Hidimba ( sa, हिडिम्ब, ) was a powerful demon king who is mentioned in the epic
Mahābhārata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
. He was killed by
Bhima
In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...
and this is recounted in the 9th sub-parva (Hidimba-vadha Parva) of the
Adi Parva The ''Adi Parva'' or ''The Book of the Beginning'' is the first of eighteen books of the Mahabharata. "Adi" ( आदि, Ādi) is a Sanskrit word that means "first".
Adi Parva traditionally has 19 parts and 236 adhyayas (chapters). The critical edi ...
.
Death
The demon Hidimba lived in a forest along with his sister Hidimbi. While travelling, the
Pandavas stopped in that forest to rest while Bhima stood on guard. Hidimba ate human flesh and became eager to devour them. He sent Hidimbi to kill the Pandavas and to bring them back to him. Hidimbi went on his instructions, but her mind changed on seeing Bhima. She assumed the form of a beautiful woman and told about her brother to Bhima. She proposed him to become his husband.
Hidimba got furious at his sister and rushed towards her to kill her. Bhima interjected Hidimba and challenged him to fight him instead. The sleeping Pandavas woke up on hearing the sounds of them fighting and offered to help Bhima in killing Hidimba but Bhima asked them to watch the duel as spectators.
Arjuna
Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...
reminded Bhima that daybreak was about to set in and the demons become stronger at that time and Bhima should kill Hidimba as soon as possible. Bhima ended up crushing and tearing Hidimba into two pieces.
Temples
There are a few temples dedicated to Hiḍimbā's sister
Hiḍimbī in
Himachal Pradesh.
The most famous temple is the
Hiḍimbā Devi Temple in
Manali Manali may refer to:
Places in India
* Manali, Himachal Pradesh,
* Manali, Chennai, a locality of Chennai
* Manali New Town, a locality of Chennai
* Manali, Gummidipoondi, a village in Tamil Nadu
* Manali River, a river in Kerala
People
* ...
. Some of the sacred objects enshrined here include chariots, footprints and a small statue. Hiḍimbā is one of the most powerful deities in
Kullu Valley
Kullu Valley is a broad open valley in Himachal Pradesh, India, formed by the Beas River between Manali and Larji. This valley is famous for its temples, beauty and its majestic hills covered with pine and deodar forest and sprawling apple orc ...
. The pagoda-shaped wooden temple, situated in the
Deodar forests, has intricately-carved wooden doors and wooden
shikhara, is believed to be over 500 years old.
Festivals
Believers may travel to the town of
Kullu to participate in the annual festival of
Dussehra, where Hiḍimbā's chariot leads a rally of gods from all over the Kullu valley, escorting the main chariot of
Raghunāth. At the end of the seven-day festivities, on the "Lanka Dahan" day, sacrifices are made to Hiḍimbā. Ghaṭotkaca is also a popular deity in the neighboring
Banjar village and
Siraj district.
See also
*
Hidimba Devi Temple
References
Rakshasa in the Mahabharata
Characters in the Mahabharata
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