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| Saturday, October 20, 2001 |
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AS per Devi Bhagwat texts, the area enclosed by Mansa Devi temple, on the outskirts of Chandigarh and Panchkula, is one of the 108 places of siddhapeeth (worship) dedicated to Parvati, the consort of Shiva. The Navratra fair at this temple is one of the most famous religious fairs of the region. Lakhs of pilgrims throng the temple to pay obeisance to and seek the blessings of Goddess Parvati during the fair. The festival of
Navratras celebrates the powerful Mother Goddess, the embodiment of
female power or shakti. Each of the nine nights of the festival
is dedicated to one of the nine incarnations of the Devi, each endowed
with a specific kind of shakti. Mansa Devi is believed to
symbolise cerebral power, which controls the vital functions of life. |
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Come the month of Ashvin, and the Mansa Devi temple dons a festive look. Incense and hymns waft through the air as devotees display their faith in the Devi. The temple seems to glow with the fire of intense religious fervour. Devotees wait patiently in long queues for a darshan of the deity. Some come barefoot, while some prefer to cover the distance in dandwat style. People light dhoop and seek mannat at an old tree standing in the courtyard of the temple. They tie a red chunni on the tree in the hope that the Devi will fulfil their wish. And when their wish is fulfilled, they return to untie the chunni. Situated on a hillock, the Mansa Devi temple was built by Raja Gopal Singh of Manimajra in the year 1815. Masons spent four years building the shrine, which has a square base with domes and minarets on the main structure. A porch leads to a short covered passage, which is connected to a small verandah and circumambulatory path. The Mansa Devi temple holds special attraction for artists, too. Its walls are embellished with old paintings. These paintings were made by Angad, a painter from Sirmaur. The erstwhile state of Manimajra was annexed by Sirmaur at one time, and Angad painted several murals in the state. The paintings on the walls of Mansa Devi temple depict themes from the Markendya Purana which is dedicated to Mother Goddess. A dozen or so paintings depict the different forms Mother Goddess assumed to slay the demons Sumbha and Nisumbha. Unfortunately, these paintings have not been preserved properly. Still higher on the hillock, a couple of hundred meters away from the main shrine, stands another temple popularly known as Patiala Wala Mandir. It was built by Raja Ajmer Singh of Patiala around the year 1840. Ever since the management of the temple was taken over by the Haryana Government and a trust was formed for the purpose, the Mansa Devi temple looks a far cleaner and the arrangements for the pilgrims have also improved. Located at a distance of about 10 km from the Chandigarh bus terminus and 4 km from the Panchkula bus terminus, the Mansa Devi temple can be reached by local buses or autorickshaws. Chandigarh Transport Undertaking and Haryana Roadways ply special buses during the Navratra fair. Accommodation is available at the sarai attached to the temple for a limited number of people. To help the pilgrims and to avoid any untoward incident, adequate security arrangements are made by the Haryana Police. PAT Features |
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