Hidimba Temple, the ancient Temple dedicated to Hidimba Devi, the wife of Bhima, an important figure of Mahabharata, the Indian Epic, is situated amidst snow-covered hills of Manali, the most sought hill station after the North East Indian States is Himachal Pradesh and is famous for Hadimba Devi Temple Footprint.

Earlier it was known as Dhungari Temple because it is surrounded by a green lush Cedar forest known as Dhungiri Van Vihar, situated at the foot of the Majestic Himalayas. There is a huge rock jutting out of the ground. Around it, the sanctuary is built and is worshiped as the idol of the Hidimba deity.

Maharaja Bahadur Singh built Hidimba Temple in 1553 AD. It is the place where she used to perform meditation. It is a perfect blend of heritage and faith.

What Is The Legend Behind The Temple?

Hidimba Devi date backs to the Mahabharata era. She had pledged to marry someone who would defeat her brother Hidimb. Hidimb was a very brave and fearless demon to be ever defeated by anyone. 

While Pandavas were in exile, they stayed at Manali for a few days, and one day Bhima got entangled with Hidimb and killed him in a furious fight. After that, Hidimba, as per her pledge, married Bhima. Later she gave birth to a son named Ghatotkacha, who played a very vital role in Mahabharta to save Arjuna while fighting against Kauravas.

After the exile period was over, Devi Hidimba did not go along with Pandavas but stayed back there at Manali to do Tapasya comprising of meditation, prayer, and penance to elevate her soul to reach divinity and be a Goddess.

Till then, she is worshipped there in Manali as Goddess Hidimba after she left for heavenly abode.

Also Read: Tara Devi Temple - For The Tranquillity Seekers

Who Worships Devi Hidimba?

Devi Hidimba is one of the revered deities of Manali and is worshipped there by locals from ages. She is one of the principal deities of Manali to be worshipped during Navaratri by all Manali local people despite worshipping Goddess Durga. Though there are huge queues of devotees coming to the Temple daily during Navaratri, the queues become so enormous to make devotees wait in serpentine queues before getting their turn to pay obeisance to Devi Hidimba.

How Does The Temple Look?

The Hidimba Devi Temple has three cross roofs, one over the other, giving it an outlook of three pyramids one over another, which are adorned by timber tiles and on above all of these three-pyramids looking cross-roofs there is another cone-shaped brass roof at the top. The Temple is adorned with a 24 m tall wooden tower above the sanctuary. The door has beautiful carvings showcasing the earth goddess Durga as in the main theme with other images from Lord Krishna's life besides Navagrahas. There are also amazing carvings of dancers, animals, and other foliate designs. 

The temple base is made up of mud, which is whitewashed and covered with artistic stonework. Inside the Temple is an enormous rock with a small 3-inch-tall brass image of Goddess Hidimba. The rock itself is worshipped as Devi Hidimba along with the brass idol.

There is a hanging rope in front of the rock. As per an ancient legend, the priest used to tie the hands of sinners by the rope and swing them against it as penance against their sins to prevent them from misdoings.

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Where Is Hidimba's Son Ghatotkacha Temple?

There is another temple near Devi Hidimba's Temple, about 70 m away from her own Temple, which is dedicated to her son Ghatotkacha, born after she married to Bhima. 

Ghatotkacha was a great warrior and was martyred during Mahabharta while fighting for Pandavas against Kauravas to save the life of Arjuna. Inside the Temple, there are foot imprints of Devi Hidimba, which is carved on a stone block and worshipped by the devotees.

Conclusion 

Devi Hidimba temple is one of the most revered temples of Manali and is regularly visited by all to seek her blessings and worship her. Close to her Temple is the Temple of her son Ghatotkacha, with foot imprints of Devi Hidimba preserved by the devotees on a stone block. The Temple is situated among the snow-covered hills of Manali and often attracts sacred hearts as well as nature lovers to be there. During Navratri, there is an amazing rush of devotees as the local people exclusively worship her despite Goddess Durga to seek her blessings and fulfill their all desires. Nowadays several visitors regularly visit there on regular days also.

Whether one is a nature lover, peace seeker, or with a sacred heart, Hidimba temple and its terrific surroundings have a lot to offer to all. After visiting the Temple, the visitors spent hours in their surroundings to enjoy the beautiful sceneries and relieve them in the serene environment of Manali. 

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