Temples of Haryana

Haryana is not only famous for Kurukshetra where the battle of Mahabharata took place but the pilgrim”s progress in Haryana is deeply rooted in devotion, legend and mythology. Some of the renowned temples of the State are:

Bhima Devi Temple: The complex comprises the restored ruins of an ancient Hindu temple dating from between 8th and 11th century AD, located in Pinjore town in Panchkula district. The temple was sculptured during the reign of Gurjar Pratihars. The most outstanding sculpture displayed in the temple complex is that of Lord Shiva.

Bhuteshvara Temple: The temple of Bhuteshvara is situated in Jind. The ruler of the district, Raghbir Singh, constructed this temple. It is also recognised as Rani Talab. The temple is dedicated to Shiva.

Jayanti Devi Temple: The Pandavas built this temple to honour Goddess Jayanti Devi  (Goddess of Victory) around which came up the town of Jaintpuri. Jayanti Devi is considered to be a very sensitive and benevolent Goddess who listens to the prayers of her devotees. She is one of the seven sisters, the seven goddesses of the Kangra Valley.

Kartikeya Temple: It is in Pehowa township and is an ancient structure dating back to the 5th century B.C.  Women are strictly forbidden in this temple which celebrates the brahmachari form of Lord Kartikeya. It is said that a true devotee of this shrine never loses any battle in his life.

Markandeshwar Temple: The name Markandeshwar is associated with Maharishi Markandeya, a great devotee of Shiva. The temple is located in the town of Shahbad Markanda, which is situated in the Kurukshetra district of Haryana. The temple is supposed to be the place where the young Markandeya was praying to Shiva in order to win over his destiny. This is where Shiva fought with Yama and blessed Maharishi Markandeya with the boon of immortality.

Mata Mansa Devi: It is dedicated to Goddess Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti, in the Panchkula district. It is one of the prominent Shakti temples of north India. Maharaja Gopal Singh of Mani Majra constructed the present main temple of Shri Mansa Devi.

Pindara Temple: It is situated about 6.5 km from Pindara, Jind. According to a legend, the Pandavas offered here pinds to their forefathers and hence the popular name of the village is Pandu Pindara.

Sitamai  Temple: It is an ancient structure situated in the village of Sitamai in the Karnal district of Haryana. This is perhaps the only temple in the whole of India that is solely dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Sita. The temple stands on the spot where the Goddess Mother Earth split open, to allow Sita to repose in her bosom, in answer to Her appeal, in proof of Her sinlessness.

Sthaneshwar Mahadev: The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva is situated in Thanesar, a holy town in the Kurukshetra. It was here that the Pandavas prayed to Lord Shiva and received His blessings for victory in the battle of Mahabharata.

Bhawani Amba Temple: This temple in Ambala district has derived its name from the presiding Goddess of the temple. There is a popular belief that the city of Ambala has been named after Devi Amba. The deity is known as Amba Devi or Bhawani Devi.

Sheetla Mata Mandir: The temple is situated on a side of a beautiful pond at a village named Gurgaon in the state of Haryana. Devotees come to offer prayers to implore the Goddess to protect them from serious disease, small-pox. The ceremony performed to get the Devi”s blessings is known as Jal dema.

Bhadra Kali Mandir: It has close association with Pandavas, Bhadrakali temple at north Thaneswar holds much religious significance. Legend has it that the Pandavas had performed austerities and rituals here before their final battle against the Kauravas.

Shirdi Sai Baba Temple: It is situated in Faridabad. Also known as Sai Dham, it covers an area of around 3 acres, with a hall spread over 560 sq.m. The white marble edifice of Sai Baba is over 5.25 feet tall and attracts devotees from varied places.

Masani Temple: It is a popular shrine in Gurgaon, which is dedicated to Goddess Masani. The temple is thronged by devotees, whose children are suffering from small-pox, as a visit to the temple is considered as the best antidote for the disease.

Sitaram Mandir: A beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Ram and Sita, Sitaram Mandir is within the Farrukh Nagar Fort.

Shiva Temple (Bagot): It is religiously a very important place and is situated at a distance of 25 kilometers from Mahendragarh. There is a famous Shiva temple here. A big fair is held on the eve of Shivaratri in the month of Sawan. As per their vows taken earlier and their desires having been fulfilled, the devotees go to Haridwar a week before the fair to bring Ganga water in two small pitchers known as Kawars. On reaching Bagot, they sprinkle Ganga water over the stone idol of Shiva and offer worship.

Baba Thakur: The temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. Thakurji is another name of Lord Krishna.

—Aniket Raja

(With inputs from Haryana Tourism)

You have to be disciplined if you want to be world class—Milkha Singh

Children, these days you must be discussing with your friends about the movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra , but do you know who is Milkha Singh ?   

Milkha Singh was born in Muzaffargarh, British India, in  October 1935, also known as The Flying Sikh, is a former Indian track and field sprinter. As of 2013, he is the only Indian male athlete to win an individual athletics gold medal at the Commonwealth Games

As a young boy who lived in a remote village in Multan province, Milkha saw his parents and seven siblings murdered during the Partition of India and the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

As his father fell, his last words were Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, exhorting his son to run for his life.

The boy ran—first to save his life, and then to win medals. It is said that he ran his first race for just a glass of milk.

Arriving in India as an orphan in 1947,  he became disenchanted   and took to petty crimes  and did odd jobs for survival until he found a place in the army. It was there that he discovered his athletic abilities.  Determined to be the best and realising his talent as a sprinter, the jawan took to training five hours every day.Motivated by his coach Havildar Gurdev Singh, he left it to the elements to hone his craft — running on the hills, the sands of the Yamuna river, and against the speed of a metre gauge train. He says so intense was his training that very often he vomitted blood and would collapse in exhaustion.

Singh’s exploits on the track and field are legendary in India—he won five golds in international athletic championships, broke a 400m record at the 1960 Rome Olympics and was awarded the Helms World Trophy in 1959 for winning 77 of his 80 international races.

Awards and achievements

p    Gold Medal – 1958 Commonwealth Games – 400 m

p    Gold Medal – 1958 Asian Games – 200 m and 400 m

p    4th Place – 1960 Summer Olympics

p    Gold Medal – 1962 Asian Games

p    Padma Shri & Arjuna Award

He has donated his medals to the nation.

Children if you want to learn more about Milkha Singh read his autobiography

The Race of My Life: by Rupa Publications.

—Aniket Raja

Dear children hope you got the answers right in the previous quiz on temples of Himachal Pradesh. In this issue we will be covering the temples of Punjab.

p    Durgiana Temple in Amritsar is also known as ————

p    Identify this temple of Amritsar ———————

p    In which city of Punjab will you find the Kali Devi Temple? ———————

p    Name the temple which is a witness to the birth of Luv and Kush?——————

p         Name the temple of child deity in Jalandhar city?————————————————