Hidimba Devi Temple, Manali
Hidimba Devi Temple, locally known as Dhungari Temple,
also known variously as the Hadimba Temple, is located in Manāli, a hill station in the State of Himāchal Pradesh in north India. It is an ancient cave temple dedicated to Hidimbi Devi, wife of Bhima, a figure in the Indian epic Mahābhārata. The temple is surrounded by a cedar forest called Dhungiri Van Vihar at the foot of the Himālayas. The sanctuary is built over a huge rock jutting out of the ground which was worshiped as an image of the deity. The structure was built in 1553 by Maharaja Bahadur Singh.
The Hidimba Devi temple was built in 1553 AD by Maharaja Bahadur Singh.
The temple is built around a cave where Devi Hidimba performed meditation. Hidimbi was supposed to have lived there with her brother Hidimb, and not much is known about their parents. Born into a Rakshasa family, Hidimba vowed to marry one who would defeat her brother Hidimb, who was supposed to be very brave and fearless. During the Pandava's exile, when they visited Manali; Bhima, one of the five Pandavas, killed Hidimb. Thereafter, Hidimba married Bhima and gave birth to their son Ghatotkacha.
Worship of Hidimba Devi
People in Manali worship Hidimba Devi as a deity. During Navaratri all Hindus across the nationworship goddess Durga, butpeople in Manali worship Hidimba Devi. Queues of people can be seen outside thetemple, but the crowd increases during Navaratri >
A Mahabharat narration
The Indian epic Mahabharata narrates that the Pāndavas stayed in Himachal during their exile. In Manali, the strongest person there, named Hidimb and brother of Hidimba, attacked them, and in fight Bhima, strongest amongst the Pandavas, killed him. Bhima and Hidimb's sister, Hidimbi, then got married and had a son, Ghatotkacha, (who later proved to be a great warrior in the war against Kauravas). When Bhima and his brothers returned from exile, Hidimbi did not accompany him, but stayed back and did tapasyā (a combination of meditation, prayer, and penance) so as to eventually attain the status of a goddess.
The best time to visit the temple is September to April if you wish to beat the crowds; else, it stays open all through the year. Winters often bring heavy snowfall to Manali, and the temple makes for a quite a stunning sight then. The ritual arti here is not something that you would want to miss.
Source: Source: wiki
indiatimes
This Post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copy rights
Hidimba Devi Temple, locally known as Dhungari Temple,
also known variously as the Hadimba Temple, is located in Manāli, a hill station in the State of Himāchal Pradesh in north India. It is an ancient cave temple dedicated to Hidimbi Devi, wife of Bhima, a figure in the Indian epic Mahābhārata. The temple is surrounded by a cedar forest called Dhungiri Van Vihar at the foot of the Himālayas. The sanctuary is built over a huge rock jutting out of the ground which was worshiped as an image of the deity. The structure was built in 1553 by Maharaja Bahadur Singh.
The Hidimba Devi temple was built in 1553 AD by Maharaja Bahadur Singh.
The temple is built around a cave where Devi Hidimba performed meditation. Hidimbi was supposed to have lived there with her brother Hidimb, and not much is known about their parents. Born into a Rakshasa family, Hidimba vowed to marry one who would defeat her brother Hidimb, who was supposed to be very brave and fearless. During the Pandava's exile, when they visited Manali; Bhima, one of the five Pandavas, killed Hidimb. Thereafter, Hidimba married Bhima and gave birth to their son Ghatotkacha.
Worship of Hidimba Devi
People in Manali worship Hidimba Devi as a deity. During Navaratri all Hindus across the nationworship goddess Durga, butpeople in Manali worship Hidimba Devi. Queues of people can be seen outside thetemple, but the crowd increases during Navaratri
A Mahabharat narration
The Indian epic Mahabharata narrates that the Pāndavas stayed in Himachal during their exile. In Manali, the strongest person there, named Hidimb and brother of Hidimba, attacked them, and in fight Bhima, strongest amongst the Pandavas, killed him. Bhima and Hidimb's sister, Hidimbi, then got married and had a son, Ghatotkacha, (who later proved to be a great warrior in the war against Kauravas). When Bhima and his brothers returned from exile, Hidimbi did not accompany him, but stayed back and did tapasyā (a combination of meditation, prayer, and penance) so as to eventually attain the status of a goddess.
The best time to visit the temple is September to April if you wish to beat the crowds; else, it stays open all through the year. Winters often bring heavy snowfall to Manali, and the temple makes for a quite a stunning sight then. The ritual arti here is not something that you would want to miss.
Source: Source: wiki
indiatimes
This Post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copy rights