Hello everyone.....
I hope you guys are fine and doing great in your life.....
India is a country where not only seasons but also festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm and each festival holds its own significance. In the same way, Navratri is celebrated twice a year with great pomp and show. During these nine days of Navratri, different forms of Goddess Durga are worshipped. As Navratri is currently ongoing, yesterday on Sunday, we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit the temple of Goddess Durga and seek her blessings.
Early in the morning, we got ready and five of us set off to visit the temple of Goddess Durga, which is located approximately 25 km away from Almora on the top of a scenic and beautiful hill. To reach the temple, we had to walk a short distance from road on a path through the jungle where we were able to see many beautiful and picturesque views.
As soon as we reached the temple, we felt a different kind of joy and energy.
Since we had left early in the morning, we did not have to wait much for the darshan (sight) of the goddess. Along with Goddess Durga, we also visited the temples of Lord Hanuman, Bhairav Baba, and Goddess Kali. After offering our prayers in all the temples, we took the prasad (blessed food) and then sat on top of the mountain for a while, enjoying the view of the valleys and relishing the taste of roasted peanuts. It was a beautiful and peaceful experience that filled us with happiness.
After spending some time there, we returned back to Almora.
KASARDEVI TEMPLE
After returning from the Banadi Devi temple, we decided to visit another temple, the Kasardevi temple. It is located approximately 6 kilometers away from Almora on the Kashyap mountain range, and it is a place of extraordinary beauty and mental peace. This place has a unique history according to ancient texts, as it is said that Ma Bhagwati was physically present here. Additionally, there are special magnetic forces associated with this place, which NASA has researched in the past. In 1890, Swami Vivekananda also visited this place and meditated here and was greatly influenced by this place. He mentioned this place in his writings as well.
Thousands of tourists and devotees from within the country and abroad visit this place every year in search of mental peace. They visit the temple and enjoy the beauty of the Hippie Hill nearby. This place truly offers a great experience of mental peace and joy.
Anyway, returning to my topic, when we reached the temple in the afternoon, there was a long line of people waiting to see the deities. After waiting for a while, we finally got to see Ma Bhagwati, followed by Lord Shiva and Bhairava Baba.
Then, we saw Nandi Maharaj, and people were whispering their wishes into his ears because it is believed that since Nandi Maharaj is carrier of Lord Shiva, he directly conveys the desires of people to Lord Shiva, who then fulfills them.
After this, we tried to meditate for some time, which gave us a feeling of immense peace. After sitting for a while, we could feel a special energy surrounding us.
Later, we explored the temple premises and saw a place where a yogi had meditated.
We also saw an ancient and historical inscription, but I could not gather much information about it.
After such an eventful day, we took some time to relax and enjoy a game of cricket before returning home.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience, and maybe it will inspire you to visit the Banadi Devi and Kasardevi temples someday. Thank you.