Mansa Devi Temple
Mansa Devi Temple is located in the sacred city of Haridwar which is lying in the state of Uttarakhand. The temple belongs to the culture of Hinduism and is completely devoted to goddess Mansa Devi. The top of the Bilwa Parvat on the Sivalik Hills is the residence of this temple.Another name of this temple is Bilwa Tirth. The meaning of the word Mansa is wish and thus the divine goddess accomplishes every wish of her true devotee. A tree is located within the boundary of the temple on whose branch devotees use to tie the strand so as to get their wish accomplished by the Goddess. When the wish of the devotees is accomplished then they again come to the temple and untie the strand. It is a Siddh Peetha whose worship is undertaken so as to get the wishes achieved.
Getting There
The distance between Mansa Devi Temple and Har ki Pauri is 800 metres which can be covered up on foot. The bus stand and Railway station is 2 Km away from this temple. Visitors can reach Mansa Devi temple by mean of local Buses, rickshaws, Tongas or by hiring taxis. There is also the facility of cable car (ropeway) to reach towards this temple. The ropeway is called as ‘Mansa Devi Udankhatola’. People can also reach towards this temple by trekking up. The running of cable car starts at 7 AM during April to October and the time is of 8 AM during rest of the year. The cost of each person is Rs 48/=.
Security And Some Tips
Before moving toward ropeway of Mansa Devi there are so many security arrangements by which each and every person is checked with that intention that he/she should not contain any unwanted element like knife, gun, bomb etc. Visitors should not take cash and ornaments with them as there are so many crowds and thus they are prone to get theft. Visitors should also be aware of monkeys.
When To Visit
Normally the opening time for temple is from 8 AM to 5 PM. It is closed for lunch during 12 PM to 2 Pm. The duration of visiting this temple is 40 minutes. The best time to visit this temple is during the day. The temple is also open during public holidays. There is no entry fee for visiting this temple.
What To See And Do
There is long queue for the darshan of Devi. While moving inside the temple there are footsteps of Devi. Parsad is given to the pandits as an offering to Devi. These pandits are money minded and openly call for the donation by making people afraid of that their wish will not be fulfilled if they deny for giving the donation. If we move further then there is inner shrine where the deities of Devi are placed. There are two idols of Devi one with three mouths and five arms and the other with eight arms. Parshad containing coconut, fruits and flowers are taken and broken pieces of coconut are given to the devotees in return. At that time devotee has to make wish quickly. There are statues of other god and goddesses at the exit of the temple which are also meant for worship.
Where To Stay
There are so many hotels near Mansa Devi Temple so as to have stay and food. These hotels are- Ganga Sadan, Regenta Central, Sun Hotel, La Casa, Hotel Aditya, Alpana Hotel, Haveli Hari Ganga, Ganga Lahari, Hotel Classic Residency and SRS Lakshya Hotel etc.
Where Else To Stay
Except hotels, there are a large number of dharamshalas in Haridwar where devotees can take rest. These dharamshalas are cheap if compared to hotels. These dharamshalas are Ganga Nilyam Atithi Bhavan, Leela Yatri Bhavan, Sindhi Dharamshala, Sadhu Ram Maadiwala Dharamshala, Jai Bajrang Bali Dharamshala, Jai Baba Dham Sindhi Dharamshala, Choudhary Nand Lal Dharamshala, Shri Mansa Devi Dharamshala, Shri Alamchand Khanduja Dharamshala etc.
Festivals
Festivals are celebrated here with great joy and delight. So many crowds are gathered here during the time of festivals. The festivals which are celebrated here are Navaratri and Kumbh Mela. At the time of these festivals people entertain themselves with sacred feeling.
Side Trips
There are many places to visit other than Mansa Devi Temple. These places are- Chandi Devi Temple, Har Ki Pauri and Bharat Mata Temple. These places are also the centre of attraction in Haridwar. Here also so many people in a large number use to take visit.
Travel Tips
People should take video cameras and personal diary so as to keep record of their each and every activity along with their feeling at that moment. They should also hire a travel guide who gives the information of each and every part of the temple.
Hence, this is a holy journey with entertainment and enthusiasm.
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