued his journey until he reached a place called Vindhyanchal Pradesh, India. The king of Vindhyanchal Pradesh was generous, and he received the Nepali king Siddhi Narayan Shah with unbounded love and respect. Following a grand ceremony, the king of Vindhyanchal Pradesh handed over the idol of the deity to Siddhi Narayan Shah.
The jubilant king and his troops set off for Kaski. While returning from Vindhyanchal Pradesh, their convoy halted on the same hill where the temple is now located. Every member of the troop was very exhausted, and they went to sleep soon after dinner. The deity once again appeared to the king in a dream and blessed the king. The deity was very pleased with the king, and she said to him that she would remain on this hill, as she liked the place very much.
In the early morning, when the soldiers were bracing up for the journey, they went to lift the idol, but to no avail. All the soldiers tried to lift the idol one by one, but none of them could budge it. They understood the reason why it was impossible to move the idol when the king explained about the dream he had the previous night. Then, together, soldiers and local people built a temple around the idol. As the idol was brought from Vindhyanchal Pradesh, she was called Bindhyabasini. This temple has not only attracted Hindu devotees but due to its strategic and beautiful location, it has also enticed many film producers to shoot their films there.
At the foot of the temple is a small garden that has lush green grass, trees, and flowers where visitors can relax. There is a small pond in the garden where you can feast your eyes on beautiful fish of different colors and sizes. In the middle of the pond, there is a Lord Shiva idol in meditation pose. The temple is sprawled over a large area. Next to Bindhyabasini Temple, there is a large hall where the head priest of the temple lectures on Veda and other religious subjects.
Many Indian Hindu visitors regularly visit the Vindhya Basini Temple. Indian visitors never miss an opportunity to get a glimpse of the deity---they know very well that once upon a time the deity used to live in India.
HOW TO GET TO THE
BINDHYABASINI TEMPLE
Bindhyabasini Temple lies
at Moharia Tole and is a 20-minute walk from downtown Pokhara. All means of
local transportation are available to reach this temple. Bindhyabasini Temple
is 5 km from Lakeside. The microbus service is a cheap and reliable form of
transportation.
HOW IS THE BINDHYABASINI TEMPLE NOW IN INDIA
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| Photo credit: incredibleindiaexplore.com |
First of all, the name of the deity is not spelled in India as Bindhyabasini, as it is spelled in Nepal. It is spelled Vindhyavasini, and devotees call her Maa Vindhyavasini. The temple is located at Vindhyanchal Parbat in Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh. The temple lies on the bank of the holy river Ganga. The devotees visiting the deity Vindhyavasini invariably take a dip into the holy Ganga to purge their bad karma.
The temple is being managed by the Vindhyabasini Religious Area Development Committee. The committee has started a Gurukul Bhawan and constructed several other small temples of different gods and goddesses.
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| Photo credit: incredibleindiaexplore.com |
Vindhyachal Parbat is also the abode of the goddess Durga. Nearby is a temple that is devoted to the goddess Durga. Based on the Holy Scripture, the goddess Durga fought with the demon Mahishasura and killed him. Once the battle was over and the demon was dead the goddess Durga decided to reside in Vindhyanchal Parbat. A huge crowd of devotees visits the temple of goddess Durga on the occasion of Navaratri.
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| LB Thapa is the publisher and editor of The Hemingway Post, a literary magazine. |
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