Binsar Devta
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Bindeshwar Mahadev Temple, also known as Binsar Devta or simply Binsar, is an ancient Hindu rock temple dedicated to
Lord Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
, worshipped as ''Bindeshwar'', a popular deity in this region''.'' At an altitude of 2480 meters above mean sea level, it is situated in Bisaona village, which falls in the Chauthan region of
Thalisain Thalisain is a town and tehsil of Pauri Garhwal district in the North Indian state of Uttarakhand. At an elevation of 1690 metres from sea level, it is situated on a gentle slope above the right bank of Nayaar (East) river. It is in the southwes ...
Block in the
Pauri Garhwal District Pauri Garhwal is a district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Its headquarters is in the town of Pauri. It is sometimes referred to simply as Garhwal district, though it should not be confused with the larger Garhwal region of which it is ...
of the Indian state of
Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
. This temple is set amidst dense forests of
birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...
, deodar and
rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...
. The original temple structure held great archaeological significance, but it was demolished by politicians in order to create a new structure. The central chamber of the temple features the idols of
Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...
, Shiva-Parvati and
Mahishasuramardini Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around comb ...
. A fair is organized there on
Vaikuntha Chaturdashi Vaikuntha Chaturdashi () is a Hindu holy day, which is observed on ''chaturdashi'', the 14th lunar day of the waxing moon fortnight (shukla paksha) of the Hindu month of Kartika (November–December). The day is sacred to the deities Vishnu and ...
every year. File:Deodar forest at Bindeshwar Mahadev.jpg, Deodar forest at Bindeshwar Mahadev File:Sanctum Sanctorum of the temple with carved monolithic pillars.jpg, Sanctum Sanctorum of the temple with carved monolithic pillars File:Binsar Mahadev after demolition.jpg, The temple after demolition in October 2017 File:Binsar Mahadev.jpg


History

The temple is believed to have been constructed by Maharaja Prithu in memory of his father, Bindu in the 9th/10th century. It is built in the Katyuri style. It was a contemporary of the
Jageshwar Jageshwar Temples, also referred to as Jageswar Temples or Jageshwar Valley Temples, are a group of 125 ancient Hindu temples dated between 7th and 14th century, near Almora in Almora district of the Himalayan Indian state of Uttarakhand. The val ...
and Adi Badri group of temples, but no documented history of it exists. Many rock-cut idols, shrines, and ''Shiva Lingams'' can be found within the valley where the temple is located. While many historians and researchers visited the location, no one produced accurate historical data related to the temple. File: An unknown diety's idol - considered as the main diety at Bindeshwar temple.jpg, An unknown deity's idol - considered as the main deity at Bindeshwar temple File:Ancient rock-cut shrine Binsar.jpg, Ancient rock temple in Binsar File: Ancient rock idols in Binsar.jpg, Ancient rock-cut idols in Binsar File:Nandi statue at Binsar Mahadev temple.jpg, Temple complex


Folklore

The lack of any recorded history led to the emergence of legends and folklore. According to one belief, the temple was built by the
Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledg ...
in one night while in exile. Another legend says that the temple was built by a king named Bindu. Alternatively, the temple may have been built by lord Vishwakarma. A strange symbol inscribed outside the temple is said to be in his handwriting. The temple was shrouded in mystery. In the olden days, its central room housed a circular, narrow and deep reservoir of cold water, resembling a well. This formed the main shrine. Many idols were kept around it. A snake was said to dwell inside the reservoir. In recent times, the well was covered with flat stones. Later, water seeped out of the rocks, suggesting the existence of a reservoir underneath.


Geography

The temple is tucked in a small valley in the vast Dudhatoli region. The altitude of the temple complex ranges from 2,480 meters (8,136 ft) to 2,500 meters (8,202 ft.). The complex is sited in a meadow. The forest around the temple is one of the densest temperate forests in
Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
, with deodar cedar (''Cedrus deodara'') as the dominant tree species, which, further east, becomes the only tree species. The valley is dotted with multiple cool water springs, some of which channelled into rock formations (known as ''Mangārā'' in the
Garhwali language Garhwali (, , in native pronunciation) is an Indo-Aryan language of the Central Pahari subgroup. It is primarily spoken by over 2.5 million Garhwali people in the Garhwal region of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand in the Indian Himalay ...
), while others flow naturally (known as ''dhārā''). The surrounding ridges have an average elevation of 2,700 meters (8,860 ft.) with dense, mixed, broadleaf forests, comprising kharsu, oaks, hornbeams, maples, rhododendrons, hazels, ''Corylus jacquemontii'', and dozens of other tree species.


Climate

The region experiences temperate climate during the summer season with pleasant days and cool nights.
Monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
brings rain and covers the surrounding forests in the mist. The rainy season brings biodiversity, enriching it with verdant greenery along with ferns, mosses, lichens, mushrooms, birds and insects. The rock temples turn green after they are covered in moss and lichens. Winter brings snow, while and daytime temperature fluctuates. The days are warm, shiny, and pleasant with temperatures around 15°, whereas the nights are cold. Sun rises late and sets early during this period, making the weather even colder during the dark hours. Frost is common during this season and snowfall ranges from 1 feet (30 cm) to as high as 4 feet (120 cm), and more. File: Chauthan valley as seen from Bindeshwar temple.jpg, Chauthan valley as seen from Bindeshwar temple File:Approaching pre-historic Dwarpal caves.jpg, Approaching pre-historic Dwarpal caves File:Deodar Forest seen while approaching Binsar Valley.jpg, Deodar Forest saw while approaching Binsar Valley


Image gallery

File:Binsar Mahadev temple.jpg, The temple after demolition in October 2017 File:Brahmadhungi.jpg, Brahmadhungi File:Shrine enroute Binsar.jpg, A small shrine made with rocks seen on Peethsain-Binsar route File:A fresh water spring in Binsar.jpg, A freshwater spring in Binsar File:View of Chaukhamba from the ridge.jpg, View of Chaukhamba from the ridge File:The winter-line as seen from Binsar.jpg, The winter-line as seen from Binsar File:More caves near Dwarpal.jpg, More caves near Drupal


References

Shiva temples in Uttarakhand Demolished buildings and structures in India {{Hindu temples in Uttarakhand