Shring Rishi Temple

Tripoto
Photo of Shring Rishi Temple by GOURAV GHANSELA

RUNNING THROUGH THE CROWD MADE ME REALISE THAT PEACE AND SERENITY IS THE ONLY MOTIVE OF MY LIFE.

AND TO ACHIEVE THEM, I STARTED TO TRAVEL, MOSTLY IN THE REGION OF HIMALAYAS.

EVERY VACATION TAKES ME TO UNIQUE PLACES IN UTTARAKHAND OR HIMACHAL PRADESH.

AND IN SEARCH OF SERENITY, I CAME ACROSS MANY COMMUNITIES NOURISHING THE HIMALAYAS.

THIS TIME I WENT IN THE DIRECTION OF SUN AND VISITED A PLACE FULL OF PEACE AND HARMONY.

THE SCENIC BEAUTY OF THE PLACE CAN’T BE DESCRIBED IN SIMPLE WORDS. ONE NEEDS TO VISIT THE PLACE TO FEEL ITS SERENITY AND ACHIEVE PEACE.

AND HENCE I CAME ACROSS THE VILLAGE CALLED BAGI LYING IN THE KULLU DISTRICT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH .

THE WALK IN THE VILLAGE TAKES YOU THROUGH APPLE ORCHARDS AND DEODAR FOREST.

THE BAGI VILLAGE IS ABOUT 7 KM FROM BANJAR, AND ABOUT 500 KM FROM DELHI.

THE DRIVE FROM MANDI DESCRIBES THE NATURE’S CAPABIITY TO HOLD THE BEAUTY.

ONCE A FRIEND,WHOM I MET AT THUARI(A SMALL VILLAGE IN KULLU DISTRICT), DESCRIBED ME ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF THIS VILLAGE AND THE DESCRIPTION WAS EXCITING ENOUGH TO LET MY SOUL AGILE UNTILL I VISITED IT.

WHEN I REACHED BANJAR, I BOOKED A CAB AS PUBLIC BUSES ARE LIMITED IN THIS AREA. CAB DROPPED ME AT THE DOOR OF SHRING RISHI MANDIR.

Photo of Shring Rishi Temple 1/6 by GOURAV GHANSELA
shring rishi idol

“SHRING RISHI TEMPLE” :-

AT AN ADORABLE CLIMATE AND EDGING WITH THE MAGYSTIC MOUNTAINS LIES THE BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE OF BAGI JUST TOUCHING THE HEIGHT OF 2000m AND PROVIDING VISITORS THE ESSENTIAL VIEW OF THE SERENITY.

THE PLACE IS COVERED WITH DEODAR TREES WITH A TEMPLE IN MIDDLE.

THE TEMPLE IS SACRED FOR THE LOCALS AND IS CONSIDERED AS VERY IMPORTANT RELIGIOUS SHRINE IN THE VALLEY AS THEY BELIEVE THAT THE DEITY OF THE TEMPLE PROTECTS THEM.

ON ENTERING THE TEMPLE PREMISES, A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT OF SHRING RISHI MADE MY HEART HAPPY.

THE BEAUTIFUL SCENARY THAT CAN BE VIEWED FROM THE TEMPLE PREMISES IS A BOND BETWEEN SERENITY AND PEACE.

THE AARTI CEREMONY THAT HELDS IN THE MORNING REJUVANTES EVERY SOUL PRESENT THERE.

THE AARTI IS SUNG WITH THE LOCAL MUSICAL INTRUMENTS,RANASINGH AND YOU MAY TRY IT TO KNOW THAT IT IS NOT EASY TO PLAY. BUT IT JUST SOOTHES THE EARS AND SOUL .

ACCORDING TO THE LOCALS, THE SHRINGA RISHI MEETS JAMLU DEVTA OF MALANA VALLEY AFTER EVERY 12 YEARS AND MEETING IS CELEBRATED BY ORGANISING THE FAIR AT BANJAR WHICH IS ENJOYED WITH GREAT EXCITEMENT AND ENTHUSIASM.

THERE IS A STORY THAT IS DESCRIBED IN BOTH, RAMAYAN AND MAHABHARTA, ABOUT SHRING RISHI.

“SHRING RISHI” :-

SHRING MEANS HORN.

SO, SHRING RISHI WAS THE BOY WHO WAS BORN WITH THE DEER HORN.

THE SHRING RISHI IS AMONG THE 18 CHIEF DEITIES OF THE VALLEY.

THE STORY IS DESCRIBED IN HINDU-BUDDHIST MYTHOLOGY.

HE WAS BORN TO URAVASHI AND RISHI VIBHANDAK ,THE ONE WHO PERFORMED PUTRAKAMESTHI YAGNA FOR THE FATHER OF SHREE RAM , KING DHASRATH. THE YAGNA WAS PERFORMED IN TO BLESS THE KING WITH SON AND KING WAS BLESSED WITH RAM,LAKSHMAN,BHARAT AND SHATRUGAN.

Photo of Shring Rishi Temple 2/6 by GOURAV GHANSELA
view from the temple

THE STORY OF SHRING RISHI CAN BE FOUND IN BOTH THE HINDU EPIC, MAHABHARAT AND RAMAYAN.

RISHYASHRING , THE ORIGINAL NAME OF THE SAGE , WAS BROUGHT UP BY HIS FATHER IN THE FOREST TO KEEP HIM AWAY FROM THE WORLD AS URVASHI LEFT THEM WHEN HE BORN AND RISHI VIBHANDHAK GOT FRUSTRATED FROM THE FEMALE BEAUTY.

SHRING RISHI LATER WAS BROUGHT TO CITY BY THE KING ROMAPADA TO PERFORM NECESSARY CEREMONIES IN ORDER TO BRING RAIN TO THE KINGDOM OF ANGA SUFFERING FROM DROUGHT AND FAMINE.

RISHYASHRING LATER MARRIED TO SHANTA , DAUGHTER OF KING DHASRATH AND KAUSALYA AND LATER ADOPTED BY KING ROMAPADA AND VERSHINI.

“CHEHNI FORT” :-

ANSWER ME A QUESTION.

DO YOU SHORT HIKE?

AND IF YOU REACT LIKE….”DEFINITELY”, EVERYONE MUST LOVE SHORT HIKES.

SO, YOU ARE FORTUNATE AS A SHORT HIKE FROM SHRING RISHI TEMPLE TAKES YOU THROUGH THE APPLE ORCHARD AND LANDS YOU TO THE PLACE WITH HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL BEAUTY. AND OBVIOSLY THE WEATHER IS TOO ADEQUATE TO SPEND YOUR VACATIONS.

THE FORT PERCHES TO THE HEIGHT OF 45M. THE FORT STRUCTURE WAS BUILT IN ORDER TO SAFEGUARD THE VALLEY FROM ENEMY ATTACK AND TO SERVE AS THE STORAGE TOWER AS WELL.

THE TOWER HAS IDOL OF DEVI AT THE TOP AND IS WORSHIPPED BY THE LOCAL PEOPLE WITH WHOLE HEART.

THE CHEHNI FORT IN THE VILLAGE IS A FORT HAVING 9 FLOORS . EARLIER IT HAD 11 FLOORS BUT AS THE TIME GREW STRONGER, THE FORT RESPECTED ITS VIRTUE AND LOST 2 OF ITS FLOOR IN 1905 EARTHQUAKE . BUT AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE , THE VILLAGERS RENOVATED IT WELL AND SHIFTED THE MATA TEMPLE TO THE TOP FLOOR OF THE FORT.

STILL THE FORT STRETCHES ITS HEAD HIGH T0 MEET THE SKY GIVING THE MAGNIFICIENT IMAGE TO ONE’S EYE.

Photo of Shring Rishi Temple 3/6 by GOURAV GHANSELA
chehni fort

“HISTORY OF THE FORT” :-

THE FORT WAS BUILT UNDER THE ORDER OF KING IN THE 17TH CENTURY AND AFTER THE NAME OF THE KING ,IT GOT ITS LOCAL NAME “DHADHIYA KOTHI”.

IT SERVED AS THE STORAGE TOWER AS WELL AS IN SAFEGUARDING THE VALLEY AGAINST THE ENEMY ATTACK.

IT IS TOLD THAT THE KING AND THE LOCALS WERE ATTACKED BY THE BRITISHERS AND THEY HID THEMSELVES INSIDE THE FORT AND WENT THROUGH THE TUNNEL, CONNECTING THE FORT AND TO SOME SAFE SPACE, AFTERWARDS.

“FORT VISIT” :-

EVERY TIME YOU GET TO VISIT SOME GREAT PLACE IN THE HIMALAYAS TO SPEND YOUR VACATION IN PEACE, YOU MAY VISIT THIS PLACE.

THE FORT ENTRANE OPENS DIRECTLY TO THE 5TH FLOOR WHICH COMES AFTER CLIMBING THE 12M WOODEN STAIRCASE MADE OUT OF SINGLE TREE BRANCH.

EARLIER , THE STAIRCASE WAS KEPT INSIDE THE TEMPLE ONCE THE LAST PERSON REACHES THE TOWER ENTRANCE IN ORDER TO SAFEGUARD THE FOLKS.

Photo of Shring Rishi Temple 4/6 by GOURAV GHANSELA
staircase to the entrance of the chehni fort

THE RITUALS OF THE FORT ARE BRIEFLY DESCRIBED BY THE PRIESTS OF THE TEMPLE AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT MALE CAN ENTER THE FORT ONLY IF HE IS WEARING THE “DHOTI”.

SO, AFTER REACHING THE ENTRANCE , YOU HAVE TO CLIMG UP USING THE WOODEN STAIRS CONSTRUCTED INSIDE THE FORT AND AFTER CLIMBING 5 FLOORS, YOU REACH TO GET BLESSINGS FROM DEVI.

AND THE VIEW FROM THE FORT TOP IS AS VIRTUAL AS ONE CAN IMAGINE OF THE BEAUTIFUL HIMALAYAS WHEN HE DRAWS THE ART .

THE BEAUTFIL DEODAR FOREST AND THE VILLAGE AND THE APPLE FIELDS AND ANOTHER TOWER BESIDES THE CHEHNI FORT, WHERE ONLY LOCALS ARE ALLOWED, MADE UP AN OPULENT SCENARY WHICH YOU CAN DESCRIBE TO YOU FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS AFTER RETURNING FROM THE VILLAGE.

MY DAY WAS SPENT VERY WELL IN THE LAP OF THIS BEAUTIFUL VALLEY AND I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO CARRY MANY MEMORIES WITH ME.

Photo of Shring Rishi Temple 5/6 by GOURAV GHANSELA
view from the top
Photo of Shring Rishi Temple 6/6 by GOURAV GHANSELA
the premises of fort