Maya Devi Temple
Have you ever heard of Siddhapeeth
Triangle in Haridwar? The temple of Maya Devi completes the
trio along with
Mansa
Devi and
Chandi
Devi Temples. So if you are in Haridwar on a pilgrimage tour, you
can never afford to miss a visit to these temples, of which the Maya
Devi temple is considered to be the vertex. A peek into the religious
history of Haridwar tells you alot about the significance of the Maya
Devi Temple. The temples stands in dedication to goddess Maya Devi, who
is also the Adhisthatri deity of Haridwar. According to what frequent
pilgrims to Haridwar say, it is almost blasphemous if you visit Haridwar
and miss a visit to the Maya Devi Temple.
The history of the Maya Devi temple
dates back to the 11th century. Devotees as well as tourists from all
across the country and the world flock to Haridwar to visit the shrine
and to seek blessings of goddess Maya Devi; the goddess represents
shakti (divine power). Among the Hindu community this
divine power is very highly regarded and revered.
There is an interesting legend
associated with the temple's existence. According to the Hindu
mythology, Sati (Lord Shiva's wife) set herself on
fire to avenge the insulting demeanor of her father towards her husband.
When Lord Shiva came to learn that Sati killed herself
to keep his honour, he was filled with fury. An enraged Shiva undertook
a tour of the whole universe carrying the dead body of Sati. It was
during this tour that various body parts of Sati fell at different
places. Hindus believe that it was at the temple site of Maya Devi where
the naval and heart of Sati fell down. Therefore the Maya Devi shrine is
held in high regard. The spiritual aura that surrounds the temple is
truly worth experiencing for all.
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