Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar

Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar (Hindi: मंसा देवी मंदिर, हरिद्वार) is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi in the holy city of Haridwar in the Uttarakhand state of India. The temple is located atop the Bilwa Parvat[1][2] on the Sivalik Hills, the southernmost mountain chain of the Himalayas. The temple, also known as Bilwa Tirth is one of the Panch Tirth (Five Pilgrimages) within Haridwar.

This article is about Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar. For other uses, see Mansa Devi Temple (disambiguation).

Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictHaridwar
DeityMansa Devi
FestivalsNavaratri
Location
LocationHar Ki Pauri
StateUttarakhand
CountryIndia
Location in Uttarakhand
Geographic coordinates29°57′29″N 78°09′53″E
Architecture
CreatorUnknown

The temple is known for being the holy abode of Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti and is said to have emerged from the mind of the Lord Shiva. Mansa is regarded as the sister of the Nāga (serpent) Vasuki. She is also believed to be the daughter of Lord Shiva in his human incarnate. The term Mansa means wish and it is believed that the goddess fulfils all the wishes of a sincere devotee. There is a folk tale about this, once Mansa, a common girl who was unaware about her complete truth from her guardians decided to meet Lord Shiva and ask him about her truth. To meet Lord Shiva, she sat for Sadhana and after years of spiritual exercise, she got the fortune to meet Lord Shiva and clarify her truth from him. After learning her truth, she attained the powers of goddess of welfare for the world. Devotees who pray to Mansa Devi for fulfilling their wishes tie threads to the branches of a tree located in the temple. Once their wishes are fulfilled, people come back again to the temple to untie the thread from the tree. Goddess Mansa is also offered coconuts, fruits, garlands and incense sticks for prayer.

Mansa Devi Temple is a Siddh Peeth (These are known to fulfill the desires of the worshippers). It is one of three such Peeths located in Haridwar, the other two being Chandi Devi Temple and Maya Devi Temple.[3] The inner shrine has two deities, one with eight arms and the other one with three heads and five arms.[4]

The Temple
Ropeway carrying pilgrims to the shrine. In the background picturesque view of the River Ganges and Haridwar can be seen.

Mansa Devi Temple is considered as a must visit for the pilgrims going to Haridwar.[5] It enhances the holy tradition of Haridwar which persists in the place from many past centuries.[6] It offers views of the River Ganges and the plains of Haridwar. To reach the shrine one has to either follow the trekking route up to this holy shrine or ride on rope-way service. The rope-way service known as "Mansa Devi Udankhatola" was introduced for the benefit of the pilgrims and it is also used for transporting pilgrims to the nearly located Chandi Devi Temple. The rope-way carries the pilgrims from the lower station directly to the Mansa Devi Temple. The total length of the rope-way is 540 metres (1,770 ft) and the height it covers is 178 metres (584 ft). On a normal day, the temple is open between 5 am and 9 pm, except for lunch closings of 12 pm to 2 pm.

Shivalik hills near BHEL stadium Haridwar This temple along with the nearly located Chandi Devi Temple is visited by thousands of devotees from various parts of the country, and especially during the Navaratri and the Haridwar Kumbh Mela.

It is said that Devi Mansa and Chandi, the two forms of goddess Parvati always reside close to each other. This belief can also be found true in other case since near to the Mata Mansa Devi Mandir in Panchkula, Haryana, there is a Chandi Mandir located nearby in Chandigarh.

Mansa Devi Temple is a popular temple of Goddess Mansa Devi located at Bilwa Parvat near Haridwar. Located at 3 km from Haridwar, Mansa Devi Temple has a 3 km Pedestrian path from Haridwar. Mansa Devi Mandir open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Other Mansa Devi temples

References
  1. Sunita Pant Bansal (2008). Hindu Pilgrimage. Pustak Mahal. ISBN 978-81-223-0997-3.
  2. "Devotion and harmony by the Ganga". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 25 June 2006. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  3. Mustseeindia.com. "Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar". Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  4. The Economic Times (26 July 2009). "Haridwar leaves you mesmerised". The Times Of India. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  5. "Places to visit in and around Haridwar". Zeenews.com.
  6. Mapsofindia.com. "Mansa Devi Temple".
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