Hidimba Devi Temple – Introduction
Hidimba Devi Temple is located in Manali in the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. It is an ancient cave temple dedicated to Hidimbi Devi the wife of Bhima of Mahabharata. It is among one of the most popular temples in Manali.
It is also known as Dhungiri Temple. As this temple is situated in the hill station, a large number of tourists gather here to see this temple during snowfall. There is no idol of the goddess installed in this temple, but the footprints of Hidimba Devi are worshiped in the temple.
History
Hidimba Devi Temple has been constructed in the middle of deodar forest near the town of Dungri, on the range of the Himalayan Mountains. It is believed that after Bhima and the Pandavas left Manali Hidimba returned to look after the kingdom. It is said that Hidimba was a very kind and justice loving ruler.
After many years of prayer Hidimba was successful and she got the title of being a goddess. This temple was built by Maharaja Bahadur Singh in 1553 on top of this rock in honor of Hidimba Devi’s penance and her meditation. The temple is built around the cave in very beautiful design.
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Architecture of this temple
The specialty of Hidimba Devi Temple is that this temple has been constructed in Pagoda Style, due to which it is very different from the normal temple and this make the center of attraction of the people.
This temple is made of wood and has four roofs. The lower three roofs of the temple are made of deodar wood planks and the fourth or topmost roof is made of copper and brass. Hidimba Devi Mandir is in the shape of a 40-meter-high cone and the walls of the mandir are made of stone.
Beautiful paintings have been done on the entrance and walls of the temple. The temple has a wooden door on which there are small paintings of goddesses, animals etc. The beams of the door frame have Navagrahas and female dancers from a story of Lord Krishna.
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Tourist Attraction near Hidimba Devi Temple
The most popular tourist attraction near Hidimba Devi Temple is: – Hiking & Camping Tours, Bike Tours, Multi-day Tours, Motorcycle Tours, Nature & Wildlife Tours.
Apart from this there are also many attractive places which attracts the large number of tourists. Manu Temple, Himachal Culture and Folk Museum, Manali Wild Life Sanctuary, Vashistha Temple, Jogini Falls, Nehru Kund, Solang Valley, Rohtang Pass, Beas kund, The Great Himalayan National Park are some of the attractive tourist places near Hidimba Devi Temple.
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How to reach Hidimba Devi Temple
By Air- The nearest airport to Hidimba Temple is Bhuntar Airport in Kullu which is 10 km from Manali. After reaching here, you can reach Manali by hiring a taxi, auto from the airport. Hidimba Devi Temple is 3 km from Manali town where you can reach by rickshaw or auto.
By Train- The nearest railway station to Hidimba Temple is Joginder Nagar, Which is at a distance of 126 km from Kullu and 166 km from Manali. You can reach here via train from Chandigarh, Ambala or other cities. Then reach Manali by bus and from there take rickshaw or auto to Hidimba temple.
By Road- Both Kullu and Manali are situated on National Highway 21. You can reach here easily by own car and any taxi or bus.
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