Chintpurni Temple is a revered shrine of the Hindus.
Located in Chintpurni village of Una district, Chintpurni Devi Mandir is
a famous temple of Himachal Pradesh. The temple is accessible from all
the parts of Himachal. However, there are bus-services at regular
intervals from Chandigarh, Kangra and Jwala Devi. Chintpurni Temple is
dedicated to Shri Chhinnamastika Devi or Chintpurni Devi. Like other
temples of the Hindus, this too has legends behind its establishment.
Chintpurni Devi is regarded as the Goddess who takes away all the
worries of her devotees. The term 'Chhinnamastika' suggests 'without the
head'. Here, the Goddess is depicted without her head in a pindi
(phallic) form. Devotees come to this temple with a perpetual faith that
the Goddess would bless them and fulfill all their wishes. It is said
that nobody goes empty handed from the shrine of Goddess Chintpurni /
Chhinnamastika.
The simple structure of the temple contains the main shrine, where the
image of Mata Chintpurni is placed in the form a pindi (a round stone).
During the time of Navratras, the temple observes grand fairs and
festivity. People from far and near come to visit this holy shrine to
seek the blessings from the Goddess. In the past years, the temple has
been repaired and modified to hold the huge crowd during festivals.
Legend
As per one legend, at the time of self-sacrifice, part of Sati's feet
fell at this place and subsequently, a temple was built. Since, the
temple is associated with the legend of self-sacrifice by Sati; it is
regarded as the Shakti Peetha. Another legend says that Goddess appeared
to slay two demons Shumbha and Nishumbha. After slaying the demons, the
escorting friend of the goddess asked for more blood and the goddess cut
her head to quench her thirst for blood.
Bhai Mai Das was an ardent devotee of Goddess Durga. Once, the Goddess
came in his dream and asked him to build a temple at this place.
Following the instruction, the temple was built in Chhaproh village.
Till date, his descendants perform the worship of Shri Chintpurni. The
present generation is the twenty-sixth generation of Bhai Mai Das. The
village was named after the Goddess and it comprises maximum families
from Bhai Mai Das' clan.
Digambar Jain Temple
| Location: | Opposite the Red Fort, at the juncture of Netaji Subhas Marg and Chandni Chowk, Delhi |
| Built in: | 1526 |
| Dedicated to: | Lord Mahavira |
| Significance: | the oldest Jain temple in Delhi |
| Also known as: | Lal Mandir |
| How to reach: | One can easily reach Digambar Temple by taking local Buses, metro, auto rickshaws or by hiring taxis from Delhi |
Sri Digambar Jain Lal Temple is the oldest Jain temple in Delhi, the capital city of India. Located opposite the colossal Red Fort, Jain Temple lies at the juncture of Netaji Subhas Marg and Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi. Initially built in 1526, much alteration and renovation have been made to the original structure. Erected in Red Sandstone, Digambar Jain Temple is commonly known as Lal Mandir. The temple is easily accessible by local buses, metro, auto-rickshaws and taxis from all over the city.
Lal Mandir is primarily dedicated to Lord Mahavira, who was the 24th 'Tirthankara' of the Jain religion. The main shrine is sited at the first floor of this grand temple. It can be reached by taking a flight of steps, after crossing a small courtyard encircled by a row of pillars. Besides the main shrine of Lord Mahavira, the temple has numerous other shrines. One amongst the other shrines is dedicated to Lord Adinath, who was the first 'tirthankara' of the Jainism. Lord Parsavnath is also enshrined here.
The religion of Jainism stresses on the 'Vaishnavism' (not in favor of slaughter of animals). Keeping the fact in mind, devotees bring fruits, grains, rice and other such things to make an offering to the Lord. The soothing ambiance of the shrine gets enhanced with the radiance of the butter lamps and candle lights. The walls of the shrine are also festooned with gilded paintwork. The divine aura of the temple brings a kind of spiritual vibes to the mind.
Inside the temple complex, there is a bookstore with a wide collection of books. This assortment includes rare books of the Jain literature. Apart from the books, one can find exclusive curios and souvenirs that are associated with the Jainism. Paryushan, Samvatsari, Deepawali and Jnaan Panchami are the important festivals that attract devotees in large numbers to Digambar Jain Temple. Like other temples, visitors are required to take off their shoes before entering the temple.
Chintpurni Temple
| Location: | In Chintpurni village of Una district, Himachal Pradesh |
| Built by: | Bhai Mai Das |
| Dedicated to: | Goddess Chintpurni / Chhinnamastika (form of Durga) |
| Significance: | One of the 51 Shakti Peethas |
| How to reach: | One can easily reach Chintpurni Temple by taking regular Buses or by hiring Taxis from anywhere in Himachal |
