Bajreshwari Devi Temple
This is one of the very famous Shakti Peethas
of India. Bajreshwari Devi Mandir is a
Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Bajreshvari. It is situated in the town
of Nagarkot, in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Bajreshwari Devi
temple is also located in Maharashtra state. It is popular as the district
Thane, Taluka:_Bhiwandi and the village_Vajreshwari. Hot springs are also sited
at Bajreshwari village which is very near to akloli kund and Ganeshpuri.
People say that the main gate entrance has a Nagar khana or drum. This temple is surrounded by a stone wall which is similar to the fort. The main area has the idol of the Goddess Bajreshvari which is present in the form of Pindi inside the temple premise. This famed temple has a small temple of Bhairava. However, in front of the main temple a shrine of Dhayanu Bhagat. Inside the sanctum, the idol offered his head to the Goddess at the time of Akbar. As per the present structure, the temple has three tombs in it, which is unique in itself.
Legends:
According to some legends, Goddess Sati sacrificed herself in the honor of Lord Shiva at the time of her Father’s Yagya. Lord Shiva took her body on his shoulder and started doing ‘Tandava’. Lord Vishnu divided the body of Sati into 51 parts with his Chakra in order to stop him from destroying the world. And the left breast of Sati fell at this spot, which made it a ‘Shakti Peeth’.
How
To Reach:
By Air:
Tourists and devotees who fly by air can
reach ‘Gaggal’, which is the nearest airport in the region. It is basically
located at a distance of 13 km from the holy city of Dharamshala and 8 km from
Kangra.
By Rail:
The nearest railway station is situated at
Kangra which is at a distance of 17 km fromDharamshala. It is linked via a
narrow gauge line with Pathankot. The closest broad gauged rail head is located
at Pathankot which is approximately 88 km from Dharamshala. And Pathankot is
connected to all major cities/towns of India with many trains plying throughout
the day.
By Road/ Car:
Pilgrims and the visitors can avail regular buses and other easy transportation facilities to visit Shree Vajreshwari Devi Mandir from Delhi, Chandigarh and Pathankot.
History
As per the History, the original temple was
built by the Pandavas at the time of Mahabharatha. And the legend says that one
day Pandavas saw Goddess Durga in their dream and she conveyed them that she is
situated in the Nagarkot village and if they wish themselves to be secured,
they should construct a temple for her in that sacred area otherwise they will
be destroyed. At the same night they took a decision to make a magnificent
temple for her in the Nagarkot village. Mythology says that this temple was
looted umpteen times by the Muslim invaders. And md Gaznavi looted this temple
at least 5 times, in the past and further used to contain tonnes of gold and
many ghantas made of pure silver. The temple was destroyed by a destructive earthquake
and was subsequently rebuilt by the government in1905.
