Hidimba Devi Temple Manali

HIDIMBA DEVI TEMPLE

Manali, Himachal Pradesh, India

Goddess

This temple is dedicated to Goddess Hadimbi, the wife of Bheema, one of the five Pandava brothers of epic Mahabharata.

Best Season To Visit

The best season to visit the temple is Summer season. The best months to visit are May to July and September to October.

Weather

Highest - April to June (21°C during day and 19°C during night)Average - May (24°C during the day and 20°C during night)Lowest - December to February (14°C during day and 8°C during night)Monsoon season - August to October

Dress Code

For men the dress code is Shirt & Trouser, Dhoti or Pyjamas with upper cloth.
For women the preferred dress code is saree or half-saree with blouse or chudidhar with pyjama and upper cloth.
Shorts, mini-skirts, middies, sleeveless tops, low-waist jeans and short-length T-shirts are not allowed.
The weather is cold throughout the year. Rainfalls and snowfalls often occur there. one should wear proper winter clothes with mufflers and gloves. An umbrella is also a must to carry.

Do's & Dont's

Do bathe and wear clean clothes before you enter the temple.
Do respect ancient customs and co-piligrims while at temple.

Smoking and drinking is prohibited in this temple.
Chewing betel leaves, tobacco, gutka and spitting inside temple is strictly prohibited.

transport connections

Name	Distance	Contact Number
Manali Bus Stand	2.5 KM	01902-252323
Joginder Nagar Railway Station	144 KM	139
Kullu Manali Airport	52.1 KM	0190-2265052

Railway Station Name	Distance	Contact Number
Joginder Nagar Railway Station	144 KM	139

Airport Name	Distance	Contact Number
Kullu Manali Airport	52.1 KM	0190-2265052

Architecture

This four-storyed structure lies amid a forest, called Dhungiri Van Vihar. The top conical roof is in metal while the other three square-shaped floors are roofed with timbre tiles. The Hidimba Devi Temple has intricately carved wooden doors and a 24 meters tall wooden "shikhar" or tower above the sanctuary. The tower consists of three square roofs covered with timber tiles and a fourth brass cone-shaped roof at the top. The earth goddess Durga forms the theme of the main door carvings. Also depicted are animals, foliate designs, dancers, scenes from Lord Krishna’s life and Navagrahas. The temple base is made out of whitewashed, mud-covered stonework. An enormous rock occupies the inside of the temple, only a 7.5 cm (3 inch) tall brass image representing goddess Hidimba Devi. A rope hangs down in front of the rock, and according to a legend, in bygone days religious zealots would tie the hands of "sinners" by the rope and then swing them against the rock. About seventy metres away from the temple, there is a shrine dedicated to Goddess Hidimba's son, Ghatotkacha, who was born after she married Bhima. The most surprising feature of the temple or what believers could call the most reassuring feature of the temple is the fact that inside the temple the imprint of the feet of the Goddess carved on a block of stone is worshipped. The temple does not have an idol of the Goddess but a huge stone carrying her footprint is kept here.

The temple is rather unusual and is architecturally similar only to the temple of Tripura Sundari in Naggar. The interior of the temple is occupied by the large rock and contains no usuable space except for the ground floor. Curiously, a rope dangles from the ridge that is said to have been used to hang victims by the hand, who were then swung bleeding and bruised over the large rock in the presence of the goddess. The base of the temple is made of whitewashed mud-covered stonework. The main doorway includes an elaborately carved wooden entrance that is believed to be over 400 years old.

Religious Significance

The story takes us to the days of Mahabharata. After the Pandava brother and their mother escaped the lakhh palace without any harm, they arrived in this area. During those days, this region was ruled by Hidimb Raksasha. He had a sister named Hidimbi (Hadimba). Bheem fell in love with her. She reciprocated his feelings. They both were able to marry only after killing her brother. The couple lived in the valley. After a year, Bheema went to join his brother and mother. After sometime, their son was born who was named Ghatotkachh. Hadimba took good care of her son till he was a minor. When Ghatotkachh, became a warrior, she retreated into the inner hills for meditation. Eventually her son conquered the country and became popular as a good administrator. Hadmiba meditated in Dhungri region near Manali. She gained supernatural powers after her tapasya. She was very kind and thus became quite popular amid the locals.

History

The structure was built in 1553 by Maharaja Bahadur Singh. A fair was organized in the first Shravan month in the commemoration of this event known as Sarrohni Mela.

Temple Timings

Day	Timings
All Days	08:00 AM - 06:00 PM

Tours

Airports

Airport Name	Distance
Shamshabad	40 KM
Lorem Ipsum	12 KM

Railway Stations

Railway Station Name	Distance
Secunderabad	10 KM
Nampally	12 KM
Begumpet	6 KM
Lingampally	20 KM

Bus Stations

Bus Station Name	Distance
MGBS	35 KM
CBS	28 KM
kukatpally	20 KM
Lingampally	30 KM
Uppal	35 KM

Private Transports

Transport Name	Distance	Contact Number
Private Transport	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757