By:- Kartikeya Semwal
Haridwar, one of the places from where the Chardham Yatra begins, is also famous for Mansa devi & Chandi devi temples. Both the temples have their own importance & both are located on 2 different hilltops.
Mansa Devi temple is dedicated to Goddess Mansa, the fulfiller of wishes. It is said that Mansa is a form of Goddess Shakti who was created from the mind of almighty God Shiva. There is a story behind about Mansa devi according to which there was a common girl named ‘Mansa’ who was unaware about her truth & her guardians won’t tell her anything. In order to find truth she decided to pray to God Shiva & ask him about it. She prayed for years after which Gid Shiva met her & told her about her true form. He told her to work for the welfare of the people. The temple is situated on Bilwa parvat & is considered a siddhpeeth. It has 2 idols of the goddess- 1 having 8 arms and the other having 3 faces & 5 arms. The temple is 3km from the base of the mountain and can be reached by foot. Those who can’t travel by foot can also reach the temple by ropeway. Those who visit the temple by foot will have to climb 850 stairs to reach the temple.
Next is the Chandi devi temple which is located on Neel parvat. The temple is 6 km from Haridwar city. The original Chandi devi temple was built by Adi guru Shankaracharya in the 8th century. According to the legend, 2 demon kings Shumbh & Nishumbha attacked & captured Swarglok & ousted Lord Indra & other gods. The gods prayed to Goddess Durga who appeared in form of Chandi devi. She fought & killed the demon kings & restored Swarglok to Lord Indra & other gods, who thanked her & paid tribute to her. It is said that she disappeared at this place. Since then, this place is considered sacred. Chandi devi is also a siddhpeeth of Goddess Durga.
The temple can be reached by foot and by ropeway. People can reach the temple by steep trekking for 4 km. If you visit Haridwar, you must definitely visit both the temples & get blessings of both the goddesses.
