Chamunda Devi Temple, Himachal Pradesh
Chamunda Devi Temple, or the 'Chamunda Nandikeshwar Dham,' is one of the most prestigious and renowned holy shrines of the Hindus. It was built during the reigns of Maharaja Umed Singh and is dedicated to Goddess Kali. Chamunda Devi Temple is also known as the abode of Lord Shiva and Mata Shakti and presents the impressive architecture of the old era.
The temple is located on the banks of Banganga (Baner) River in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh and is only 10 km from the well-known Palampur city. It is one of the most visited places in Chamba and is full of devotees throughout the year. But, the Navratri season is the most bustling time as thousands of devotees come to get the blessings of Chamunda Devi.
This 16th-century temple is the unique masterpiece of ancient times and is full of floral and animal carvings on silver sheets. It was built using only wood and gabled roofs. It has a cave-like scoop with structures (Lingam) representing Nandikeshwar (Shiva) and a running water pool with the statues of Lord Shiva and Saraswati at the backside of the temple.
History
The pictorial shrine’s history is as enthralling as the views of the Chamba Valley from the hilltop of the temple. The Goddess Ambika was believed to be relaxing on top of the hill when two nasty demons, Munda and Chanda, came and disturbed her, which got her changed into fierce Kali.This angry Kali killed those two devils, and a Chamunda Devi temple was built on the same place to worship the mighty Goddess Kali by the name of Chamunda Devi. This goddess was adorned with ornaments of bones, skulls, serpents, and scorpions, which represent disease and death.
As the temple was situated in hard to reach jungle area it was moved to its current location some 400 years ago. The statue of the deity in this temple was found after digging the land and was established in this place by the Goddess’s grace and power.
The temple also has paintings of Goddess Mahatamay and others depicting the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata. It also has the idols of Hanuman and Bhairon on the sides of the Goddess Chamunda Devi’s main idol in the temple, which serves as a guard to the deity.
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