Garjiya Devi Temple
There are many religious and tourist places in Uttarakhand, out of which the temple of Garjiya Devi is of special importance. This temple is a divine temple of Mata situated on the top of the mountain, which is situated in the village of Sundar Khal in Ramnagar, Nainital district of Uttarakhand state.
Due to being the temple of Goddess Parvati, the daughter of Giriraj Himalaya, it is also named Girija Devi Temple. This temple is situated on the banks of river Kosi, which is one of the main temples of Goddess Parvati. Ramnagar was known as Virat Nagar in ancient times. Where earlier the kings of the Katyuri dynasty and the rulers of the Kuru dynasty used to rule.
Mythology related to the temple
There are many mythological stories behind the Garjiya Devi Temple. One of which is that the mound on which the Garjiya Devi temple is situated was once seen flowing due to floods in the Kosi river. Then Bhairav Dev saw the mound flowing and shouted "Thi Rau Bahna Thi Rau" which means "Stay, stay, stay sister" and "Stay here with us" Since then Garjiya Devi has been residing there.
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This temple was first seen by the employees of the Environment Department. It is said that the voices of lions were heard there. Like a lion roaring. Along with this, the lion has also been seen doing circumambulation here, since then this area has become famous as both a religious and tourist destination. Then the temple was completely rebuilt with the help of the surrounding townspeople.
It is said that due to the floods again in 1956, this temple was washed away again and not a single idol was left in it, then Pandit Purnachandra Pandey again got this temple constructed and established the idol of the mother. In spite of such a dangerous and scary environment, there is always a fair for the devotees of the mother, there is never any shortage in their reverence and devotion.
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Beliefs related to the Garjiya Devi Temple
In this temple, along with Goddess Parvati, the idols of Goddess Saraswati, Lord Ganesha, and Bhairav Dev Ji are also installed. You can also get to see Lakshmi Narayan here. It is believed that devotees first take a bath in the Kosi river, then to reach the temple, 90 steps have to be climbed, which goes through the river's path. Devotees worship Lord Bhairav after having darshan of the Mother Goddess, urad dal, and rice are offered to her as Prasad.
Here people offer umbrellas, bells, etc., and ask for vows. Newly married couples are brought here for darshan, as well as the sweetheart wishes for her irresistible honeymoon. Childless families come to bow their heads to get children. To reach here, any type of means can be used from Ramnagar by bus or rail. Jim Corbett National Park is just 7 to 8 km from here. Due to this, the Garjiya Devi Temple has become even more famous and a sightseeing place.
How to reach Garjiya Devi temple
It is very easy to reach this temple as rail service is available till Ramnagar. Apart from this, you can also reach Garjiya Devi Temple by bus or taxi. Garjiyal Devi Temple has located at a distance of 13 km from Ramnagar and 75 km from Nainital. The nearest airport here is located at Pantnagar.
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