Mansa in Hindi means wish, and the Mansa Devi temple at
Haridwar is a place where it is believed that whoever goes with a good heart, is blessed and his/her wish is fulfilled.
The
Mansa Devi Temple is dedicated to the goddess Mansa Devi and is situated on top of the Bilwa Parvat which is in the Shivalik Ranges of the Himalayas. The temple along with two others, the Chandi Devi and the Maya Devi, form the trio of the siddha peeth. A seedha peeth is a goddess Shakti shrine, which is supposed to possess the power to fulfil wishes. There are three such shrines at Haridwar, Mansa Devi being one of them.
The Temple:
The Temple of Mansa Devi is also called as the Bilwa Teertha, which is counted amongst one in the list of 5 such teertha (holy places) in Haridwar. Counted amongst the holiest temples in the city, Mansa Devi is visited by a large number of devotees, who consider it a must visit while on a trip to Haridwar.
Getting to the Temple:
The temple of Mansa Devi is reached by two ways: one way is undertaking a trek uphill to reach the temple. The other, and easier way, is to reach the temple through the cable car called as the Mansa Devi Udankhtola. It is crowded but a way easy option to reach the revered temple.
The Mansa Devi Udankhatola which has been a relief for many of the pilgrims, was introduced to provide an ease of access to the two temple of Mansa Devi and
Chandi Devi. The ropeway, starting from the lower station at Haridwar, reaches directly to the temple.
Primary Deity:
The primary deity of the Mansa Devi temple is goddess Mansa, who along with goddess Chandi, is considered to be the incarnation of Shakti. Mansa Devi is believed to have been born from the mind of the sage Kashyapa and is sister to Naga Vasuki.
Mansa Devi, as the name suggests that the goddess fulfils wishes of those who come to pray to her temple.
There is a tree at the temple where the devotees tie a thread praying for the wish (mansa) they want to come true. If the wish does come true, these devotes come back to untie the thread. This ritual is very common amongst the people.
There are also many offerings done to the goddess including coconuts, garlands, fruits, flowers, incense etc.
There are two idols of the goddess that preside in the temple. One of them is the goddess has three heads and five arms while the second one possesses eight arms.
Temple timings:
The temple is open from 8 am to 5 pm on normal days. Lunch is between 12 to 2 Pm during which, it remains closed.
How to reach:
Located in the holy town of Haridwar, the temple is easily accessible and with the cable car service, one even doesnt have to climb the Bilwa parvat.
Air: The nearest airport from Haridwar is the Jolly Grant airport at a distance of about 20 kilometres.
Rail: Haridwar has its own railway station which is well connected with the major cities of the country.
Road: Haridwar is connected by the national highway 58 and is thus easily accessible. Buses as well taxis to Haridwar are easily accessible from all the major places.
