Chamunda Devi Temple In Chamba Himachal Pradesh

                                               Chamunda Devi Temple

Chamunda also known as Chamundi, Chamundeshwari and Charchika, is a fearsome aspect of Devi, the Hindu Divine Mother and one of the seven Matrikas (mother goddesses). She is also one of the chief Yoginis, a group of 64 or 81 Tantric goddesses, who are attendants of the warrior goddess Durga. The name is a combination of Chanda and Munda, two monsters whom Chamunda killed. She is closely associated with Kali, another fierce aspect of Devi. She is sometimes identified with goddesses Parvati, Chandi or Durga as well. Chamunda Devi Mandir is believed to be the abode of 'Shiva and Shakti'. Due to this reason, it is also known as 'Chamunda Nandikeshwar Dham'.
The holy temple of Mata Chamunda ji.Chamunda Devi Temple is a renowned holy shrine of the Hindus. Located in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, Chamunda Devi Mandir is at a distance of 10 kms from Palampur, 24 km from Kangra and 15 km from Dharamshala on the banks of Banganga (Baner) River. This ancient temple dates back to the 16th century. The temple is dedicated to Chamunda Devi, who is a form of Durga / Shakti. Chamunda Devi Mandir is believed to be the abode of ‘Shiva and Shakti’.

 At the back of the temple is a cave-like scoop where a stone “Lingam” under a boulder represents Nandikeshwar (Shiva). The temple complex is an enchanting spot with glorious view of Dhauladhar, the Baner Khad and Dadh. A vast running water pool houses the statues of Lord Shiva and Saraswati. A trek of about 16 km up in the Dhauladhar ranges is the ancient temple of Aadi Himani Chamunda.

History of Chamunda Temple:-

The legend related to the temple says that there occurred a fierce battle between the gods and demons in the "Savarni Manvantra." During the course of this battle, Chamunda who is believed to have emerged from an eyebrow of Goddess "Kaushiki"; was entrusted with the tedious task of eliminating the demons "Chand" and "Mund". After a fierce battle, the goddess at last killed them. Taking the slain heads of both, she went to Goddess "Kaushiki." The pleased Goddess blessed Chandika and bestowed
It is said that around 400 years back, a  king and a priest asked for permission from the Devi to shift the temple to a better place. The Goddess then appeared in the dreams of the priest and asked him to start digging the land at some particular place. The priest found an ancient idol of Chamunda devi at that site. The idol was the established at the same place and the Goddess  is worshipped there since then.
When the idol was found, the king asked the labour to take the idol out but nobody was successful to displace the idol. Later on, the Goddess appeared in the dreams of the priest and told him that all the people were considering the idol as an ordinary idol while the idol is of great significance. The Goddess further asked the priest to wake up early in the morning, to take bath and to wear holy clothes. The Goddess also asked the priest to give due respect to the idol and then he would be able to shift the idol which all of the others could not do together. Next day the priest narrated the whole story to everyone and told them that everything is happening because of the Mother’s grace and power. There are the paintings from Mahatamay, Ramayana and Mahabharata in the temple. A glimpse of Hanumana and Bhairon can be seen in the idol of Chamunda Devi in the temple.
According to mythology, Chamunda Devi is depicted as the main Goddess and established as Rudra during the war between Lord Shiva and demon Jaalandhar. This temple is also known as Rudra Chamunda. Another story tells about the war between deities and the devils at “सावर्णि मन्वन्तर’.  Bhagwati Kaushiki produced Devi Chandika from one of Her eyebrows and assigned Her the task to kill both the demons Chanda and Munda. There was a fierce battle between the Devi Chandika and the demons. Finally the Goddess killed both of them and presented their head to Devi Kaushiki who inturn gave blessings to the Devi Chandika that you had killed the demons Chanda and Munda so you will be worshipped as Devi Chandika in this world.
The images of Lord Hanuman and Bhainro are installed on either side of the goddess. Scenes from the Devi Mahatmya, Ramayana and Mahabharata can also be seen in the temple. There also is a beautiful artificial lake near the temple which is full of fresh water from Baner River flowing nearby. Artificial sculptures of Goddess Saraswati, lions and swans in the lake add further to its beauty The interiors of the sanctorum of the deity have been beautified with carved silver sheets.

The Past Of Chamunda Devi Temple :-

 Chamunda Devi is located at a spot where the famous battle described in the Devi Mahatmaya took place. It is heard that Kali killed the two generals of Shumbha and Nishumba. Their names were Chanda and Munda. As a result of this battle Kali received the name Chamunda. The temple was originally located in dangerous remote spot. It was relocated to its current location. Around 400 years ago the king and a Brahmin priest prayed to Devi for permission to move the temple to some easily accessible location. Devi appeared to the priest in a dream giving her consent. She directed him to dig in a certain spot and an ancient idol would be found and that idol should be installed in the temple and worshipped as Her form. Himachal Pradesh Pligrimage tour operator
The king sent out men to bring the idol. Although they were able to locate it but were not able to lift it. Again Devi appeared to the priest in a dream. She explained that the men could not lift the holy relic because they considered it an ordinary stone. She instructed him to get up early in the morning, take a bath, wear fresh clothes and go to the place in a respectful manner. He did as he was told and found that he could easily lift what a large group of men could not. He told the people that it was the power of the Goddess that brought the idol to the temple. In the temple now you can see scenes from the Devi Mahatmya, Ramayan and Mahabharata. On either side of the Devi's image is Hanuman and Bhairo.

Significance of Chamunda Devi Temple:-

The idol of Chamunda is made up of black and red coloured stone. In the idol, she is wearing a garland of several heads or skulls.

It is said she has four, eight, ten or twelve arms, holding a Damaru, trishula, sword, a snake, skull-mace, thunderbolt, a severed head and panapatra or skull-cup, filled with blood.She has been described as having a skeletal body with three eyes, a terrifying face, drooping breasts, protruding teeth, long nails and a sunken belly. She is standing on a corpse of a man or seated on a defeated demon or corpse.There is a scorpion sitting on her navel like a decoration. Chamunda is depicted adorned by ornaments of bones, skulls, serpents and scorpions, symbols of disease and death.
She also wears a Yajnopavita of skulls. Yajnopavita is worn by Hindu male priests. She wears a jata mukuta, that is, headdress formed of piled, matted hair tied with snakes or skull ornaments. Sometimes, a crescent moon is seen on her head. Her socket eyes are described as burning the world with flames.She is accompanied by fiends and goblins. She is also shown surrounded by skeletons or ghosts and beasts like jackals, who are shown eating the flesh of the corpse which the goddess sits or stands on.The jackals and her fearsome companions are sometimes depicted as drinking blood from the skull-cup or blood dripping from the severed head, implying that Chamunda drinks the blood of the defeated enemies. This quality of drinking blood is a usual characteristic of all Matrikas, and Chamunda in particular.Sometimes she is depicted seated on an owl, her vahana. Her banner figures an eagle.

Highlights Of Chamunda Devi Temple:-

Going back to the history of the temple, it is said that this is the same place where Goddess Ambika killed the two demons, Munda and Chanda, in a fight that continued for thousands of years. The statue of the deity in this temple is wrapped in a red cloth, so that the devotees don't touch the deity. The temple also holds a boulder, which depicts the presence of Lord Shiva in the form of a stone lingam. There are several images of other gods and goddesses in the temple and the tourists can see them and capture the images to lock the memories forever.
This famous temple of Ma Chamunda is loacated in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh and is only a few kilometers away from Dalhousie. One can easily take a bus or a direct taxi to reach the spot and worship the idol of Goddess Durga and Lord Shiva.

 Many devotees gather in the temple to offer prayers to their ancestors. They believe that a dip in the Ban Ganga will assure them a state of spiritual peace. People from 22 villages use the temple area as their cremation ground because they consider the place as a sanctified ground. At the same time the atmosphere around the temple is one of serenity and solace. For many people, the Chamunda Devi Temple is an ideal meditation ground.
 Just beside the temple there is a Sanskrit College, an Ayurvedic dispensary and a library. The dispensary caters to the need of the pilgrims and the inhabitants. The college holds classes on Vedas and Puranas. The library houses various old manuscripts on Sanskrit books, the Vedas and the Upanishadsand also sales these books at a reasonable rate to many pilgrims.

Architecture Of Chamunda Devi Temple :-

There is nothing extra-ordinary about the architecture of the temple, but the divine aura spellbinds the devotees with its spiritual appeal. The images of Lord Bhairav and Lord Hanuman are kept in the main shrine along with other images of other gods. The main image of Goddess Durga is visible from the main entrance and is draped in rich clothes. Inside the temple, there is a marble staircase beside the main shrine that takes you down to the cave of Lord Shiva.

 The interiors of the sanctorum of the deity have been beautified with carved silver sheets. The temple complex also has a handicrafts centre, containing items of the woodcarvings, wooden toys, black pottery, honey, Kangra tea and world famous Kangra Paintings. During the Navratras, people from all over India come in hordes into the temple. Pilgrims from far and near come to visit this temple of great legacy and religious importance. Chamunda Devi blesses all her true devotees.

Rituals Of Chamunda Devi Temple :-

The temple is also known as Chamunda Nandikeshwar Dham among Hindus. This is because it is considered the home of ‘Shiva and Shakti’. The idol of Maa Chamunda is beautifully draped in red clothes in the center of the temple. Maa Chamunda is worshipped daily with the morning and evening aarti. Songs in the praise of Maa Devi are also song by the devotees. It is considered really auspicious if the hymn of ‘Shat Chandi’ is recited with a devoted heart. A number of devotees visit the temple during Navaratras to seek the blessings of Maa Devi.
Further, the temple complex has a handicrafts centre where people can find items such as woodcarvings, honey, wooden toys, black pottery, Kangra tea and Kangra Paintings.

Best time to visit Temple:-

 June to October.

The best time to visit the temple is during Navaratri, the temple will be decorated like a bride and you can see people from all over the countries gathered to take the blessings of the Goddess. The temple is surrounded with lush greenery, mountains and valleys making it a picture perfect location for all the tourists.

Nearby places to visit:-

Kangra Fort:-

 The Kangra Fort are located on a strategic height overlooking the Manjhi River and Ban Ganga River. The remains of the Kangra fort are still a dominating feature of the Kangra Valley. Mohammed Ghazni occupied the Kangra Fort in 1009 AD and at that time, the place was called Bhima Nagar, after the name of Bhima, one of the Pandavas. Muhammed Tuglaq also conquered the fort in 1337, but could not occupy it for long. Feroz Tuglaq also plundered the fort in 1365 AD. This is known as Nagarkot, located 42 km from Palampur. There are two entrance, it is currently preserved by an archaeological department. It has very beautiful entrance and very amazing.
Jwalamukhi Temple:-

 Located at a distance of around 30 km from Kangra, the temple of Goddess Jawalamukhi is also famously called “Flaming Goddess” or “She of the flaming mouth.” Nestled in the valley of Beas, the temple of Jawalamukhi is built over some natural jets of combustible gas. It is on of shakti peeth temple, it is 35 km from Kangra dedicated to goddess light, this temple is very famous to north Indians. There are all types of facility available like hotels, restaurants etc.
Kangra Art Gallery:-

 The Kangra Valley Art Gallery showcases artefacts that can be traced back to the 5th century. It encompasses a gallery of Kangra’s renowned miniature painting and a representative collection of pottery, sculptures, and anthropological items.
Bhagsunath:-

 The ancient temple of Bhagsunath is located 3 km east of McLeodganj and 11 km from Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. The annual fair held at the place in September is quite popular. With the forests and hilly ranges, there is also a waterfall located nearby.

How To Reach:-

By Air:-

The nearest airport is Gaggal.

By Train:-

 The nearest railway station is Pathankot.

By Raod:-

 we hire private taxi from Dharamsala to reach the temple. Buses are also available to reach here