The Badi Devkali Mandir in Ayodhya stands as a testament to the rich tapestry of history and spirituality that envelops the sacred city. According to legend, the roots of this venerable temple delve deep into the annals of time, reaching back to an era that predates the arrival of Sri Ram, the divine prince of Ayodhya. The temple is dedicated to the Kuldevi, the ancestral goddess of Sri Ram, and it is said that after the birth of the revered prince, his mother Kaushalya sought divine blessings at this hallowed abode, consecrating its precincts with sacred sanctity. The historical significance of the Badi Devkali Mandir is intricately woven into the chronicles of King Raghu, an illustrious ancestor of Sri Rama. According to ancient scriptures, the joint manifestation of three goddesses – Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswati – appeared in King Raghu's dream, urging him to perform a sacred 'Yagya' (ritualistic sacrifice) to ensure victory in battle. Honouring the divine ...

Ashwatirtha, also known as Ashwa Tirtha or Asva Tirth, holds significance as a minor pilgrimage site located near Kanyakubja, which is the modern-day Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh, India. Its importance stems from a legend mentioned in the Mahabharata, specifically in the Anusasanaparva 4.17. According to this ancient tale, Sage Richika sought to marry Satyavati, the daughter of King Gadhi, who was also the father of the renowned sage Vishvamitra. Richika made an unusual demand as a bridal fee: he requested 100 white horses, each with one ear colored black. This request presented a unique challenge, but Richika's faith in divine intervention guided him. In his quest to fulfill the demand, Richika turned to prayer and invoked the blessings of the deity Varuna, the god associated with the celestial waters and the cosmic ocean. Varuna, pleased with Richika's devotion, granted his plea. Miraculously, the required horses emerged from the sacred waters of the river Ganga at a specific...

Varanasi or Kashi, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, is known for its ghats along the Ganges River. Ghats are a series of steps leading down to the river, and they hold immense cultural, religious, and historical significance. Ghats are important bathing spots for Hindu devotees. Here are 10 popular ghats in Varanasi: Dashashwamedh Ghat: This is one of the oldest and most prominent ghats in Varanasi. It is known for its religious ceremonies, and the Ganga Aarti held here every evening is a major attraction. Assi Ghat: Located at the confluence of the Ganges and Assi rivers, Assi Ghat is a favorite spot for pilgrims and tourists. It is also a popular place for yoga and meditation. Manikarnika Ghat: This is one of the holiest ghats in Varanasi and is associated with Hindu cremation rituals. It is believed that a person cremated here attains moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death). Panchganga Ghat: It is believed that five rivers, Gang...

Lodheshwar Mahadev temple is located at Mahadeva Village in Barabanki district, Uttar Pradesh, India. The shrine is dedicated to Shiva. The history of Lodheshwar Mahadev temple is associated with Lodhi Rajputs. The story of Lodheshwar Mahadev Mandir is associated with Pandavas of Mahabharata and Parashuram avatar of Bhgavan Vishnu. The Mahabharata makes several references to the ancient temple of Lodheshwar Mahadev. After the Mahabharata war, the Pandavas performed the Mahayagya at this location, where a well known as Pandav Koop still exists today. According to the Vedas, the water from this well possesses spiritual qualities, and those who partake in it are believed to be cured of various ailments. During Parshurama's mission to cleanse the earth of kshatriyas, the surviving Lodhis sought help from their Kuldevta, Lodheshwar Mahadev. In response, he advised them to relinquish their weapons, symbolizing a shift from their warrior lineage, and to instead embrace agricultural to...

Mohammed of Ghori destroyed and looted temples at Asai near Etwah in Uttar Pradesh. What was left after the plunder was broken murtis (idols) of Hindu gods and goddesses. Hundreds of years later, people of Asai continue to worship these broken murtis. Times of India reports In Hinduism, praying to damaged-idols is considered inauspicious. Such an act apparently brings bad luck. But folks of Asai, a speck on the UP map amid the ravines of Chambal, have undying faith in the powers of their broken idols.  The defaced Shiva, Durga and Kali idols carved on stone draw thousands. Here there's no caste bar, everyone is welcome. The village has a damaged Mahavira statue too.   Legend has it that Mohammed of Ghori destroyed the shrines. "He ordered his men to smash the idols and loot the temple treasures," Shailendra Sharma, history teacher at a reputed Etawah college informed.   "Our gods have broken arms, they are defaced. Yet we revere and worship them.   Our f...

Manasi Ganga is an important temple and holy lake located at Govardhan town in Mathura Vrindavan (Brij). As per a popular story Krishna brought Ganga to Govardhan Hill to fulfill the wishes of his foster parents, Nanda and Yashoda. Nanda and Yashoda had heard of the glories of the Holy Ganga. They knew that anyone who took a bath in its holy waters would be rid of all their sins and would reach Heaven. They too were interested in bathing in the holy river. However, they could not travel such a long distance. Nanda once told Krishna that he and Yashoda would like to take bath in the holy river. Krishna then meditated and Goddess Ganga appeared before him. When Krishna told Ganga about the wish of his parents, she immediately went about fulfilling the wish. Soon a portion of Govardhan Hill is flooded with the waters of Ganga. The place came to be known as Manasi Ganga. The temple dedicated to Manasi Ganga is located at the center of Govardhan Hill on end of the lake. Devotees s...

Chandra, the moon god in Hindu religion, is believed to have worshipped Shiva at Som Tirth in Prayagraj to regain his health ,which was deteriorating due to a curse by Daksha Prajapati. This holy spot was originally located on the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati and is famous for the Someshwar Mahadev Temple. The temple is currently on the banks of Yamuna at Arel village. It is believed that the Shivling worshipped at Som Tirth was established by Chandra. According to Shiva Purana, Chandra’s infatuation with his wife Rohini and neglect of his other twenty six wives – all Daksha Prajapati’s daughters – enraged his father-in-law, who cursed him to get afflicted with tuberculosis (kshaya). Consequently, the moon’s constant waning threatened the cosmic order. Therefore one the advice of other gods, Chandra worshipped Shiva to regain his health. With deep gratitude and obeying the orders of Shiva, Soma left his heavenly abode and came to reside at the present Som Ti...

Glass temple, also known as Kanch Ka Mandir, is located opposite to Gita Temple on Mathura – Vrindavan highway. The shrine is known as Glass temple because glass has been extensively used in the making of the temple. At the entrance of the temple there is a beautiful murti of Bhagavan Sri Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill on the little finger of his left hand. The villagers of Braj are takes shelter under the divine Govardhan Mountain to protect themselves from the wrath of Indra, who had created torrential rains and thunder in Braj. The clay figures of Braj people are similar to the dolls seen during Navratri but are bigger in size. The sanctum sanctorum of Vrindavan Glass Temple has murtis of Bhagavan Sri Krishna and Radha Rani. Inside the temple there are five pillars on each side of the sanctum sanctorum. The interior of the temple is completely covered in glass including the pillars, walls and ceiling.

Sankat Mochan Hanuman Mandir at Varanasi is believed to have been established by Goswami Tulsidas. The name Sankat Mochan too was coined by Tulsidas. It is believed that Tulsidas wrote the Ramacharitamanas at this famous Hanuman Temple . The murti of Hanumanji in the shrine is in standing position atop a throne and is decorated with crown and silver umbrella. The murti is painted red. The temple also has murtis of Ram, Sita and Lakshman. Bajrang Ban, Hanuman chalisa and hymns from Ramayana are engraved on the outer wall of the temple. Shringar of Sankat Mochan Hanuman is performed with flowers, vastra, sindoor and oil. The most important days in a week are Tuesdays and Saturdays. The temple has an extended timing on these two days. The most important festival in the temple is Hanuman Jayanti (April) and it is observed for nine days. Sankat Mochan Sangeet Smaroh, festival of music, is observed during the period. The temple is near to Assi Ghat and Tulsi Ghat. ...

Govardhan Hill is situated 25 km to the west of Mathura and five kms to the south of Radha Kund. The town where the holy Govardhan Hill is located is also known as Govardhan. The entire region of Govardhan town and its surroundings looks like a peacock with its head tucked into its stomach. Popular Govardhan Hill tourist places include Kusum Sarovar, Radha Kund, Shyam Kund, Manasi Ganga, Mukharvind, Punchari Kund or Naval Kund and Govardhan Hill itself. Other interesting places in Govardhan are Hari Deva Temple, Mukharvind Temple, Brahma Kund, ISKCON temple, Sankarshana Kund, Govinda Kund, Apsara Kund, Kadamba Van, Surabhi Kund, Indra Kund (Charana Kund), Airavata Kund and Kusum Sarovar. All the important holy places in Govardhan town falls along the Govardhan Parikrama route. Sri Krishna is worshipped as Giriraj Ji (King of Hills). Thus Govardhan town is also known as Giriraj Ji. The stones of Govardhan are known as Govardhan Shilas and they are considered sacred and worshippe...

Sri Krishna Janmasthan temple, also known as Krishna Janmabhoomi, is the most important temple in Mathura and Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India. As the name indicates, this is the exact spot where Sri Krishna was born. The temple is located in the heart of Mathura city. The temple is a few meters above the ground – almost like it is on a small hillock. History Of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple The original temple was built by Vajranabha and later rebuilt by Vikramaditya. The original murti was 15 feet tall and made of gold and precious gems. Mahmud Ghazni ransacked the temple and desecrated the murtis. It is believed that the temple was destroyed and rebuilt 17 times. The final attack was by Aurangzeb. Many Temples In Sri Krishna Janmasthan Temple Complex The present Sri Krishna Janmasthan temple is a complex with several temples. At the left corner of the entrance courtyard is the Keshav Dev temple. The murtis are on the left hand side of the temple. In the middle of the sanct...

Rangaji temple is located at one end of Vrindavan and is near to Brahma Kund and Govind Dev Temple. The temple is dedicated to Ranganatha form of Vishnu, reclining on Adishesha. The temple is quite similar to the Ranganatha temples seen in the south Indian towns of Srirangapatna and Srirangam. History Of Rangaji Temple At Vrindavan Rangaji Temple at Vrindavan was built in 1850 AD. The local people found it difficult to pronounce the South Indian name of Ranganathaswamy so they shortened it to Ranga and added the respectful suffix ‘ji’ and named him Rangaji. The temple was built on the advice of Sri Rangadeshik Swamiji, a great scholar of Sri Vaishnavism. The businessman who built the temple was Sri Radha Krishnaji who belonged to a very rich business family of Mathura. He was   attracted by Sri Vaishnavism philosophy and approached Sri Rangadeshik Swamiji for discipleship. Later, his younger brother Sri Govinddasji also got initiated into Sri Vaishnavism by Swamiji. Both thes...

Jaipur Temple in Vrindavan was built by Sawai Madhav Singh Maharaja of Jaipur in 1917 AD. It is also known as Radha Madhava Temple. The temple is famous for its architecture and is one the stunning and aesthetically built temples in Vrindavan. The sanctum sanctorum of Jaipur temple has a wall of Italian marble. It is well decorated with beautiful paintings. The temple has three sanctum sanctorum (s). The middle sanctum has a black murti of Madhawa (Krishna) and a golden murti of Radha Rani. The murtis are flanked by Ashta Sakhis, the eight friends of Radha. The right sanctum has small murtis of Radha and Krishna. The murtis are flanked by Lalita and Vishakha, friends of Radha. The left sanctum sanctorum has a murti of Krishna in Hamsa Avatar (Swan Form). To the left of this murti are four small black murtis representing the Sanat Kumaras – the mind born sons of Brahma. Legend has it that Krishna took the form of a Hamsa to impart lessons on the secret of the universe to Sanat K...

Pagal Baba Temple at Vrindavan is located on the Mathura Vrindavan highway and is near to Gita Temple and Glass Temple. This imposing temple, locally known as Pagal Baba Mandir, was built by Srimad Lila Nanda Thakur who was popularly known as Pagal Baba Maharaj. It is massive eight-storied white shrine. Pagal Baba was a staunch devotee of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The mandir has eight floors and each floor is quite distinct from the rest. One has to climb all eight floors through stairs. The ambience of the temple is similar to ISKCON temple. There is a continuous chanting of Hare Krishna mantra in the shrine. The ground floor has lots of puppets which are mechanized. The left wing puppets depict the stories of Sri Krishna and the right wing puppets depict the stories of Ramayana. At the center is a mechanized sculpture of Pagal Baba, which blesses devotees visiting the temple by moving his right hand. The first floor of Pagal Baba temple has a white marble murti of Radha and a bla...

Gita Mandir, also known as Birla Temple, is located on the Mathura – Vrindavan highway. While going from Vrindavan to Mathura, the Geeta temple is on the right. The temple was built by the Birlas and therefore it is also known as Birla Mandir. Mathura Gita Mandir is a red sandstone temple that looks very modern, compared to the older temples in Mathura and Vrindavan. The temple architecture and color combination of maroon and beige is very similar to the Birla Temple in New Delhi. Compared to other temples in the region, this temple is noted for its cleanliness. Mathura Gita Temple has a huge courtyard that has the Gita Stamba or Pillar with all the verses of the Bhagavad Gita inscribed on it. The murti of Bhagavan Sri Krishna worshipped in the temple is huge and is made of white marble. In the sanctum sanctorum, Sri Krishna holds the Sudarshana Chakra, in his right hand. The divine discus has been motorized and therefore it is continuously rotating around the index finger of t...

Manduk Mandir, translated as Frog Temple, is famous Tantric temple located at Oel in Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is located atop a yantra on the back of a frog sculpture as per Tantric rules. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and a shivling is worshipped in the sanctum sanctorum. Legend has it that the temple changed the luck of a king of Neemrana dynasty. The temple was built by the former king of Oel State around 1870 AD. This temple is built at the back of a large frog in the area 18 x 25 sqr.mtr. It is constructed between an octahedral lotus. The temple attracts thousands of devotees during Diwali, Shivratri and Mondays in Shravan month. In Tantrism frog is a symbol of fertility and prosperity. The spirit and architecture of the tantric temple brings good luck to the devotee. Manduk mandir is a massive edifice with a seven-tier finial. The temple has an unusual architecture and even more unusual scul...

Assi Ghat is located at the southern end of Varanasi at the confluence of Asi River and Ganga River. Thousands of devotees take holy dip here and then offer prayers to a beautiful Shivling consecrated under a peepal tree. Another Shivling that is worshipped here is that of Assi-Sangameshwar – Shiva as the lord of confluence. As per Puranas, Goddess Durga threw her sword here after killing Demons Shumbha and Nishumbha. Another legend has it that during the fight with demons, the sword of Durga struck here and the Assi river sprang forth from the spot. The Ghat is mentioned in Matsya Purana, Agni Purana, Kurma Purana, Padma Purana and Kashi Khanda of Skanda Purana. Tulsidas wrote the Ramcharitmanas here. Thousands of devotee arrive at the ghat to take holy bath in the month of Magh (January - February) and Chaitra (March - April). Makar Sankranti (Jan 14/15) is of importance here. Another important date here is the Hari Prabodhini Ekadasi in November. Apart from this tho...

Hanuman Setu Temple is located on the banks of Gomti River near Lucknow University in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The shrine was early located near the Gomti River ghat but it was shifted due to floods. Neeb Karori Baba consecrated the present structure in 1967.  Setu means bridge. There is a bridge near the temple, which faced numerous difficulties during construction. But after offering prayers and puja to Hanuman, the bridge was completed without any incident. The main murti of Hanuman worshipped in the shrine is in standing posture. He is clad in a yellow dhoti and red kurta. He also has a silver crown. The murti is depicted as showing Sri Ram and Mata Sita in his heart. Apart from this, there are murtis of Ganesha, Shiva, Goddess Parvati and Neeb Karori Baba in the temple complex. A unique custom in the temple is giving letters to Hanuman. Devotees make their wish through letters. The ritual was started by Neeb Karori Baba to help devotees who could not travel to the...

Akbar Fort near Sangam – Prayag in Prayagraj houses the Patalpuri Temple and Saraswati Koop. The fort, also known as Allahabad fort, is under the control of the Indian Army and it was earlier opened for devotees during Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj. Hindu Sacred Places And Temples in Akbar Fort It is believed that River Saraswati follows beneath the Saraswati Koop – a deep well in the fort. The Patalpuri temple is believed to have been visited by Bhagvan Sri Ram and also finds a mention in the accounts of Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang. Akshay Vat tree located within the fort is a very old banyan tree, believed to be dating back to the Mahabharata times. Other two important spots in the fort are Patalpuri Dwar and Ganga Dwar. The Army’s ordnance depot is located in this fort, which was built in the 16th Century. Highlights of the fort The fort is made of red sandstone. It took 45 years to complete the construction of the fort. 20,000 laborers and artisans worked in c...

Kade Sheetla Dham is an important place of Shakti Worship in Prayaga, is around 70 km from Prayagraj, at Kade in Manikpur Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh. The temple, on the banks of Ganga River, is the abode of Goddess Sheetla and is one of the 51 shakti peethas. It is believed that Sati’s hand fell here when her body was cut by Vishnu’s Sudarshan Chakra to stop the destruction of the cosmos. This makes it an important place of pilgrimage for the devotees of Shakti. Shiva is worshipped here as Kaleshwara, and the old city was named Kala Nagara after him. It was also called Karkat Nagar – kara is hand and kara signifies the cutting off of something. It is believed that Yudhisthira of the Mahabharata visited the spot during pilgrimage and built the first shrine and installed the Shivling. Kada is mentioned as a place of Hindu pilgrimage by Ibn Battuta (1340 AD). Destroyer of Hindu temples, Aurangzeb was unable to even touch the shrine due to the power of the Goddess. He was...