Sheetala Mata Temple
Sheetla also called Sitala is a Hindu goddess of sores, pustules, ghouls & diseases as per the mythology. The literal meaning of Shitala is smallpox in Sanskrit. Sheetla is more often called as ma or amma (‘mother’) and is worshipped by Hindus, Buddhists & tribal communities. She is worshipped as a protector. The temple represents the sculptures and idols of the goddess which brings soothing to the eyes and mind.
There is a Mundan Hall; a separate section dedicated to Lord Shani & Lord Bhairav where oil is available to be offered to the Gods, Sheetla Mata Madir at the centre and Shiva statute in the garden.
It is also one of the Shakti Peeth of the country. Shakti Peeth is a site where the scattered pieces of Goddess Parvati had fallen when she immolated herself in anger. Unable to bear the insult of her husband, Lord Shiva by her own father, the Goddess put an end to her life. The various pieces of her body fell in different parts of the world. Temples were built at these sites and they are believed to be very pious and powerful. Devotees worship the Goddess with great faith and seek the blessings for protection, well-being, richness and power.
Legend:-
About Temple – More than three centuries ago two brothers, Padarath and Singha lived in the village of Gurgaon. They were fief holders and owned thousands of acres of land. Singha was a calm, good-natured person who spend most of his time in singing Bhajans. Impressed by Singha’s devotion, Sheetala Devi appeared in his dream and granted him a boon. The boon was that, Singha’s mere touch would free a person from all pains. Singha thus left his luxurious abode and started meditating near the pond. He also made a crude temple like structure and started worshipping the Devi there. One day it seems, while collecting mud from the pond, Singha found the idol of the Devi and consecrated it in the crude structure. This structure later on became the Sheetala Devi temple.
According to another legend, a poor carpenter living in Farukh Nagar had a beautiful daughter of marriageable age. On hearing about her beauty, the Mughal ruler expressed his desire to get married to the girl. The carpenter resented giving away her daughter to a person from a different religion and so appealed to King Surajmal of Bharatpur. The matter being outside his jurisdiction, the king refused to interfere. The disappointed carpenter met Prince Bharatpur, son of King Surajmal while returning home who tried to talk it out with his father but to no avail.Consequently, the prince revolted against his father. On his way to attack Delhi, he passed through Gurgaon and he pledged to the Shri Mata Sheetla Devi that if he returned victorious, he would build a proper temple. The prince won and upon his return, he built the temple.
There is another version of the same temple. It is said that when prince of Bharatpur was proceeding towards , he and his army rested at Ballabhgarh. But the horses refused to move further from here. The court astrologer was summoned to explain the strange behaviour of the horses, whereupon it was found that since obeisance was not paid the goddess after entering Gurgaon on their way, this had angered her. Thus an elaborate worship of the goddess was arranged and the horses started moving. The prince pledged that he would build a temple on his victorious return.
Bhairon temple in Sheetala Mata Temple:-
Bhairon temple is a part of the Temple. It’s situated back site of the temple, People come there after finish the worship in the temple and come there for Bhairon worship. According to the people without Bharion worship all worship not completed of the sheetala Mata temple. In the Navratre visitor can get the benefit of the yearly festival of this temple.
Significance of Sheetla Mata Mandir:-
Sheetala is a sanskrit term which means ‘one who cools’. This Goddess have the various name and is worshipped by these different names in the subcontinent.
Hindus, Buddhists and people from tribal communities worship Goddess Sheetala. Goddess Sheetala is often referred to as Maa by her devotees. Goddess Sheetala has been clearly mentioned in Tantric and Puranic literature. Her appearence in the vernacular text has strengthened her status.
Goddess Sheetala is majorly famous in North India. In many places, she is often identified as one of the forms of Goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva. Shitala is known as the seasonal goddess and with honorific titles such as Thakurani, Jagrani, Karunamayi, Mangala, Bhagavati, Dayamayi. In South India, Goddess Sheetala’s role is taken by the Goddess Mariamman, who is worshipped by Dravidian-speaking people.
The Deity:-
The sanctum, inside, is built like a large hallway leading to a small room & the large hallway provides a glimpse of the main idol & the seating area for the pilgrims. The narrow path bordered with railings leads to the area which houses Sheetla Mata. The deity is surrounded in a room & the pilgrims cannot go near it but can offer their prayers from a window-like structure built at a distance from the idol.
One look at the deity leaves you mesmerised. It is finished in gold polish & is embellished with precious jewels, beautiful clothes & the huge gold nose ring enhances the idol who is seated in a silver-polished arched structure. Hindu priests take your offerings & provide you with Parshad (sacred offering of food).
Sheetla Mata Mandir Timings:-
Sheetla Mata Mandir is open for darshan from 6am to 8pm. The Puja of Shitala Temple is conducted by both, Brahmins and low caste Pujaris. Goddess Sheetala is mainly worshipped in the dry seasons of winter and spring. There are many arti sangrah and stuties for the puja of Goddess Shitala. These arti sangrah and stuties include shri shitla mata chalisa, Shitala Maa ki Arti, Shri Shitala mata ashtak, etc.
Festivals:-
Sheetala Ashtami:-
this festival is very much popular among Hindu and is dedicated to Goddess Sheetala. This festival is also known as Basoda Puja. It is celebrated on the eighth day of the Krishna during the Hindu month of ‘Chaitra’. It corresponds to the month of mid-March to April in the Gregorian calendar. Sheetala Ashtami is celebrated Holi, generally after eight days. But in some communities, it is celebratedon the first Thursday or Monday that comes after Holi. Also in some districts, Sheetala Ashtami is observed on the ‘ashtami’ of the Krishna Paksha, every month, but of all these, the Chaitra Krishna Paksha Ashtami is considered most propitious.
The celebrations of Sheetala Ashtami are very famous in the north Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. In the Indian state of Rajasthan, the Sheetala Ashtami festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm. A huge fair is organized for this occasion and several musical events and programmes are also staged. Devotees celebrate this festival with immense joy and devotion. It is believed that by keeping the vrat on this chosen day, they will be prevented from several deadly diseases. On the day of Sheetala Ashtami according to the traditions, the families do not lit the fire for the purpose of cooking. They, therefore, prepare food a day in advance and consume the stale food on an actual day. It is only in Sheetala Ashtami that there is the unique custom of offering stale food to Goddess Sheetala.
Devotees get up early, before sunrise and take a bath. They visit the Sheetala Devi temple and worship the Goddess with ‘haldi’ and ‘bajra’. After performing the puja rituals they listen to the ‘Basoda Vrat Katha’. ‘Rabri’, ‘curd’ and other essential offerings are then made to Goddess Sheetala. People also take blessings from their elders. After offering the prepared food to the Goddess, rest of the food is eaten all day long as Prasad and is known as ‘Basoda’ in the local language. The food is also distributed among other devotees and also given to the poor and needy people. On this day reading ‘Sheetalashtak’ is also considered favourable.
The temple is thronged by a large number of devotees throughout the year, especially on Mondays during the Hindu month of Chaitra (i.e in March and April). Devotees visit this temple mainly to conduct the mundan (first shaving off the heads) ceremony of their children and offer the crop of hair at the altar of goddess. People suffering from small pox performs a ritual named 'Jal dema' by spending a whole night in the temple, chanting hymns and songs in honor of the goddess. Married couple also visit here to get the blessings of the goddess for a happy married life. The annual Masani Fair celebrated here is a major draw attended by thousands of devotees from far and near.
Mundan Ceremony:-
A section of the visitors come for the mundan ceremony ( the first hair cutting ceremony) of their children and offer the crop of hair at the altar of goddess. Among other visitors married couples also come to invoke the blessings of the goddess for a happy married life
Outer Temple in The City:-
Surdershan Mata Mandir :-
It’s a another mata temple in the city. It’s located on Old railway road near RAJ mahel In. According to the people, it’s a part of Jandhewala Temple New Delhi. People come there Tuesday and Saturday in a week. In Navratra among 3500 – 5000 People come daily in both temples.
Sai Temple In The City:-
Sai temple is a very best place in the Gurgaon city. Lot of people come there for observe the temple of sai.. It is located in Sec 56, Near paras hospital. It’s design look like a Shirdi temple Mumbai. People come there every Thursday in SAI Dham Arti and Darshan of SAI BABA. Another Lots of Sai temple is present in the city in different locations.
Shiv temple Sohna:-
Shiv temple Sohna Is a best place for tourist and local people. It’s situated at the Sohna village total distance from city to village is 25 Km from the city.
Interesting points:-
A Police post is located inside the temple area for security.
A long queue can be seen on auspicious days and events.
Trees and greenery add to the beauty of the temple.
The oldest and the most famous temple require a sincere cleanliness effort.
Beware of pick pockets in crowded areas.
Stay away from people trying to persuade you to offer money throughout the temple.
Reaching the shrine in Gurgaon:-
Gurgaon is one of the districts in the state of Haryana which is located in the Northern part of India. The district is located south west of national capital Delhi. The city of Gurgaon is well connected by Road, rail and air transport. The Sheetla Mata Shrine is located 2 km from the Gurgaon bus stand, 3.5 km from Gurgaon Railway station, and 7 km from Huda city centre Metro Station. Public transport is available from all these places to the Shrine.
By Road:-
Gurgaon is located on the National Highway No. 8 linking Delhi to Mumbai. The Haryana Roadways runs both intercity and interstate buses. Also Delhi Transport Corporation runs buses connecting Delhi and Gurgaon. Many other state transport corporations also run interstate buses to and from Gurgaon.
By Rail:-
Delhi Metro:-
Delhi metro Yellow line connects Gurgaon with Delhi. Currently there are 5 metro stations in Gurgaon. The stations are connected to interior of the city by city bus service of Haryana Roadways, Three wheelers, private buses etc.
Indian Railways:-
Located at the western end of the old city, the Gurgaon Railway Station connects Rewari in the South and Delhi Cantt in the North.
By Air:-
The nearest airport is Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) at New Delhi, which is about 15 km from Gurgaon.
