An Interesting Story On How Chamunda Devi Temple Was Located

The story of Devi Chamunda

Chamunda devi

Hindu mythology has seen a great amount of fierce and brave Goddesses. There are so many true stories of the bravery and intellect of Hindu Goddesses. Chamunda is an aspect of Devi who is the supreme mother goddess. It is said that the name of Mata Chamunda is a combination of Chanda and Munda, the two monsters which she killed. It is said that Devi Chamunda emerged from an eyebrow of Goddess Durga with an aim to kill those demons. 

Mata Chamunda Devi temple is very famous and is situated in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is at a distance of around 10 kms from Palampur on the Baner river. 

History of the temple

The Chamunda Devi Temple has a lot of history attached to it. It is considered as one of the 52 shakti peeths. 

The story behind the shifting of Mata Chamunda Devi temple is very interesting. Some 400 years ago, the king at that time and a brahmin priest prayed to Devi Chamunda for her permission to move the temple to an easily accessible location. Devi Chamunda then appeared to the priest in a dream giving her consent to do the same. She instructed him to dig in a specific spot where an ancient idol would be found which should be installed in the temple and worshipped as her form.

The king sent his men to bring the idol, but they were not able to lift it. Everybody was shocked, and once again, Devi Chamunda appeared in the dream of the priest. She explained that the men considered it an ordinary stone and thus, could not lift the holy idol. Hence, she did it as a way to teach the king and his men an important lesson of respect. She instructed the priest to get up early in the morning, take a bath, wear fresh clothes and go to the place in a respectful manner as he is dealing with a God and not some mortal being.

The priest as he was told and, to his dismay, found that he could easily lift the idol. He told the people that it was the power of the Goddess that brought the idol to the temple.

It is said that Mata Chamunda is guarded by Lord Hanuman and Bhairo. So her image always appears with images of Hanuman and Bhairo on both sides.

Mata Chamunda Devi temple is located at a beautiful hilltop providing peace, serenity and some breathtaking views. It also has a library and a Sanskrit college and is frequently visited by the locals as well as the tourists.

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